Movie set analysis
The film adaptation of The Crucible in 1996 was perhaps the only movie version in which the playwright himself, Arthur Miller, was most involved in. In fact, the screenplay of the movie was done by Arthur Miller himself. Also, he rewrote many scenes for Director Nicholas Hytner “streamlining the play’s rhetoric”. There are many differences between the film version and the original play. The four acts from the play were carried out indoors, whereas in the film, there were opportunities to set the story outdoors. Scenes such as the dance in the woods that were previously left to the imagination of the audience, were acted out and filmed with a strong impact. Owen Gleiberman praised the opening scene of the dance in the forest for creating “a mood of eroticised fear and delirium that reverberates through the movie”. Indeed, given the differences in political context when the movie was made and the play was produced, Arthur Miller intended to create a different effect for the viewing audience. The sex scandal of then-President Clinton overshadowed McCarthyism in this film adaptation of The Crucible. As such, the set and scenes of the movie tend to highlight to sexual side of The Crucible.
The movie begins with Abigail awakening abruptly in the middle of the night. The camera cuts to girls running out of their homes and into the woods. Shrouded in mist and fog, the forest creates an ominous feel to the movie, setting an atmosphere of tension that would last throughout the film. On top of that, the trees in the woods are bare in this scene, and there is a deadening sense drifting in the cold and dark forest of Salem. John Proctor is soon introduced, holding a scythe at his first appearance in the movie. The scythe is a common agricultural tool of that time, yet in the given context of The Crucible, it could also mean death. These settings are seemingly foreshadowing the eventual outcome of the movie, that is, death, chaos and fear in Salem.
After the mass hysteria of the girls after Tituba’s “confession”, the accusations rose and the setting for each is very interesting. For example, the arrest of Goody Sibber following the goat incident was one of particular symbolism. Not only did she fire back at the goat owner by cursing at them, but the prop used here is also worth analysing, that is, the goat. Horns of a goat and ram, together with goat’s fur and ears, and nose and canines of a pig, are common illustration and depictions of the Devil (Fritscher, Jack (2004). Popular Witchcraft: Straight from the Witch's Mouth. Popular Press. p. 23). Hence, by utilising a goat, the movie effectively brings out the supposed “Devil” in Goody Sibber that leads to her arrest. At the same time, it also shows the panic and irrational thinking of citizens of Salem with all the chaos around them then.
Upon hearing of her name being mentioned, Elizabeth was frightened somewhat of the noose. She knows well that Abigail wants her dead for then she could have John Proctor. Again, the outdoor scene with John, Elizabeth, and Mary Warren seems to be shrouded in fog, just like the opening scene in the forest, preempting a sinister future. Elizabeth then enters the house. In contrast to the day scene, the house is now dimly lit, and the only source of light was the moon. Elizabeth and John are separated by the dining table that is draped in white. Moonlight spills over the tabletop, yet it only lights up a half of the table that is to the side of Elizabeth, while John remains in the dark shadows. In my opinion, the director is trying to show both a sinned John Proctor, as well as a divide between husband and wife. By committing adultery with Abigail, John Proctor has lost the trust of his wife. With Abigail at the helm of proceedings, Elizabeth is an innocent woman caught between the struggle for John Proctor by Abigail, and hence the shaft of light on Elizabeth’s half of the table highlights her innocence. John Proctor meanwhile, remains “sinned” and stands in the shadows, knowing the fears that his wife feel have all been brought upon because of him. When Elizabeth says, “Abigail wants me dead. You know it”, there is almost a sense of revelation in John Proctor that in order for him to redeem himself and go to the “light”, he must be the one to die.
Sources <<<<<Click me
Fritscher, Jack (2004). Popular Witchcraft: Straight from the Witch's Mouth. Popular Press. p. 23
Act III starts with Martha Corey being tried for Witchcraft, after an accusation by Abigail.The court is shown to be packed with people, and each retaliation by both Martha and the prosecutor is echoed by a wave of commotion and discussion from the crowd. When Giles Corey and John Proctor storm into the court to accuse Abigail and the girls as frauds and file a deposition, the crowd responded with an uproar of confusion. This chaotic setting in terms of the number of people and the noise generated represents the great confusion and strong emotions present in Salem as a whole caused by this significant witchcraft case, foreshadowing the potential of brutal public outrage as seen later. The court then proceeds in the vestry room, a tiny and more condensed space than the court with its low ceiling, allowing for a focused view on individual characters and clear dialogue. This suggests that the events in the room are crucial as part of the plot and the propelling of the story into the subsequent outbursts of hysteria. The twisted logic and almost tyrannous authority of the court were introduced here, for example, as seen from how Governor Danforth arrested all 91 of the people who signed the deposition against the court for questioning, since people are not troubled if “they are in good conscious” and questions raised are “attacks on the court”.
Abigail then leads the girls outside the court, screaming and hollering out of fake horror, gaining the attention of the already nervous public. Mary finally broke mentally under the outburst of hysteria by the large crowd and pushed all claims of anti-christ onto John, leaving him to be the “other” from the people of Salem. This scene outdoors (contrary to the book) was particularly significant as it allowed the director to show John being “othered”, facing the people of Salem alone and accused of anti-christ with great prejudice, emphasising the massive degree of delusion of the people of Salem. The confusion of the people mentioned earlier was converted to wrath, when John damned God and his people in rage of the injustice, causing public outrage and condemnation. There was no longer any doubt in the public’s eyes that those accused by Abigail were in fact anti-christ, and many innocent people were hanged.
Act IV begins with an attempt by Abigail to remove the threat of Hale’s return to Salem by accusing Hale’s wife as a witch. Danforth denies the claim on the belief that a minister’s family is “unlikely” to be anti-christ. Harthorne then persuades Danforth to stop the executions, describing the public’s growing doubt of the court’s justice due to the large number of alleged witches who refused to confess to witchery. This scene shows the flickering light of the fireplace clearly on Danforth and Harthone’s face, suggesting the “flickering” of the light of justice. The maintained dark and sinister lighting of the subsequent scenes, such as at Parris’s house and John Proctor’s jail cell further shows that an evil or darkness has overcome the whole village, causing unrest and vengeance to brew. The silhouetted leave of Abigail from into the sunrise also gives the notion of an escape from a sinful past and society.
When Hale and Danforth implored Proctor to confess to witchcraft to escape death, Proctor requested for a private talk with his wife. The huge winds at the cliff where John and Elizabeth discussed and the backdrop of choppy sea waters is a good representation of the undecidedness of both of them and the emotional “storm” within John when facing his wife after committing adultery. The scene at which John finally embraces death in exchange for his name and honour is also filled with bare trees at the back, giving a sense of tragedy, but during his execution the director chose a rather bright setting, with much sunlight shining on John and the other “witches’” face, mixing the sense of tragedy with a heroism, hence giving these “witches” a rather glorious ending.
The film adaptation of The Crucible in 1996 was perhaps the only movie version in which the playwright himself, Arthur Miller, was most involved in. In fact, the screenplay of the movie was done by Arthur Miller himself. Also, he rewrote many scenes for Director Nicholas Hytner “streamlining the play’s rhetoric”. There are many differences between the film version and the original play. The four acts from the play were carried out indoors, whereas in the film, there were opportunities to set the story outdoors. Scenes such as the dance in the woods that were previously left to the imagination of the audience, were acted out and filmed with a strong impact. Owen Gleiberman praised the opening scene of the dance in the forest for creating “a mood of eroticised fear and delirium that reverberates through the movie”. Indeed, given the differences in political context when the movie was made and the play was produced, Arthur Miller intended to create a different effect for the viewing audience. The sex scandal of then-President Clinton overshadowed McCarthyism in this film adaptation of The Crucible. As such, the set and scenes of the movie tend to highlight to sexual side of The Crucible.
The movie begins with Abigail awakening abruptly in the middle of the night. The camera cuts to girls running out of their homes and into the woods. Shrouded in mist and fog, the forest creates an ominous feel to the movie, setting an atmosphere of tension that would last throughout the film. On top of that, the trees in the woods are bare in this scene, and there is a deadening sense drifting in the cold and dark forest of Salem. John Proctor is soon introduced, holding a scythe at his first appearance in the movie. The scythe is a common agricultural tool of that time, yet in the given context of The Crucible, it could also mean death. These settings are seemingly foreshadowing the eventual outcome of the movie, that is, death, chaos and fear in Salem.
After the mass hysteria of the girls after Tituba’s “confession”, the accusations rose and the setting for each is very interesting. For example, the arrest of Goody Sibber following the goat incident was one of particular symbolism. Not only did she fire back at the goat owner by cursing at them, but the prop used here is also worth analysing, that is, the goat. Horns of a goat and ram, together with goat’s fur and ears, and nose and canines of a pig, are common illustration and depictions of the Devil (Fritscher, Jack (2004). Popular Witchcraft: Straight from the Witch's Mouth. Popular Press. p. 23). Hence, by utilising a goat, the movie effectively brings out the supposed “Devil” in Goody Sibber that leads to her arrest. At the same time, it also shows the panic and irrational thinking of citizens of Salem with all the chaos around them then.
Upon hearing of her name being mentioned, Elizabeth was frightened somewhat of the noose. She knows well that Abigail wants her dead for then she could have John Proctor. Again, the outdoor scene with John, Elizabeth, and Mary Warren seems to be shrouded in fog, just like the opening scene in the forest, preempting a sinister future. Elizabeth then enters the house. In contrast to the day scene, the house is now dimly lit, and the only source of light was the moon. Elizabeth and John are separated by the dining table that is draped in white. Moonlight spills over the tabletop, yet it only lights up a half of the table that is to the side of Elizabeth, while John remains in the dark shadows. In my opinion, the director is trying to show both a sinned John Proctor, as well as a divide between husband and wife. By committing adultery with Abigail, John Proctor has lost the trust of his wife. With Abigail at the helm of proceedings, Elizabeth is an innocent woman caught between the struggle for John Proctor by Abigail, and hence the shaft of light on Elizabeth’s half of the table highlights her innocence. John Proctor meanwhile, remains “sinned” and stands in the shadows, knowing the fears that his wife feel have all been brought upon because of him. When Elizabeth says, “Abigail wants me dead. You know it”, there is almost a sense of revelation in John Proctor that in order for him to redeem himself and go to the “light”, he must be the one to die.
Sources <<<<<Click me
Fritscher, Jack (2004). Popular Witchcraft: Straight from the Witch's Mouth. Popular Press. p. 23
Act III starts with Martha Corey being tried for Witchcraft, after an accusation by Abigail.The court is shown to be packed with people, and each retaliation by both Martha and the prosecutor is echoed by a wave of commotion and discussion from the crowd. When Giles Corey and John Proctor storm into the court to accuse Abigail and the girls as frauds and file a deposition, the crowd responded with an uproar of confusion. This chaotic setting in terms of the number of people and the noise generated represents the great confusion and strong emotions present in Salem as a whole caused by this significant witchcraft case, foreshadowing the potential of brutal public outrage as seen later. The court then proceeds in the vestry room, a tiny and more condensed space than the court with its low ceiling, allowing for a focused view on individual characters and clear dialogue. This suggests that the events in the room are crucial as part of the plot and the propelling of the story into the subsequent outbursts of hysteria. The twisted logic and almost tyrannous authority of the court were introduced here, for example, as seen from how Governor Danforth arrested all 91 of the people who signed the deposition against the court for questioning, since people are not troubled if “they are in good conscious” and questions raised are “attacks on the court”.
Abigail then leads the girls outside the court, screaming and hollering out of fake horror, gaining the attention of the already nervous public. Mary finally broke mentally under the outburst of hysteria by the large crowd and pushed all claims of anti-christ onto John, leaving him to be the “other” from the people of Salem. This scene outdoors (contrary to the book) was particularly significant as it allowed the director to show John being “othered”, facing the people of Salem alone and accused of anti-christ with great prejudice, emphasising the massive degree of delusion of the people of Salem. The confusion of the people mentioned earlier was converted to wrath, when John damned God and his people in rage of the injustice, causing public outrage and condemnation. There was no longer any doubt in the public’s eyes that those accused by Abigail were in fact anti-christ, and many innocent people were hanged.
Act IV begins with an attempt by Abigail to remove the threat of Hale’s return to Salem by accusing Hale’s wife as a witch. Danforth denies the claim on the belief that a minister’s family is “unlikely” to be anti-christ. Harthorne then persuades Danforth to stop the executions, describing the public’s growing doubt of the court’s justice due to the large number of alleged witches who refused to confess to witchery. This scene shows the flickering light of the fireplace clearly on Danforth and Harthone’s face, suggesting the “flickering” of the light of justice. The maintained dark and sinister lighting of the subsequent scenes, such as at Parris’s house and John Proctor’s jail cell further shows that an evil or darkness has overcome the whole village, causing unrest and vengeance to brew. The silhouetted leave of Abigail from into the sunrise also gives the notion of an escape from a sinful past and society.
When Hale and Danforth implored Proctor to confess to witchcraft to escape death, Proctor requested for a private talk with his wife. The huge winds at the cliff where John and Elizabeth discussed and the backdrop of choppy sea waters is a good representation of the undecidedness of both of them and the emotional “storm” within John when facing his wife after committing adultery. The scene at which John finally embraces death in exchange for his name and honour is also filled with bare trees at the back, giving a sense of tragedy, but during his execution the director chose a rather bright setting, with much sunlight shining on John and the other “witches’” face, mixing the sense of tragedy with a heroism, hence giving these “witches” a rather glorious ending.