Film Review of The Crucible :: Essay on The Crucible

Film Review of The CrucibleThe Crucible A Film ReviewWhod have thought that naive dancing could cause so much chaos in asmall town. This is precisely what happens in the film The Crucible (NicholasHytner, 1996), which was originally written as a play by Arthur Miller. This storyis based on actual events, which helps in showing the accuracy of the events. Thestory takes place in Salem in 1692, during the Salem witch trials. The story startswhen a group of young girls, particularly one named Abigail, are caught dancingaround a fire in the woodland by the town preacher, Samuel Parris. In an effort toavoid getting in trouble, the girls begin to make accusations against the townspeople, saying that these people are witches who forced them to dance. As the vehemence grows in Salem, people begin to question their own neighbors, simply out of spite and vengeance, among other things. The Crucible is certainly historically accurate in its portrait of the townspeoples beliefs and attitudes. It is a film that should be seen to view the way people were in the seventeenth century.Fear was probably the biggest reason for all of the happenings. Fearis what got the girls started on their accusations, as they were panicky to get introuble. They knew that if they were thought to be conjuring spirits, they wouldbe hung. The townspeople were also afraid, especially of those who were different. They felt that they must be rid of anyone who disagreed with their beliefs. besides look at how the Puritans treated the Indians. They feared the Native Americans because their beliefs were different than their own. Also, the main reason that people were accused in the first place, is because when Tituba was being questioned, they were asking if she saw Sara correct and Sara Osborne with the Devil. Of course she said yes, they were threatening to kill her. Another example of fear in the village, is the fear of accepting your own actions and taking responsibility. The Puritans believed in predestination, and if the girls were dancing safe to dance, and not because the Devil took them from their path to God, the townspeople would then have to take the responsibility for that, as it would be thier fault for letting these girls go astray. They were also afraid of change. Change in their beliefs would shut down the entire town, because it was built mainly on their ideology.