The crucible - Saint Ignatius' Moodle Community

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Resolution ‘Proctor signs the confession to save his life, but the judges demand the confession be made public, and he finds that he cannot live in a society uncommitted. He must be either totally and publicly against the accused or totally and publicly with them. There is no middle ground of private commitment and public neutrality. This is Proctor’s final dilemma . . . and Miller will not . . . allow the individual to escape from his social obligations into his private life.’ (From Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Crucible, Ed. John H. Ferres, Prentice-Hall, 1972.) Does The Crucible demonstrate that the political is personal, the personal is political? At the film’s conclusion we learn that Salem eventually came to its senses, but not before the loss of many innocent lives. What did the lives of Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey represent, to Danforth, and to the people of Salem? Is it essential, in terms of the narrative, that these three die? At the end of the film, what are your feelings towards Proctor, Elizabeth, Danforth, Abigail and Mary Warren? Is The Crucible relevant today? Media Studies Section ‘A timeless tale of truth on trial, The Crucible is a relentlessly suspenseful drama of collective evil and personal conscience. And at its centre is a vastly moving story of guilt, love and redemption.’ This brief synopsis comes from the publicity material used to promote the film. Identify the elements in this description that seem to be popular or marketable to cinema audiences and discuss the attraction of these. Focus on one of the above elements, for example, ‘collective evil’, ‘love’, ‘redemption’ or ‘personal conscience’, and discuss how it is represented and developed within the film. From the very first shot to the climactic cry of John Proctor, ‘I have given you my soul, leave me my name’, the film contains many suspenseful sequences. Select any one of these and discuss how various production elements and techniques contribute to the development of suspense and drama. Consider any of the following: camerawork lighting music setting visual composition editing sound effects direction of actors The Crucible has been described as ‘a timeless story’. Playwright and screenwriter, Arthur Miller, conceived the play in response to the anti-communist hysteria inspired by Senator Joseph McCarthy’s ‘crusade’ in the early 1950s. To a certain extent the film has transcended its specific allusions to McCarthyism. ‘The sad truth about this story is that it will always be topical,’ according to the film’s director, Nicholas Hytner. Films most often reflect the social values of the production period in which they were made rather than the period in which their stories are set. Identify the social values of the 1990s that could be reflected either in concrete or allegorical terms in The Crucible. Explore through discussion or written analysis how The Crucible might reflect the social and political climate of contemporary America or Australia or indeed, the world. The film is didactic in that it has a specific purpose and conclusion for its audience to draw. The message about the injustices suffered by the Salem community is reinforced by the postscript that appears as text after the final scene. Are there clearly identifiable heroes/victims/accusers? The film has a complexity in that at different points the audience is encouraged to identify with different characters. Explore how the film works to enhance the positioning of the audience to identify with a particular character. Select any three of the following characters and identify points in the film when you could identify or empathise with them. Explain what the character was feeling at that point and why you could understand them: John Proctor, Abigail Williams, Judge Danforth, Elizabeth Proctor, Reverend Hale, Rebecca Nurse, Mary Warren. Adaptation Casting ‘Daniel’s manifest integrity means he can embody emotionally the idea of a man who feels morally compromised; he can encompass the wrenching dilemma faced by a man who can only accept God’s most precious gift - Life - if he is prepared to sacrifice his good name.’ 4
How does the use of cinema techniques contribute to the motion within the film? What does this motion represent? Consider the interrogation scene in the church. DRAMA SECTION Arthur Miller is acknowledged as America’s greatest living playwright. While most of his plays are set in contemporary America, his work is strongly influenced by Ibsen and even the early Greek tragedies which explore notions of self-knowledge and self-realisation. Miller has said that he wants his audience to have a ‘heightened awareness of what living in our time involves.’ The Crucible’s director, Nicholas Hytner, never contemplated the possibility of approaching any other actor to perform the part of John Proctor. Particular actors bring certain qualities and associations with other roles to films. Day- Lewis brings to the role the same strength of conviction that he portrayed in the character of Gerry Conlon in In The Name Of The Father. Hytner said of Paul Scofield who plays Judge Danforth: ‘It would have been easy enough to find one of those actors who specialise in the sinister, but Danforth’s particular danger is that his convictions are genuine and his commitment to rooting out the Devil is deeply felt.’ Make a list of the qualities that each of the main actors brings to their role. Setting Study the final meeting between John and Elizabeth Proctor. Why is this such a powerful scene? How does the setting of this scene on the windy beach with its turbulent breaking waves contribute to its impact? The relevance of The Crucible’s story in today’s society is what prompted film director Nicholas Hytner to undertake this project. He believes that Miller’s story is universally truthful. Arthur Miller says that he sees in the Salem witchhunt many modern parallels of tyranny, evil and persecution. Miller skilfully combines symbolism with naturalism in most of his plays. The Crucible is a very symbolic play and Hytner’s painstakingly authentic naturalistic film also includes strong symbolic elements which heighten the drama. Consider the opening sequence in the woods. A circular symbol is repeatedly used. Can you think of some examples? Are there any other reoccurring symbols? Discuss the use of water. The Crucible is a psychological drama which flourishes in an atmosphere of fear and suspicion. Imaginary devils and psychological obsessions were barely contained in the joyless daily ritual of Salem life. The power of suggestion is an extremely strong force. When a group of people take up a notion, and act upon it as a group against an individual, it can be an over-whelming force. Consider the plight of Tituba and Mary Warren who both broke down and ‘confessed’ after repeated accusations. 5 The final scene as well as an earlier scene where Proctor and other townspeople follow the girls as they run into the sea present imagery with strong religious connotations. Proctor is accused as the crowd stand around him in the shallows. What biblical stories and characters do these two scenes allude to? Is this a coincidence? Are there other scenes/sequences/shots that include religious imagery? Explain how these might contribute to the characterisations, story and messages of the film. Production design Arthur Miller realised early in the adaptation process that finding images that would successfully convey what language had done on stage would be a formidable job. The director’s objective was ‘to make the film move.’ Consider the use of the camera and editing throughout the film. In particular sequences the intercutting between shots is quite rapid and fluid whilst the camera is operated on a crane enabling movement above and amongst the actors. Drama Activity Choose someone to be the victim and place them in the centre of a circle. The rest of the group then form a circle and slowly walk around them chanting their name. The chanting should get louder and louder and more and more menacing. Substitute the victim’s name for a continual hissing, growling or sneering. Take turns at being victim. Discuss how you feel in this situation. Next, hold the circle position while the accusers on the outside interrogate the victim in the middle about their actions during a certain period of time - e.g. yesterday’s lunch hour. The aim of this exercise is to confuse and disorientate the victim with a series of contradictory questions and suggestions. This ‘victimising’ is not pleasant but it is an effective role play. The crucible is a very wordy play. The characters are given a certain dignity and their relationships an old-fashioned formality by quaint phrases or grammatical usage. List some of the words and phrases used between the husbands and wives, families and close friends that are not in use today.
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