Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield

A 17th-century Salem woman accuses an ex-lover's wife of witchery in an adaptation of the Arthur Miller play.

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65% liked it

26,379 ratings

Critics

76% liked it

25 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs. 3 min.

Directed by: Nicholas Hytner

Release Date: December 13, 1996

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DVD Release Date: June 1, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (1,211)


  • July 27, 2009
    great movie! the acting makes it so good!!!
  • June 9, 2008
    Nothing spectacular.
  • January 30, 2008
    fantastic adaption of millers play, beautifullly captures the spirit of such a time
  • November 16, 2007
    I would have liked it better had I seen it under better circumstances.
  • August 28, 2007
    As much as I love Arthur Miller (whose play the movie is based on) and Daniel Day - Lewis (who portrays John Proctor), this movie just did not fully cut it for me. Both the aforementioned Day - Lewis and Winona Ryder (and I guess, Joan Allen) give stellar performances, but the re...( read more)st of the cast just screams their way through the film. There is little logical sense to the accusations brought upon the various accused - not what Miller's play was supposed to signify, namely the McCarthy trials as well as the Salem Witch Hunts.

    The movie can be frustrating at times. The plot seems to go on in circles for eternity. You never really know who accused whom of what and why. This could be due to the fact that the supporting cast is not too great.

    This would get 2.5 stars had it not been for Daniel Day - Lewis being hot (as well as an excellent actor).
  • November 23, 2009
    Great acting, but come on, what perposterous , stupidity!
  • November 18, 2009
    Daniel Day-Lewis was amazing as always and Winona Ryder gave a surprisingly creepy performance as well. For being such an old play, the adaption was true to it's source and at the same time breathed new life into the story. I loved the stale approach that they went with, it was a...( read more) great choice of style and tone.
  • October 15, 2009
    It appears to me that the source material for this film is quite solid. A lot of the concepts and undercurrents are interesting, and it's nicely drawn out. Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman also happens to be one of my favorite plays of all time, so I know he's a great playwrig...( read more)ht. However, the film loses something in its translation. The fact that the whole picture is built around dialogue and performance is an honorable pursuit, but the execution is clumsy and it falters overall. Director Nicholas Hytner leaves the impression of someone who's unsure behind the camera, with inconsistent visual choices and strangely directed interactions between characters. A lot of the performances feel showy and self-conscious, even Winona Ryder's. She's an actor I normally respect and admire, but perhaps she was miscast in this role. Day-Lewis is strong, of course, but it was Karron Graves, an actress who evidently never made much of her career, who left the strongest impression for me. She leaves an indelible mark on the film with her outstanding, passionate performance.
  • September 26, 2009
    Very stupid and so is the book.
  • September 19, 2009
    "I say God is dead!" Here here, best part. I didn't care about the play much so this was easier because of Ryder's and Day-Lewis' great performances.

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