The Crucible Movie (1996): Cast and Changes from the Play
Arthur Miller rewrote his own play for the screen, forty years on
The 1996 cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| John Proctor | Daniel Day-Lewis |
| Abigail Williams | Winona Ryder |
| Elizabeth Proctor | Joan Allen |
| Judge Danforth | Paul Scofield |
| Samuel Parris | Bruce Davison |
| John Hale | Rob Campbell |
| Thomas Putnam | Jeffrey Jones |
| Giles Corey | Peter Vaughan |
| Tituba | Charlayne Woodard |
How the film was made
Miller adapted the play himself, more than forty years after its Broadway premiere, and his son Robert A. Miller co-produced. The village of Salem was rebuilt on Hog Island, a remote wildlife sanctuary off the coast of Essex, Massachusetts, so the film has real New England sea, marsh and weather rather than studio sets. During production Daniel Day-Lewis met Miller's daughter, the writer and director Rebecca Miller, and they later married.
↑ Back to the topHow the film differs from the play
The play begins inside Parris's house after the night in the woods. The film opens with the woods themselves: the girls at Tituba's fire, Abigail casting a spell against Elizabeth, and Parris bursting in. Seeing it makes Abigail's motive clear from the first minutes.
The film also opens the story out: crowds gather at the hearings, and the hysteria spreads through the whole village. The final scene moves outdoors to the gallows by the sea, where Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey stand together. Miller also cut some speeches and added small moments between Abigail and Proctor.
↑ Back to the topThe performances
Joan Allen's quiet, wounded Elizabeth is often called the best performance in the film, and she was nominated for an Oscar. Paul Scofield's Danforth is calm and terrifying, a judge who cannot admit a mistake because it would undo everything he has done. Day-Lewis's Proctor is angry and physical, and Ryder's Abigail is both frightening and pitiable.
↑ Back to the topHow was it received?
Critics were mostly positive, praising the cast and the faithful adaptation, but the film made only about seven million dollars in the United States on a budget of around twenty-five million. It has since found a long life in classrooms, where it is one of the most shown film versions of a stage play.
↑ Back to the topThe Crucible (1996) was directed by Nicholas Hytner from a screenplay by Arthur Miller himself. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis as John Proctor, Winona Ryder as Abigail Williams, Joan Allen as Elizabeth Proctor and Paul Scofield as Judge Danforth.
It earned two Oscar nominations, for Joan Allen and for Miller's screenplay, and Scofield won a BAFTA.
More about The Crucible
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