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The Crucible (1996) - Critic Reviews - Page 1 of 2

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Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Misha Berson (19) for The Seattle Times (964) on 06 Aug 2022

In the end, the movie reaffirms the importance of standing up for truth, and not betraying one's friends - the two most obvious morals at hand,…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Edward Guthmann (364) for San Francisco Chronicle (7,630) on 06 Dec 2018

Director Nicholas Hytner doesn't soften or cosmeticize Miller's tale -- it's often uncomfortable to watch -- and he draws an emotional pitch…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Ryan Gilbey (367) for Independent (UK) (2,026) on 06 Dec 2018

Perhaps understanding the distance that these fictional interpretations have created, The Crucible seems to invite a moral and emotional, rather…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Malcolm Johnson (219) for Hartford Courant (284) on 23 Apr 2018

The miracle of Nicholas Hytner's rigorous, taut film arises from its ability to capture the high theatricality of its life in the theater…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Edmund S. Morgan (1) for The New York Review of Books (223) on 02 Mar 2018

The clarity of the direction and the quality of the acting make it the best rendition of the author's work that any of us is likely to see…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Roger Ebert (5,190) for Chicago Sun-Times (7,580) on 24 Dec 2016

The Crucible is a drama of ideas, but they seem laid on top of the material, not organically part of it…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Kenneth Turan (2,323) for Los Angeles Times (12,977) on 01 Aug 2013

But whenever a film has hysteria as its subject, as this one does, the danger exists that it will become hysterical itself, and “The Crucible,”…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Joe Morgenstern (2,395) for Wall Street Journal (3,071) on 16 May 2013

Then there's always Mr. Scofield, bringing an almost unbearable, yet entirely believable, lightness of spirit to his loathsome character…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Stephen Thompson (19) for AV Club (2,778) on 16 May 2013

Arthur Miller's screenplay keeps everything nice and faithful to the period, and the actors have the dirt on their hands to prove it…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Carrie Rickey (1,198) for Philadelphia Inquirer (3,920) on 16 May 2013

I very much admire how Hytner... keeps the pace swift and doesn't fetishize the 17th-century decors and clothes…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Jay Boyar (463) for Orlando Sentinel (1,594) on 16 May 2013

What happened in long-ago Salem does still seem to matter…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By David Sterritt (1,643) for Christian Science Monitor (3,788) on 16 May 2013

Whether on stage or on film, The Crucible is a powerful, thought-provoking production…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Rita Kempley (781) for Washington Post (9,851) on 16 May 2013

Handsome and well-acted, the film's ultimate success depends on the heat between Ryder and Day-Lewis, and it simply isn't there…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Todd Mccarthy (1,810) for The Hollywood Reporter (7,050) on 27 Apr 2012

Neither the establishing dramatic linchpin nor the final conversion of conscience is terribly convincing, leaving this pared-down rendition…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Phillip Thomas (1) for Empire (3,446) on 22 Dec 2011

In this almost perfect screen adaptation, the lingering question is the most important one: what caused such madness…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By David Ansen (1,073) for Newsweek (1,534) on 05 Sep 2011

Miller's strength, and his weakness, has always been his tendency to see things in black and white, which is what makes The Crucible moving,…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Matt Wolf (69) for The Associated Press (882) on 15 Dec 2009

It's a good movie about the Salem Witch Trials, featuring a gripping final reel and an impressively broad performance by Daniel Day-Lewis…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Geoff Andrew (550) for Time Out (7,510) on 23 Jun 2006

Hytner holds the action together with solid, unflashy, well-paced direction, ensuring that this is no mere period piece but a compelling, pertinent…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Michael Dequina (1,684) for TheMovieReport.com (1,582) on 10 Sep 2005

Perfectly captures the air of hysteria and paranoia…

Review of The Crucible (1996)

By Michael Wilmington (1,474) for Chicago Tribune (6,211) on 08 Apr 2005

With this cast, you might have thought that Hytner didn't need to emphasise anything, but he does a lot of damage to the film's final half-hour…

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The Crucible (1996) - What do the critics say?

What did the critics make of The Crucible (1996)? Do you agree with them?

Cinafilm has collected 40 reviews of The Crucible (1996) written by professional movie critics and published online or in newspapers and magazines. Read a few reviews to get the verdict from critics!

Film critics gave The Crucible (1996) an average score of 75%, indicating generally very positive reviews.

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