Review of The Scarlet Letter (1995) by Jooly J — 06 Apr 2008
"Freely adapted from the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne" does not really begin to describe Roland Joffe's interpretation of this fundamental American literary pillar. Demi Moore plays Hester Prynne 2.
0, the uber-feminist and outspoken progressive somewhat anachronistic in the world of 17th century English Puritans. Gary Oldman is more successful as Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, though he lacks all the effeminate cowardice and moral frailty of the minister created by Hawthorne; Oldman's liturgically Wagnerian approach makes Dimmesdale a bit more likable than he should be.
It is also amusing to see Robert Duvall out of his spurs as the sinister Roger Chillingworth, though he is more hammy than compelling. Roy Dotrice, Joan Plowright, Robert Prosky, Edward Hardwicke, and Dana Ivey form a strong supporting cast, but the real poison is in Douglas Day Stewart's ridiculous screenplay and John Barry's lush but overly sentimental score.
Hawthorne's eminent text is a Romantic masterpiece, but it is no romance. Woefully misguided.
This review of The Scarlet Letter (1995) was written by Jooly J on 06 Apr 2008.
The Scarlet Letter has generally received mixed reviews.
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