The Crucible

Starring:Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield, Joan Allen, Bruce Davison, Rob Campbell, Jeffrey Jones, Peter Vaughan, Karron Graves, Charlayne Woodard, Frances Conroy, Elizabeth Lawrence, George Gaynes, Mary Pat Gleason, Robert Breuler, Rachael Bella, Ashley Peldon, Tom McDermott, John Griesemer, Michael Gaston
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The Salem witch hunts are given a new and nasty perspective when a vengeful teenage girl uses superstition and repression to her advantage, creating a killing machine that becomes a force unto itself. Pulsating with seductive energy, this provocative drama is as visually arresting as it is intellectually engrossing. Arthur Miller based his classic 1953 play on the actual Salem witch trials of 1692, creating what has since become a durable fixture of school drama courses. It may look like a historical drama, but Miller also meant the work as a parable for the misery created by the McCarthy anti-Communist hearings of the 1950s. This searing version of his drama delves into matters of conscience with concise accuracy and emotional honesty. Three passionate cheers for Miller, director Nicholas Hytner, and costars Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

The Salem witch trials of 1692 are brought vividly to life in this compelling adaptation of Arthur Miller's play, directed by Nicholas Hytner ("The Madness of King George"). A group of teenage girls meet in the woods at midnight for a secret love-conjuring ceremony. While the other girls attempt to cast love spells, Abigail Williams (Winona Ryder) wishes for the death of her former lover's (Daniel Day-Lewis) wife. When their ceremony is witnessed by the town minister, the girls suddenly find themselves accused of witchcraft. Soon the entire village is consumed by cries of witchcraft, and as the hysteria grows, blameless victims are torn from their homes, leading to a devastating climax.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for July 4th viewing!.......2007-06-19

I have no in-depth review. I'd just like to say that THE CRUCIBLE would provoke maybe a shudder or two if it were not based on fact! I've made a ritual of viewing this film every July 4th for the past several years as I believe it's a perfect illustration of why we needed our independence from England and the CONTINUED need for RELIGIOUS FREEDOM and the SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!!

WITCH TRIALS, PART I.......2007-06-07

This film, based on the infamous Salem witch trials of the 1690's that New England still has not lived down, was written by Arthur Miller in an earlier period in American history, the 1950's, when hysteria over the alleged internal "Communist menace" dovetailed with the opening of the coldest part of the Cold War against the Soviet Union. The dramatic tension of the play cannot be understood except as a parable on that then current atmosphere. Miller draws parallels with the earlier period of hysteria, in this case the irrational hysteria over witches in the isolated, inward-looking Puritan community of Salem, Massachusetts. The comparisons in reaction to the witches and `reds under the bed' are startling as far as the response of the societies and individuals in those societies community were concerned. Obviously in the play one needs a hero, even if it is the flawed and `fallen' John Proctor who will stand up, in the final analysis, even unto death for his principles. We will always find a few, even if reluctant, fighters. What is more compelling, and frightening, is the reaction of the `honest' town folk. Then, as in the case of the Cold War hysteria, those `good' folk turned the other way, joined actively in on the action or in some way justified the trials. As we are again in a period when the new hysteria is over Islamic fundamentalists and their motives this remains an extremely powerful cautionary tale. Read the play and/or watch a movie version of it.

Excellent Adaptation Of The Pulitzer-Prize Winning Play. Star-Studded Cast & Written For The Screen By Arthur Miller Himself........2007-05-25

Adapting his own Pulitzer-Prize winning play for the silver screen and enlisting a top-notch star-studded cast, Arthur Miller creates a cinematic masterpiece. Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor
for "My Left Foot") and Academy Award nominee Winona Ryder ("Bram Stoker's Dracula"; another excellent adaptation of the vampire novel penned in 1897) star in this classic film version, supported by Academy Award winner Paul Scofield (Best Actor for "A Man For All Seasons") and Academy Award nominee Joan Allen. Well worth viewing. Rated PG for brief nudity.

Years later, better appreciation for movie's direction .......2007-05-12

The film version of Arthur Miller's The Crucible is quite a satisfactory visualization, especially for anyone who is looking for a good supplement to the play.

Being a film, the traditional play can be a little loose in its translation, usually a negative trait in transferring a work from book to film; but in this case it definitely gives the work a little more intensity. What the work loses in its claustrophobic atmosphere of being primarily in a courtroom, it gains in its hysteria-laden tone. Sometimes this works (Abigail's chilling screams in the courtroom have an eerie mood to them), and sometimes this goes to excess (case in point: Mrs. Putnam's screams are overtly hysterical to the point of overkill).

Still, bringing the play to film does have its advantages over all. We get to see the Puritan town of Salem, and the people who move about through place to place. The few scenes between Abigail and Proctor make their past history a little more apparent, and this helps in illustrating Elizabeth's cause for concern and her lack of trust in the initial part of the film. And, other parts of the play just work well outside, one of the best being Mary Warren screaming wildly after the girls turn on her, in which she frantically runs to the water and screams out against Proctor.

I had viewed this movie once before, thinking it quite mediocre at film's end, but, years later, watching it again, have a better appreciation for it. The film's intensity really picks up in the second half of the movie, particularly in Daniel Day Lewis' portrayal of John Proctor. One of the film's climactic moments, when Proctor gives his "Because it's my name!..." speech to Danforth, is perhaps the most impressive and dramatic of all the film's scenes.

Written as a reaction to the McCarthy trials, The Crucible's literal witch hunts are somewhat bizarre and somewhat chilling, and this film successfully and succinctly captures this mood. While this film is not a work of art, and certainly has some "Hollywood" in it, it is a satisfactory retelling in the long run.

The DVD version also includes an interview and behind the scenes between Arthur Miller and Daniel Day Lewis. If you aren't familiar with the story, you should check this part out.

3 ½ stars

A Film for all Seasons.......2007-04-03

Aside from a bit of Hollywood dramatic overkill, this film captures the subtle essences of the original play by Arthur Miller.
The gradual advance of hysteria in a community, and the abuse of power that results, is a lesson for all who hope to live in a rational and just society.

Empires - The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization

Average customer rating:

Arete! The Legacy of Athens
Perfect to Me.
A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON ATHENS & ITS BATTLE HISTORY BUT A FASCINATING & WELL DONE DOCUMENTARY
Empires - The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
There has to be a better DVD on this subject.

Empires - The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
Starring: Liam Neeson
Director: Cassian Harrison
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007KIFUA
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Amazon.com

The lavish and lengthy production of PBS's The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization is a fitting tribute to the glory of ancient Greece, telling the story of Greek democracy from its first stirrings in 500 B.C. through to the cataclysmic wars that virtually destroyed the empire. It concludes with a fascinating look at how the Greeks were defeated, yet their philosophy endured and changed the world forever. Beautifully photographed, and with intelligent narration delivered by actor Liam Neeson, this two-volume set goes into considerable detail while also being engaging to the eye as well as the mind. The photography at ancient sites is often spectacular and judicious use of actors filmed in re-creations of critical events provide immediacy. Much of the story relates how the Greeks essentially invented politics and democracy, and interviews with prominent scholars of classical history provide insight into the major characters, including Thales, Pericles, and Socrates. The stories of epic battles on land and sea and a thoughtful treatment of the Greek ideals of heroism are presented well. But the documentary particularly succeeds in the latter stages, when the story turns to the downfall of Socrates and a thoughtful explanation of how Greek philosophy transformed civilization. --Robert J. McNamara

Description

Dramatic stories and computer animation re-create Classical Greece, founder of modern science, politics, warfare, philosophy, and source of breathtaking art and architecture. This film charts the rise, triumph, and decline of the world's oldest democracy, witnessed through the eyes of Pericles, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. DVD GOLD version includes wide-screen capability, additional interviews, director's comments, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Arete! The Legacy of Athens.......2007-03-25

This may be the best of PBS's 'Empires' series. Because the series' focus is on empire, this particular title inevitably focuses on Athens to the exclusion of almost all other Greek city-states (only Sparta plays a supporting role). Athens' rise from backwater to premier polis and head of a Greek empire in less than 200 years (the 6th to 5th centuries B.C.) is accomplished in roughly three parts:

1) The development of Athenian democracy: the result of a bad political situation turned positive. This segment is revolves around the life of Athens' leader Cleisthenes, the author of Athenian democracy, and sees the rise of Athens from minor town to major player on the Greek peninsula, in part due to agricultural exports (olive oil).

2) The transformation of Athens into a major Greek military power (rivaled only by Sparta) during the Persian war, and Athens' key role in the defeat of the Persians. This segment has as its anchor Themistocles, the Athenian general whose development of Athens' navy was crucial to the Greek's defeat of the Persians.

3) The rapid rise, and just as rapid decline, of Athens at its military and cultural height. Pericles is the leader who brings Athens to glory and to ruin (he both built the Parthenon and started the Peloponnesian War). Athens becomes the leader of an eastern-Mediterranean trading empire, and incurs the wrath of its neighbors when it gets a superiority complex. Pericles shares this segment with Socrates, who represents the new type of Greek hero: the rational man, in juxtaposition to the Greek's long-standing worship of the military hero. (Be forewarned: Plato and Aristotle barely get a mention.)

Supporting this narrative is voice-over by Liam Neeson, an esteemed selection of classical scholars (Victor Davis Hanson is probably the best known, and of course he weighs in on what he knows best: Greek agriculture and warfare), and the expected PBS standards: shots of costumed actors doing Greek-type things, marble sculptures, ruins, and a handful of computer-generated recreations. (And the DVD-ROM features are a nice bonus.)

In short, this is an excellent visual supplement to the rise of Athens and its contribution to what we typically understand as the beginnings of Western civilization. That said, the project is somewhat more limited than its title suggests, as 6th-5th century Athens doesn't really qualify as the entirety of The Greeks (and without Plato and Aristotle, much less Pythagoras, Thucydides, Herodotus, et al (and etc.), you don't really have the entire 'Crucible of Civilization'). But let's not quibble. After all, it's not even three hours long.

Perfect to Me. .......2006-12-27

I just saw this for the first time and will be watching it again as soon as possible. This documentary taught me more that I'll remember than two weeks of the history course I took in college (which admittedly, was taught by a near corpse). This is not merely a simple documentary; it is a finely crafted artistic achievement. Its 2+ hours float by and you'll learn more than you'd ever expect--if you're not already a Greek scholar that is. Neeson's narration is exquisite, and you can't ask for more authoritative commentary than that of Victor Davis Hanson and Donald Kagan. In the very near future, I'll be looking to view the rest of the discs in this series as well.

A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON ATHENS & ITS BATTLE HISTORY BUT A FASCINATING & WELL DONE DOCUMENTARY.......2006-11-09

IN A NUTSHELL:

This fascinating documentary from the series titled 'Empires' is 'The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization', narrated by Liam Neeson and released by PBS HOME VIDEO. With a subject as gigantic as early Greek civilization, and with only 170 minutes [including special features] to cover it in, it was inevitable that this film's focus be somewhat limited. The focus here is clearly on early Athenian civilization and how democracy arose from its earlier roots, which seemed not to be headed toward a future as the first major democracy.

From there, the film illustrates how the leaders of Athens were confronted with a political situation which created democracy out of necessity as the common people claimed ownership of their society by literally taking it back from a dictator who had turned tyrant.

The important historic figures in the wars with Persia and Sparta are highlighted and tactics as well as the rise and fall of armies and navies are shown in detail. Athens' growth as an international trade mecca, their wealth to build a navy via the discovery of a large vein of silver and much more is covered generously.

So of course is Pericles, and the age he ushered in which ended after his untimely death in 429 B.C. which led to a very poor outcome in the Peloponnesian War but a new beginning for Athens out of the ashes.

OK THERE IS A LOT HERE ABOUT ATHENS AND ITS WARS BUT THERE IS MORE TOO:

The beginning of the Greek culture, and philosophy which comprised the very soul of ancient Greece only began to come to fruition as its marshal and imperial goals were in ruin. Socrates, who is examined in depth in this film, ushers in a new era as he is glorified for dying for his principles after the Athenians climactic defeat to Sparta, with Persian aid, in the neverending Peloponnesian War [431-404 B.C.]. In fact, Socrates was executed [399 B.C.] for causing a moral and spiritual decay that allegedly was a primary cause of the loss of the Peloponnesian War by Athens [according to his accusers]. Rather frivilous charges against Socrates, but his execution cemented him in history and he became a new kind of hero that was not associated with violence or making war for glory --- but for thinking, self-examination, and enlightenment!

IN THE END: A GOOD PLACE TO START IN STUDYING EARLY GREEK CIVILIZATION

Yes, most of this film focuses on Athens and battles between Athens and Persia and the Peloponnesian War. But these events shaped what came after it significantly. Philosophy, Art, Drama, Science, Pottery, Women, International Trade, and more is examined, but with the exception of Socrates specifically, everything not pertaining to war seems secondary, and Athens is the only Greek City-State, [though admittedly the most important historically] that is examined in any degree of detail.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Their are 4 additional scenes, but they are not narrated by Liam Neeson. They are titled, 'The Hoplites - Greek Soldiers', 'The Women', 'Delphi', 'The Theatre'. Each segment is about 4-5 minutes and do add something to the program. I found the program titled 'The Hoplites' the most interesting because it seemed to have concrete details included from solid historic and archeological evidence.

BOTTOM LINE: VERY INTERESTING BUT LIMITED ESSENTIALLY TO ATHENS

The renaissance that followed Socrates death is not fully examined, and since this seems to be at the core of the entire film I do feel a little let-down that the fleshing out of the enlightened age that Socrates ushered in was not delved into. I also wish there was more about the other City-States in Greece rather than an occasional passing reference to them as they pertained to life in Athens.

Though not without its faults, this was still a very compelling video to view and is recommended to anyone wishing to find out more about early Greek civilization or ancient history in general.

Empires - The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization.......2006-08-21

Superb documentary! Well made and enlightening. The Athenians are portrait as human being and not mere marble statuary like the history books make them out to be. I wish there was more documentaries made like this.

There has to be a better DVD on this subject........2006-01-16

"A Battle History of Athens" would have been a better title for this documentary, but as a history of Athens' rise and fall it's marginal at best. It is not a history of the ancient Greeks at all. The emphasis Athens' limited democracy (free, male Athenians) is overly romanticized and Athens' war with Persia (Iran) is characterized as a fight between freedom (democratic Athens) and slavery (autocratic Persia), which Persia started because it couldn't tolerate a city-state such as Athens on its fringes. In fact, the antagonism began when Athens came to the aid of Greek colonists in Asia Minor revolting against Persian rule. Plus, all ancient societies had slaves and Athens could not have prospered as it did without slaves, so to argue that Persia represented slavery while Athens stood for freedom is simply bad faith history.

This documentary also hopes to link Athenian democracy to modern western democracy along some unbroken line of development. There is a connection between the two, but it is not the link that this film implies (in its dramatic final monologue). In fact, Christian Europe (perhaps a truer foundation of the western world), did its best to wipe-out the legacy of Pagan Greece since the early Church fathers considered the Greek writers blasphemous (e.g. the Byzantine emperor Justinian I closed down Plato's Academy in 529 C.E. because he objected to its pagan teachings).

The most serious problem with this film is its treatment of Sparta. Sparta, the other great city-state of the Greek peninsula, and perhaps one of the most intriguing societies of the ancient world, here is reduced to a foil (militaristic oligarchy vs. democracy). To its credit, this film does rightly place responsibility for the Peloponnesian War with Athens. Its treatment of Socrates is also exemplary, and is perhaps the film's one saving grace.

Empires Collection - The Dynasties (Egypt's Golden Empire / The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization)

Average customer rating:

A really good review of the 5 civilizations covered
Excellent collection

Empires Collection - The Dynasties (Egypt's Golden Empire / The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance / Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire / The Roman Empire in the First Century / The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization)
Starring: Empires-Dynasties
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ANVQ6Y
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

Empires Collection: The Dynasties (5 Disc Gift Set) - Empires Collection: The Dynasties is a compilation of five outstanding stories of some of histories greatest dynasties.

Egypt's Golden Empire
In 1570 B.C., when Rome was still a marsh and the Acropolis was an empty rock, Egypt was already 1000 years old. Although the period of the pyramid-builders was long over, Egypt lay on the threshold of its greatest age. The New Kingdom would be an empire forged by conquest, maintained by intimidation and diplomacy, and remembered long after its demise. Led by a dynasty of rich personalities, whose dramatic lives changed the course of civilization, Egypt's Golden Empire presents the most extraordinary period in Egyptian history: from 1570 B.C. to 1070 B.C., when the Egyptian Empire reached its zenith.

The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance - From a small Italian community in 15th century Florence, the Medici family would rise to rule Europe in many ways. Using charm, patronage, skill, duplicity and ruthlessness, they would amass unparalleled wealth and unprecedented power. They would also ignite the most important cultural and artistic revolution in Western history- the European Renaissance. But the forces of change the Medici helped unleash would one day topple their ordered world. An epic drama played out in the courts, cathedrals and palaces of Europe, this series is both the tale of one family's powerful ambition and of Europe's tortured struggle to emerge from the ravages of the Dark Ages.

Japan: Memoirs Of A Secret Empire
Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans -- all were part of the Japanese "renaissance" -- a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship to the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world.

The Roman Empire in the First Century
Two thousand years ago, at the dawn of the first century, the ancient world was ruled by Rome. Through the experiences, memories and writings of the people who lived it, this series tells the story of that time - the emperors and slaves, poets and plebeians, who wrested order from chaos, built the most cosmopolitan society the world had ever seen and shaped the Roman empire in the first century A.D.

The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
The Greeks - Classical Greece of the 4th and 5th centuries, B.C. was a magnificent civilization that laid the foundations for modern science, politics, warfare, and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever known. Through the eyes and words of the great heroes of ancient Greece, this dazzling production charts the rise, triumph, and eventual decline of the world's first democracy. Now, through dramatic storytelling and state-of-the-art computer animation, you witness history, art, and government with giants like Pericles, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Customer Reviews:

A really good review of the 5 civilizations covered.......2007-03-09

I've been reviewing areas of history that I don't usually cover to balance out my general knowledge. No video can compress into a couple of hours the libraries that have been written on these subjects, but I watched them with a pad nearby and started searching names and topics for further study. Then I added books on those areas to my wish list here on Amazon.

All in all, each disc is a great review if you're rusty or a place to start if you're moving into new areas of history.

Excellent collection.......2007-01-05

I was very impressed with this series. I learned very much, escpecailly about the Medici's. If you enjoy history/documentaries you'll love this collection. I was so impressed I've ordered other Empire series. Props to PBS on this one!

The Crucible: Making Marines for the 21st Century

Average customer rating:

Insightful overview of Marine Corps recruiting
The Crucible: Making Marines for the 21st Century

The Crucible: Making Marines for the 21st Century
Starring: United States Marines
Director: Ron Tucker
Manufacturer: Good-To-Go Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000WUQQQ
Release Date: 2003-11-10

Customer Reviews:

Insightful overview of Marine Corps recruiting.......2006-11-13

If you want to understand the process the Marine Corps uses to recruit, train and orient new Marines to the requirements of Marine Corps life and duties, this will be a good video. While much has changed over the past 235+ years since the Marine Corps was founded, recruit training has, and always will be, a rite of passage. For those considering enlisting, this video will provide an overview of what awaits a new recruit. For those whose family members are Marine Corps enlisted, this can provide insight to the values that are at the heart of the Marine Corps. For those seeking to understand how the Marine Corps develops men and women to be part of a high performance team, this video will answer some of those questions as well. The video only includes Paris Island and MCRD San Diego; for those preparing for Officer Candidate School this video will have less to offer. Ron Tucker does a great job of sharing the "emotion" of being part of the Corps.

The Crucible: Making Marines for the 21st Century.......2006-03-21

I found this DVD so very helpful when my son was in bootcamp at Parris Island. I am happy that I did not see it before he left for boot camp. It is a very "in your face" explanation of how Marines are made. The director takes us through the journey of young undisciplined civilians and their complete transformation. We have the opportunity to see groups of Marines meet several of the challenges in The Crucible and the teamwork required to complete each task.

The part that was most disturbing for me was the "in your face" approach of the drill sargents--and often a few at a time screaming at a recruit. How do they handle this stress? I wonder how the drill sargents do not have heart attacks! However, it is a fascinating DVD and so worth owning.

Average customer rating:

Arete! The Legacy of Athens
Perfect to Me.
A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON ATHENS & ITS BATTLE HISTORY BUT A FASCINATING & WELL DONE DOCUMENTARY
Empires - The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
There has to be a better DVD on this subject.

Empires - The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization
Starring: Liam Neeson
Director: Cassian Harrison
Manufacturer: Pbs Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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Empires - The Roman Empire in the First Century
Empires - Egypt's Golden Empire
Empires - The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
Empires - Islam: Empire of Faith
The True Story of Alexander the Great (History Channel)

ASIN: B0000541UE
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Amazon.com

Description

The Greeks built an empire that laid the foundations for modern science, politics, warfare and philosophy, and produced some of the most breathtaking art and architecture the world has ever seen. This series, narrarted by Liam Neeson, recounts the rise, glory, demise and legacy of the empire that marked the dawn of Western civilization. Using the latest advances in computer technology, the story of this astonishing civilization is told through the lives of the heroes of ancient Greece. This series combines dramatic storytelling, stunning imagery, groundbreaking research and distinguished scholarship to render classical Greece gloriously alive.

Customer Reviews:

Arete! The Legacy of Athens.......2007-03-25

Perfect to Me. .......2006-12-27

A HEAVY EMPHASIS ON ATHENS & ITS BATTLE HISTORY BUT A FASCINATING & WELL DONE DOCUMENTARY.......2006-11-09

Empires - The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization.......2006-08-21

There has to be a better DVD on this subject........2006-01-16

Average customer rating:

ENJOYABLE MURDERS
Why did I buy this?
Curious oddity grows with repeated viewing -- get the DVD
"Victor usually gets rid of his birds pretty regularly."
This New Release Does The Film Justice!

Crucible of Terror
Starring: Mike Raven , Mary Maude , James Bolam , Ronald Lacey , and Betty Alberge
Director: Ted Hooker
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000B7QCTA
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Customer Reviews:

ENJOYABLE MURDERS.......2007-05-10

I LIKE MOVIES LIKE THIS.THIS WAS INTERESTING,AND SUSPENSEFUL.IT WASN'T SCARY.IT WAS DIFFERENT-BUT ENJOYABLE TO WATCH.NOT GORY-BUT THERE WERE DEATHS.

Why did I buy this?.......2007-03-08

No, I'm serious - I can't remember. I'm interested in certain kinds of horror films (Universal through to Hammer), but they either have to have some good qualities, or be so thoroughly bad that they become collectable for their brazen cheek or tongue-in-cheek self awareness. This film has neither, it's just a somewhat boring not very good British genre horror pic. The plot makes no sense, much of the acting is just plain amateurish (but not bad enough to be enjoyable) and the whole thing seems completely pointless. The DVD transfer seems fine, but - why bother? [2 stars, because it's not good enough to get 1 star!]

Curious oddity grows with repeated viewing -- get the DVD.......2005-07-21

Victor Clare (former BBC DJ, Mike Raven) is an artist. He "worships" beauty. He wants to "preserve" and "possess" beauty. That's why he never sells his work. It's not his job, it's his devotion. Fortunately, his workload is manageable because his taste in beauty is narrow. No trees or sunsets or daffodils. No landscapes, or still lives, or abstracts. He only paints women. Young women. Young nekkid women. And nothing but.

Hey, he's an artist.

Actually, Victor doesn't just paint. He also sculpts. If you've seen House of Wax (1953), you've got a rough idea of his technique. It's one reason the film is called Crucible of Terror. A crucible is "a vessel used for melting or calcining materials at high temperatures." It's also "the bottom of an ore furnace in which the molten metal collects." Victor owns one of each.

A crucible is also "a severe test or trial." People trapped in a tense, suffocating social setting are said to be in a crucible. That pretty much describes Victor's dinner parties. Millie (Mary Maude) endured one of those. In fact, she suffered through an entire weekend with Victor and family. One can't blame her if she ends up dumping Jack (James Bolam).

Here's how it all began ...

Jack, the owner of a London art gallery, is in a financial pickle. He could escape debt if only he had more works by that mysterious reclusive artist, whose bronze sculpture of a nekkid woman sold for a good price. But Victor (who else?) refuses to sell his works. Luckily for Jack, Victor's no-good drunken son, Michael (Ronald Lacey), has been stealing dad's works, to sell to Jack. But Michael can't sell too many, lest Victor notice.

Michael agrees to arrange a meeting between Jack and Victor at the family cottage, out in the country. Fresh air, craggy headland seashore, abandoned tin mine said to be haunted... Anyway, they all drive up for the weekend: Jack and Millie (his fiancée), Michael and wife Joanna (Melissa Stribling).

At the cottage they meet Victor, his wife Dorothy (Betty Alberge), his artist's model (i.e., lover) Marcia (Judy Matheson), and Bill (John Arnatt), the milquetoast "family friend." Bill's a cardigan-wearing wimp (despite his extensive samurai sword collection) who's been pining after Dorothy for thirty years. He doesn't even mind that Dorothy's richest conversations are with her dolls and stuffed animals, whom she feeds at the dinner table.

Crucible of Terror is a dark, and darkly humorous, domestic drama. Victor is a bullying sexual predator. During dinner he squeezes between Joanna and Millie, flirting with both women before their menfolk, neither of whom protest (Michael is intimidated by his dad; Jack doesn't want to ruin the deal). Victor exults in having "two beautiful women under one roof," pointedly ignoring that Marcia and Dorothy are also present. The bisexual Marcia smirks, having seen Victor's other lovers come and go. Dorothy feeds her stuffed dog. Upon seeing which, Victor explodes that he's told her not to bring "that thing" to the dinner table. Tearstruck, Dorothy frets that Victor's hurt her plush toy's feelings.

Fun party. And to think, had it not been for Jack, Millie might have spent yet another boring weekend shopping in London!

Amid all this domestic discomfort, an unseen killer is racking up a body count. However, this being a horror film, everyone is blissfully ignorant of it, simply assuming that so-and-so left after "having a row" last night.

Some horror fans complain that Crucible of Terror contains "little horror," but the body count is generous. Just not very gory. And there's much "domestic horror" and cruel humor. That can compensate for tepid gore, no?

After Joanna disappears, Victor focuses his, ehr, artistic attentions on Millie. Victor induces Jack to return to London (sans Millie) by agreeing to sell some paintings to him, provided he raises 2,000 pounds, in cash, today (Sunday). Leaving, Jack suggests to Millie (only half-jokingly) that she "be nice" to Victor, so as to help seal the deal.

So... Millie tries to enjoy an evening with the Clares, reading in their living room while Victor shouts at Dorothy, calling her "old and ugly" and expressing revulsion that he ever desired her. Millie responds by hunching closer to her magazine. We feel her relief when Bill announces that Jack is on the phone. But when Millie begs Jack to hurry back because Victor is "pestering" her, Jack retorts that she is not to "screw up this deal."

Initially, I didn't much like or understand Crucible of Terror, but my appreciation grows with each viewing. Sunny outdoor scenes dominate the early scenes. People wandering along cliffs and beaches. But a palpable claustrophobia increasingly stifles us as the story progresses. The latter scenes occur at night or underground in the mine, paralleling the increasingly unpleasant domestic situation and Victor's intensifying flirtations toward Millie. Interspersed are those periods of relief, such as the false rescue of Jack's phone call. Or when Jack is in London and we feel we've "escaped" with him (yet feel guilty about leaving Millie behind with Victor).

Crucible of Terror is often odd or confusing. At the beach, Michael taunts Marcia over her failed lesbian overtures toward Millie. So Marcia "playfully" pelts stones at Michael, still stoning him even after he's screaming and injured. (Even drunk, why doesn't he think to stone her back?) And what's with Dorothy's stuffed animals?

Rough editing adds to our confusion. Millie exits the mine though a door in Victor's house, then goes upstairs. Then she enters the furnace in the mine. The film is full of such edits, whole scenes apparently missing. Because they are, at least on the VHS version.

I've three VHS copies from different distributors, and two suffer from poor resolution, with the washed-out colors of 16mm TV station prints. This is especially true of Simitar's EP speed. This is not entirely a bad thing. In Fragments of Fear: An Illustrated History of British Horror Films, Andy Boot writes: "photographer Peter Newbrook is a skilled man, but the quality of film stock he gets looks like super-8 blown up at times. But perversely this only adds to the strange feel of a film that seems to work by default." Boot is right. The film's faded visuals (and muddy audio and rough editing) curiously enhance its surreal oddness and stifling claustrophobia. I used to wonder how much of it was intentional, or ineptitude, or censorial editing. Because it works ... sort of.

However, I now think that Boot saw a VHS version, because the DVD is a wholly different and superior experience. The DVD film is ten minutes longer, incorporating scenes that have been lost over the years. These scenes answer crucial questions left hanging in the VHS version, such as the fate of Dorothy. The DVD also corrects the "poor resolution" and "washed-out colors" of the VHS, creating a significantly different aesthetic experience. These additional scenes and sharper visuals yield a film that's clearer both visually and storywise. That "strange feel" Andy Boot refers to lessened, as the DVD no longer looks like "super-8 blown up." If you've only seen Crucible of Terror on VHS, you haven't really seen it.

Mike Raven's tall large frame and booming DJ voice make him an imposing villain. It's easy to see why Victor intimidates and/or dominates others. Mary Maude's timid Millie ironically resembles Theresa, Maude's victim in The House That Screamed.

Crucible of Terror is not to be confused with another British horror film, Crucible of Horror.

"Victor usually gets rid of his birds pretty regularly.".......2005-04-20

I checked this film out solely based on the title, Crucible of Terror (1972), because I thought it sounded...well, cool...Crucible of...TERROR...oooh, sounds scary, doesn't it? Well, it wasn't...not one wee bit. It was kind of interesting, but more from a curiosity standpoint. Thing is, the whole `artist who creates art by destroying the living' thing has already been done, and in much better films like House of Wax (1953) and Bucket of Blood (1959). Co-written and directed by someone named Ted Hooker (in his one and only film), Crucible of Terror stars former British radio DJ Mike Raven (Lust for a Vampire, I, Monster) and Mary Maude (Scorpio). Also appearing is James Bolam (Straight on Till Morning), Betty Alberge (Disciple of Death), John Arnatt (Hysteria), Judy Matheson (Lust for a Vampire, Twins of Evil), Beth Morris (Son of Dracula), and Ronald Lacey, whom most will recognize as Major Toht from the film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)...wow, he sure lost a lot of hair since this film...

As the film starts, we see scenes of a forge heating up, a nekkid, unconscious woman (enjoy it because this is it for the nekkid parts in the entire film) being covered in plaster or something, and then molten bronze poured from a crucible into the cast...then cut to a middling art show run by John (Bolam). Seems John is having a tough time of it, up to his eyeballs in debt, but pieces by one particular artist are selling well, and John sees an opportunity, but there's a catch. The artist, named Victor (Raven), is somewhat of a recluse, and John only had access to sell some of Victor's art because Victor's son Mike (Lacey) pilfered said art pieces from his father in order to support his enormous drinking habit (or so I'm guessing because the guy was constantly hammered throughout the film). Anyway, John pressures Mike for an introduction, and Mike suggests they go to the old family homestead for the weekend and bring along the wives Mille (Maude) and Jane (Morris). When they arrive at the remote home (which happens to be built on a haunted tin mine, by the way) on some English coast, we meet Victor, along with his slightly daft wife Dorothy (Alberge), a live-in friend named Bill (Arnatt), and Victor's latest model Marcia (Matheson), whom Victor seems to be tiring of, especially with the arrival of Mille and Jane. Well soon some deaths occur due to a slight case of...MURDER (funny how nobody misses these recently departed individuals, but whatever) at the hands of a mysterious killer, Victor becomes increasingly obsessed with Mille, constantly pestering her to `pose' for him while John is away trying to scrape up some dough to buy some of Victor's paintings, and we learn Victor has instructed Bill to fire up the forge...uh oh...things eventually come to a head, and all is revealed, one way or another...will Millie become the next `piece' in Victor's collection? Who is the mysterious killer prowling the grounds and the mines?

I really didn't know what to expect with this film, as I neglected to read any reviews, but having seen it, I realized I probably could have gone through the rest of my life without having seen it...it's not that this was a bad film, but it wasn't particularly good, either. Given this was the director's first film, I thought he did a decent job presenting the story despite the fact the story itself just felt weak in general. It was slow, plodding, and didn't really seem to get going until about a third of the way into the film. The opening sequence drew me in, but my interest waned as various characters were trotted across the screen, each with their own particular peccadilloes (what was the point of having Dorothy in a state of arrested mental development, showing her acting, and even dressing like a child, reminiscent of Bette Davis in the 1962 film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane)? While Victor certainly treated her poorly, I found little to support reasoning for her complete, regressive state). The acting in general was pretty unspectacular, with the exception of Raven who got quite hammy as the film wore on (not necessarily a bad thing), and his obsession with Mille becomes rather two-dimensional...'You inspire me'...'You must pose for me'...repeated ad nauseam...the characters were odd in that most of them had, or desired, multiple relationships...John, who is with Millie, is also involved with a patron who helps fund his business at times...Mike, who is married to Jane, comes on to his father's model Marcia (Mike and Jane's marriage isn't on the most solid ground)...Marcia seems to have an interest in Millie (which never went anywhere...sadly)...Bill has an interest in Victor's mentally challenged wife (to be fair, his interest went way back, before she went loopy), and Victor seems interested in any woman who isn't his wife (even his daughter-in-law Jane...ew...as far as the element of who's doing the killing (one worthwhile scene involves someone getting acid thrown in their kisser), I didn't guess the identity before it was revealed. Oh, the pieces were there, but, I think, my interest wasn't...the finale is satisfactory, but I really disliked the clunky expository sequence at the end, describing in great detail (including extensions of scenes already shown), who the killer was and why...it sort of made sitting through the rest of the film pointless, as the recapping explained everything to the audience giving the impression we had the mental capacity of children, unable to intuitively deduce the obvious or project beyond what we're shown.

As far as the DVD release from Image Entertainment, it was a let down. I'm unsure what the original aspect ratio of this film was, but it's presented here in a full screen format. The picture quality ranges from decent to poor, as a good deal of the source material used suffers from white speckling. The Dolby mono audio is very soft, and I had to crank the volume to hear the dialog. There are three choices for audio in English, Spanish, and a music and effects only track. There are really no special features available, and the film starts playing once the DVD is installed into a player. All in all, a decent effort by a first time director, but hardly worth the hefty price tag.

Cookieman108

By the way, the description under the editorial review section of Amazon seems to have a number of things wrong with regards to the plot, unless I missed something...

This New Release Does The Film Justice!.......2000-08-17

A psychotronic gem and a rather original tale in the "mad artist" subgenre of horror film, this is the first version of "Crucible of Terror" not to suffer from ghastly editing and bad prints that have so far been the norm. Having seen the entire film while vacationing in London, I can say that this is 99% intact but I am not complaining about the missing 1%. The print is clear and some of the more erotic and disturbing scenes have not been hacked out. Character actor Ronald Lacey is a hoot as the embittered toad of a son to an equally piggish and megalomaniacal reclusive artist played by former BBC DJ Mike Raven. Raven definitely looks the part and a whole slew of other British character actors round out this macabre tale of art, obsession, and murder most foul. Recommended for lovers of bizarre low-budget cinema!

Charlie Rose with Arthur Miller (February 18, 2005)

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Charlie Rose with Arthur Miller (February 18, 2005)

Manufacturer: "Charlie Rose, Inc."
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Death of a Salesman (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Death of a Salesman/ Private Conversations
Timebends : A Life

ASIN: B000GAKU8Q
Release Date: 2006-08-10

Description

An hour-long appreciation of the great playwright Arthur Miller. He died recently at the age of 89.

Witchcraft in America: Behind The Crucible DVD

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Witchcraft in America: Behind The Crucible DVD

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ASIN: B00063QDDE
Release Date: 2004-07-23

Description

Explore the background of the witch trials of 17th-Century Salem in the context of the religious and social conditions of that era and as a background to The Crucible. Award Winner: National Educational Media Network's Apple Awards Film & Video Competition "Bronze Apple Award"

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Perfect for July 4th viewing!
WITCH TRIALS, PART I
Excellent Adaptation Of The Pulitzer-Prize Winning Play. Star-Studded Cast & Written For The Screen By Arthur Miller Himself.
Years later, better appreciation for movie's direction
A Film for all Seasons

The Crucible [Region 2]
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis , Winona Ryder , Paul Scofield , Joan Allen , and Bruce Davison
Director: Nicholas Hytner
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ASIN: B0001K2KWK

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for July 4th viewing!.......2007-06-19

WITCH TRIALS, PART I.......2007-06-07

Excellent Adaptation Of The Pulitzer-Prize Winning Play. Star-Studded Cast & Written For The Screen By Arthur Miller Himself........2007-05-25

Years later, better appreciation for movie's direction .......2007-05-12

A Film for all Seasons.......2007-04-03

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Crucible of Terror
Starring: Mike Raven"Mary Maude"James Bolam
Director: Ted Hooker
Manufacturer: Education 2000 Inc.
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