The Crucible

When I last saw this 25 years ago, I responded with some kind of wannabe film snob shit—I don’t remember if it was for or against—and my girlfriend at the time was, correctly, not having it. This time, probably still unjustifiably, I feel assured enough in my snobbery to say that the visuals in this movie are distractingly bland. Apart from a few dramatic camera swoops here and there, the colors and compositions reflect all of the Puritanism and none of the hysteria. It’s said that Daniel Day-Lewis didn’t bathe for the entirety of the production, so maybe the DP just wanted to get the shoot over with!