Salem Witch Trials

First.... I can't believe this is a made for TV movie... seems too well acted, too many great actors, and set design/period too well done, for a "made for TV stamp" to be on this movie.

I never thought much about Shirley MacLaine.... just as a has-been sex symbol, and fluff actress (like early Natalie Wood). But when I saw this movie....WOW... she sheds all vanity and modesty, and delivers a powerful performance worthy of an (other??) Oscar. Piousness, Humbleness, sympathetic...all the qualities I thought this actress was not (didn't she do a Las Vegas show recently??)... she played all this, so movingly.

Peter Ustinov was at his best, too, playing a villain, yet showing his character as more complex, who feels sorrow at what he does, but still metes out his brand of misplaced judgment.

As high a drama as this was, I noted much of the movie as historically accurate enough, making this a great movie. On par with "Judgment at Nuremburg" (another star-clogged movie, that ended up being a great success).

I thought this was a very interesting mini series, definitely not holding back on the gruesome side of the 'old life'. They had tons of good actors and actresses stuck in and it's half the fun pointing to the people and saying, "Hey I saw them somewhere!" Even when, dissapointingly, they only have a few seconds screen space or have no name at all. (A good example is May's father)

It's horrible how the people reacted to whatever excuse they could think of first to explain the terrible deeds happening, and so much they said was Satan's or God's punishment! And how the children would target certain people, yes, you will see what I mean. Feeling important now that they are recognized.

And here's a scene to look out for. I near cried, it being so powerful, of strength and unity still within a dank prison. When Goody Nurse is in prison and praying and all the prisoners shout out what they would find God in. I wanted to join them (well, not really), and feel the first ray of light that touched their hearts in many a day.

Kirstie Alley and Shirley Maclaine really shine in this Canadian/American telefilm. it has all the qualities of a first-rate Hollywood film, and there isn't one bad acting job in the bunch. Particularly good are the young girls who were doing the accusing. They absolutely were so convincing in their "possession" scenes that they had me believing they were really possessed. I admit I knew little real information about the Salem Trials and I have never seen "The Crucible". The acting and direction here are really top-notch and I found the film to be riveting and ultimately heart-breaking to watch. If you get a chance to see this, please do so. It apparently is available on DVD and I assume that would be the same copy that is circulating on Netflix streaming.

In this three-hour TV special, the plot is pretty self-explanatory. It's about the Salem Witch Trials. If you're interested in that period of history, this movie is pretty good. If you haven't seen or studied America's famous witch hunts, it might be better to start with The Crucible and ease your way in. This one is pretty intense, and very long, so you might get overwhelmed.

For the historians out there, this is a good representation of the hysteria of the time. With veteran actors like Alan Bates, Peter Ustinov, and Shirley MacLaine to round out the cast, it's a well-acted assault on the senses. There's lots of screaming, lots of accusations, and lots of fear. But after all, there's nothing more American than fear of "different" is there?

I was pleased to finally see Hollywood come out with a more realistic portrayal of the events surrounding one of the darkest periods in American history. The acting is excellent and the events are about as close to reality as you will ever get out of our American movie industry, which is usually incapable of portraying such historical facts without garbaging things up with special effects and their two cents worth of fiction thrown in for the purpose of maintaining the interest of those with IQ's that parallel the range of springtime temperatures. I highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in this period of our history.