The Crucible (1996)
10/31/23 • 25 min
It's the first years of the Cold War. Fascism has been defeated abroad but a new Red enemy is emerging and the US government is stoking fear among it's citizenry. Neighbour is turning on neighbour; friend on friend; paranoia is spreading. What do YOU do?
Playwright Arthur Miller looked to a similar event in American pre-history to produce The Crucible (1953). Set in 1692, Salem, Massachusetts, the play (and 1996 film adaptation) explores a witch-hunt that consumed the community. Accusations of witchcraft and consorting with the devil abound, scores are settled, lives ruined. Behind it all, Miller issues a clarion call against McCarthyism, and witch-hunts more broadly.
Join Joe and Katie for this two-part discussion on the background to this chilling story, in our Halloween 2023 special.
Subscribers will gain access to extra content after each main episode broadcast. Become a subscriber at https://plus.acast.com/s/godsandmoviemakers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's the first years of the Cold War. Fascism has been defeated abroad but a new Red enemy is emerging and the US government is stoking fear among it's citizenry. Neighbour is turning on neighbour; friend on friend; paranoia is spreading. What do YOU do?
Playwright Arthur Miller looked to a similar event in American pre-history to produce The Crucible (1953). Set in 1692, Salem, Massachusetts, the play (and 1996 film adaptation) explores a witch-hunt that consumed the community. Accusations of witchcraft and consorting with the devil abound, scores are settled, lives ruined. Behind it all, Miller issues a clarion call against McCarthyism, and witch-hunts more broadly.
Join Joe and Katie for this two-part discussion on the background to this chilling story, in our Halloween 2023 special.
Subscribers will gain access to extra content after each main episode broadcast. Become a subscriber at https://plus.acast.com/s/godsandmoviemakers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
The Terminator & Pedagogy
In this bonus episode on The Terminator (1984), Dr Michelle Fletcher talks to us about using the complete Terminator series in a classroom to highlight the way in which texts change over time in response to cultural and historical shifts. We also discuss how to teach with film without asking students to watch an entire movie.
If you haven't listened to our main episode of The Terminator, we recommend doing so first, so you have the full context for our discussion.
Many thanks to Dr Fletcher for her extra time.
Subscribers will gain access to extra content after each main episode broadcast. Become a subscriber at https://plus.acast.com/s/godsandmoviemakers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Crucible (1996) Continued
It's February 1692 and a mysterious illness has befallen two young girls in Salem, Massachusetts. Eleven-year-old Abigail Williams and nine-year-old Elizabeth Parris have been having violent fits, and bouts of catatonia. A doctor declares the cause: Witchcraft! Three women of low social standing are accused. But it is not long before the accusations start to spread. Paranoia overtakes the community. Witches are seen everywhere. Over 150 people are accused, and 25 dead before this infamous witch-hunt finally comes to an end. How could this all have gotten so out of hand? Was it all superstitious nonsense run wild, or does this episode carry important lessons for us today?
Join us in this second and final part of our Halloween Special as we explore the historical backdrop to Arthur Miller's The Crucible (1996).
If you haven't yet listened to our first episode on The Crucible & McCarthyism, we suggest you do so first.
A glossary and full list of resources can be found on our website.
Subscribers will gain access to extra content after each main episode broadcast. Become a subscriber at https://plus.acast.com/s/godsandmoviemakers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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