Salem Witch Trials (2002)
Genre: Historical Drama
Format: Netflix HD Stream
Director: Joseph Sargent
For a made for television movie, I am very impressed with the quality of work done on Salem Witch Trials from both the excellent cast which includes a brilliant Kirstie Alley and the highly polished production values. Perhaps the greatest praise that I could give the movie is its emotionally raw content that spans through its 2+ hours of runtime, bringing a personal look into one of the most well-known judicial crimes in the history of humankind.
The movie jumps straight into the trials after a fast expositions of those who would become a part of the intricate tapestry of this entire travesty. Everything seemed to be peaceful enough in a colonial era 1692 Massachusetts but things were about to get real creepy for those living in the village of Salem. Living an orthodox Puritan existence, coupled with the arrival of a sadistic new reverend - but aren't they all across all religions? - these villagers became enraptured by the fear of god. After being subjected to a countless number of depressing religious sermons, a group of young girls became afflicted with a wild case of mass hysteria and what could cause such horror? Witches of course. That would be the only logical explanation. How could a bunch of innocent youths be subjected to such misery if not for some sort of satanic intervention via their agents, the witches. As baffling as that whole logic may sound, we are talking about a religious community here - for galaxy's sake, these people still exist today everywhere around the world - so they started hanging "witches" left and right to cleanse the population from such evil. In this movie, we get to see how the witches were determined by a group of messed-up young girls, lead by Annie Putnam (a haunting performance by Anna Paquin's doppelganger, Katie Boland), how they were left with no way to defend themselves in the trials, and later, how they were executed. Thankfully, the whole thing could have been more widespead if not for a late intervention by the secular governor of the colony.
The senseless injustice found in the tragedy depicted in this movie should still bear a major significance in our modern life for such things are still happening on this earth in a variety of different forms. It is a grim reminder of the type of merciless evil that the human heart is capable of accomplishing. The movie's somber nature definitely helps in bringing this human dilemma into the spotlight. Whether you are interested in the historical element of the film or you are just looking for a thought-provoking drama, Salem Witch Trials is a choice that should not be overlooked.
RATING: 4 out of 5
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