The Crucible [DVD] [1996]

Nicholas Hytner's superb adaptation of Arthur Miller's politically charged play The Crucible makes its debut on DVD with this excellent package from 20th Century Fox. The anamorphic widescreen transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and does a fantastic job of capturing the rural landscape that is crucial to the piece. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while Spanish and French soundtracks have been recorded in Dolby Surround. Hytner and Miller each provide commentary. Although they were recorded at different times, they have been perfectly edited together. Each brings a unique perspective to the material. Hytner discusses his attempts to open up the play and goes into an interesting comparison between the acting styles of Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Scofield. Miller discusses the amount of research he did for the original play, and discusses the political climate that helped give birth to the play. A making-of featurette, an interview between Day Lewis and Miller, and the original theatrical trailer round out this highly recommended disc.