The Scarlet Letter (Blu-Ray)
**The Blu-Ray/DVD from Film Masters of “The Scarlet Letter” will be available on November 21, 2023. This is a review of not just the feature, but the Blu-Ray edition. The grade for this will be for the main movie itself; the set grades will be featured in the body.
“The Scarlet Letter” (1934)
I can’t recall if I ever read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel in high school. I do remember the vitriol surrounding the 1995 adaptation with Demi Moore and Gary Oldman, but I never watched it. For my 40th birthday, my friend Dawn gave me a copy of the book, and honestly, I’ve never had much inclination to read it. Watching this 1934 adaptation on Film Masters’s new Blu-Ray for the film, I might have inclination now.
When it comes to sex between consenting adults, America has continued to follow in the puritanical nature of early settlers who believed sex outside of wedlock, and sex for pleasure rather than producing children, is a sin. Now that I’ve finally seen a version of this story, it’s easy to see how Hawthorne was reacting to that historical view of sex in America, in the 1850s, and trying to get society to change its views. He was probably a century too early, but I get why this novel is revered; it holds up a mirror to society, and asks for the empathy of “love one another” over the cruelty of condemning those who have sinned in the eyes of the church to damnation. This film, directed by Robert G. Vignola, makes that its whole outlook on the life of Hester Prynne.
The film begins by setting the stage for the world that Prynne, played here by Colleen Moore, lives in. The town leaders- based in the church- have ways of making those who go against the church known to all with public punishments. For Prynne, whose husband has been thought dead for several years, she is to be punished after having a child with a man not her husband. She refuses to name the father, so they can share in the shame, and she is to wear a red “A” on her clothes for the rest of her life. We find out not only that her lover is the town preacher, Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale (Hardie Albright), but that her husband has returned, and he looks to make her secret lover tortured by what he has done.
There is great depth in the way Vignola and his screenwriters, Leonard Fields and David Silverstein, adapt the story that shines through in every minute of the film’s 71 minutes. Every moment explores the ways in which the society’s puritanical thinking only hurts people rather than allowing them to follow their hearts. Moore’s performance as Prynne is wonderful is how it portrays the character’s resolute sense of herself, while Albright as Dimmesdale is great as a good man who, because of the standards society holds him to, is torn apart by guilt that he is unable to share in Prynne’s punishment. The ending of the film is impactful and emotional how it brings ruin to these characters, and indicts the world they live in. This is a film that feels very contemporary in its views, and timeless in its craft.
Blu-Ray Presentation
Film Masters once again delivers the goods on their Blu-Ray presentation. The black-and-white photography is beautifully restored, and the early sound is excellent- this is a movie, now primed, for another century of discovery. In terms of the extras, I haven’t had the time to dive fully into them as I normally would, but they are worth exploring. The liner notes for this edition are by Jason A. Ney, entitled A Doll’s House: Silent Stardom, The Sound Age, and Second Acts, charting the career of star Colleen Moore. Ney also provides the disc’s audio commentary, with contributions from Cora Sue Collins. There is an audio essay on Hawthorne and Salem’s place in The Scarlet Letter by Sam Sherman, narrated by John Carradine, as well as a restored trailer from the film’s 1965 re-release. We also get video essays on the film, and its history, in “Revealing the Scarlet Letter” by Sherman, and “A Sin of Passion: Hawthorne on Film” featuring author Justin Humphreys. What I’ve had the chance to take in, it’s a rich set.
Film Grade: A
Audio & Video: A+
Bonus Features: A
After delving into B-movie schlock out of the gate, Film Masters gives us what could possibly be considered a forgotten classic, and the best film they’ve release yet. This is worth picking up.
