The Scarlet Letter

R

Released Oct 13, 1995

2 hr. 15 min.

Drama

List

13%

38 Reviews

Tomatometer

41%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After a young widow (Demi Moore) has a child and refuses to name the father, a Puritan community forces her to wear the letter A, for adulteress.

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Critics Consensus

The Scarlet Letter strays far from its classic source material to tell a story that strains for steamy sensuality and leaves the audience red with unintentional laughter.

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Shioka O

I don't know the original story, and I was mostly confused thinking what is the focus of this. There is moral issue because of the period. All in all, this is about sin, and this is a sin. and maybe I have hugely biased by the poor review. There are some famously low rated films and this is one of them, like; Heaven's Gate, Ishtar, Revolution. Demi Moore (is her voice ok?) and Gary Oldman are apparently in their prime time. This also has Robert Duvall. and some scene were just sad to watch.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/06/22

Full Review

andrew p

This is a very good film. Gary Oldman does a great job as always. It's interesting seeing the strict Pilgrims and what happens if you don't play by their rules. The romance between Oldman and Moore's characters is beautiful and you believe it. A story of true love.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

nilufer e

It's a classic book that I haven't read but I did enjoy the movie. I had really low expectations because of the critics but it wasn't all bad. It's a solid story and a good effort.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie is based on the book by Nathaniel Hawthorne by the same name, regarding the Puritan era. Demi Moore stars in this drama, as she transforms her "A" for adulteress (falling in love with a preacher and consummating the forbidden relationship with sexual intercourse) into "angel" by the end of the book. As I recall, the preacher was not equally punished for his sin. Women today are still often viewed as the "gatekeepers" regarding sexual activity, seen negatively, while a sexually active male is seen as a "stud." While there are many possible consequences to sexual activity, today there is more of a Pharisee type attitude toward even childhood sexual abuse survivors, who, being failed by their parent/s and society, such as the state, were not allowed even boundaries over their own bodies as children. While this can result in what some have called a "Madonna/Whore Complex," with reactions to sex going to one extreme or the other, those who are ignorant of such violation, or in denial themselves, rather than dealing with their own "baggage," often stand in judgment as these survivors invest sometimes years of gutwrenching work in order to recover and go on to have much healthier sex lives, as well as other boundaries in their lives. Of course, when serious boundary work begins, it is often those who were benefiting from such weak boundaries, resulting from childhood abuse, who will be the first to object. Of course, there are also those who were not violated as children, who simply choose to become promiscuous. Always note, without comparison, that even one serious boundary violation by a parent is an enormous violation of trust. These predators are sending another message to children, that their value is in their sexual desirability, rather than they were created in the image of God. This is the same message #fangrockers overtly assert. Note this commentary is issued by a fully recovered, many years ago, childhood sexual abuse survivor and advocate, not a licensed mental health professional.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

steve d

Terrible adaptation that keeps losing track of its story.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

antonis k

Despite the talented cast? The Scarlet Letter is a bloody awful picture!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Roland Joffé

Director

Demi Moore

Hester Prynne

Gary Oldman

Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale

Robert Duvall

Roger Chillingworth

Robert Prosky

Horace Stonehall

Edward Hardwicke

Gov. John Bellingham

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David Ansen

Newsweek

... hilariously wrongheaded.

Feb 1, 2018

Full Review

Carol Buckland

CNN.com

Oldman scores a few points as Dimmsdale, but he's ultimately undone by the muttonheaded script. It doesn't help that his character's been turned into a kind of angsty hippie-dippie dude.

Jan 5, 2018

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Quentin Curtis

Independent on Sunday

Hawthorne's moral seriousness gets lost in a sea of slush.

Dec 12, 2017

Full Review

Charles Cassady

Common Sense Media

Slaughter, sin, and sex in classic-turned-movie misfire.

Rated: 1/5

Nov 16, 2010

Full Review

Maitland McDonagh

TV Guide

Rage, love, defiance, confusion, fear -- Moore just sticks out her chin and makes her eyes brim with tears. She's the stolidly immovable object at the film's center, and there's no getting around her.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 4, 2009

Full Review

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Synopsis

After a young widow (Demi Moore) has a child and refuses to name the father, a Puritan community forces her to wear the letter A, for adulteress.

Director: Roland Joffé
Executive Producer: Dodi Fayed, Tova Laiter
Screenwriter: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Douglas Day Stewart
Distributor: Hollywood Pictures Home Video, Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Hollywood Pictures, Cinergi Pictures Entertainment, Moving Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 13, 1995, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.4M
Sound Mix: Surround

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