The Scarlet Letter

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Alec B One can fondly remember a time when Hollywood would sink real money into an adaptation like this (the sets, costumes, and cinematography are legitimately great) while still recognizing that the movie features a parade of bad decisions. There's the fact that the movie doesn't reach the beginning of the novel until about an hour and 20 minutes in, the big sex scene is unintentionally hilarious, and the "action packed" finale is baffling. Also the movie takes every opportunity it can to smugly denounce the past. Yes, congratulations 90s filmmakers you were more "enlightened" than 17th century Puritans. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 06/04/25 Full Review BC V I haven’t read the book so I have no idea what is the difference between the movie and the book! I think the story and acting are great! I love Gary Oldman and Demi’s chemistry! Great movie 👍 Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/08/25 Full Review 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 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 12/06/22 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 3/5 Stars •  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 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review steve d Terrible adaptation that keeps losing track of its story. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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