The Scarlet Letter (1995 film)

In 1667, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, tensions simmer between the local Puritan settlers and the neighboring Algonquian tribe. As Metacomet succeeds as the tribal chief during his father's funeral pyre, a new English colonist, Hester Prynne, arrives from overseas. While awaiting the return of her older husband, Roger Prynne, who is believed to be lost or dead following a mission to assist other settlers, Hester forms a romantic relationship with a young minister, Arthur Dimmesdale.

When news emerges suggesting Roger Prynne has likely died, Hester and Dimmesdale pursue their relationship, and Hester becomes pregnant. Upon discovery of her pregnancy, Hester is imprisoned for adultery. Although Dimmesdale initially resolves to confess his part in the affair, Hester persuades him to remain silent. She is publicly sentenced to wear a scarlet letter "A" for adultery and is shunned by the community, followed constantly by a drummer boy to mark her shame.

Roger Prynne eventually returns, having survived being shipwrecked and held captive by Native Americans during his time away. Concealing his identity under the alias "Dr. Roger Chillingworth," he begins to search for Hester's lover. In an effort to frame the Algonquian, Chillingworth murders and scalps a settler outside Hester’s home. The crime provokes conflict, and the colonists declare war on the Algonquian. Overwhelmed by guilt for sparking the violence, Chillingworth dies by suicide.

Amid the chaos, Hester is nearly executed alongside others but is saved when Dimmesdale publicly confesses that he is the father of her child. As he prepares to face punishment, the Algonquian launch an attack on the colony. Both sides suffer heavy losses, and in the aftermath, colonial leaders focus more on suppressing news of the conflict than on continuing Hester’s persecution. Hester removes her scarlet letter and leaves Massachusetts with Dimmesdale, heading south toward Carolina.

The film was shot in British Columbia on Vancouver Island, in and around Campbell River (Beaverlodge Lands—now Rockland Road and North Island College/Timberline Secondary, Lupin Falls and Myra Falls in Strathcona Provincial Park, Little Oyster River, and White River), and in the Nova Scotia towns of Yarmouth, Shelburne, and in the small village of Saint Alphonse in Clare in 1994. In Shelburne, the waterfront area was substantially altered to resemble a Puritan New England town in the mid-17th century. Some of the buildings on Dock Street retain the grey-tone paint finishes used for the film.

Principal photography took place in 1994, with the film shot primarily in British Columbia on Vancouver Island, including locations around Campbell River such as the Beaverlodge Lands (now Rockland Road and North Island College/Timberline Secondary), Lupin Falls and Myra Falls in Strathcona Provincial Park, Little Oyster River, and White River. Additional scenes were filmed in Nova Scotia, in the towns of Yarmouth and Shelburne, as well as the village of Saint Alphonse in Clare. In Shelburne, the waterfront area was extensively modified to depict a 17th-century Puritan New England town, and several buildings on Dock Street still retain the grey-toned paint finishes applied during production.

Soundtrack

Three scores were associated with the film. Initially, Ennio Morricone submitted demo pieces drawing on his earlier collaboration with director Roland Joffé on The Mission, but none were formally recorded with an orchestra. Elmer Bernstein later composed a complete score, which was ultimately rejected. The final score was composed by John Barry, reportedly at the request of lead actress Demi Moore, who favored Barry due to his work on Indecent Proposal (1993). Barry's soundtrack was released on CD by Sony Records in 1995. Bernstein’s unused score was later released by Varèse Sarabande in 2008.^[6][7]

Box office

The Scarlet Letter grossed approximately $35 million worldwide against a production budget of $46 million, making it a financial disappointment.^[8]

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 13% of 38 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "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."^[9] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.^[10]

Amy E. Schwartz of The Washington Post described the film as “unintentionally funny” and quoted a moviegoer who called it “the worst movie I’ve ever seen.”^[11] Chris Hicks of the Deseret News criticized its deviation from the source material, labeling it “Hollywood’s arrogance in its purest form.”^[12] Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle offered a more favorable take, calling it a “well-acted, beautiful movie” while criticizing its musical score and narrative liberties.^[13] Film4 referred to the film as “dodgy but oddly entertaining.”^[14]

Over the years, The Scarlet Letter has remained widely regarded as one of the worst literary adaptations.^[12][15][16] Kevin Williamson of National Review called it a “combination of awfulness and inexplicability,” declaring it the worst film ever made.^[17] Sadie Trombetta of Bustle noted that it “has earned an almost permanent spot on every ‘Worst Movie of All Time’ list,” and author Libby Fischer Hellmann called it “widely cited as the worst film adaptation ever made.”^[18][19]

In defense of the changes, Demi Moore stated that the source novel was “very dense and not cinematic,” suggesting it was better suited for a television miniseries. She added that the revised ending was intended to retain the “ultimate message of Hester Prynne.”^[20] In 2011, Gary Oldman named the film as one of four he would take to a desert island, acknowledging the poor reviews but asserting, “There’s some good work in there.”^[21]

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• List of films voted the best