The Scarlet Letter

"When intimacy is forbidden and passion is a sin, love is the most defiant crime of all."

Oct 13 1995 R 2h 15m
Drama, Romance

Set in puritanical Boston in the mid 1600s, the story of seamstress Hester Prynne, who is outcast after she becomes pregnant by a respected reverend. She refuses to divulge the name of the father, is "convicted" of adultery and forced to wear a scarlet "A" until an Indian attack unites the Puritans and leads to a reevaluation of their laws and morals.

Plot

In 1666 in the Massachusetts Bay colony, Puritans and the Algonquian have an uneasy truce. Hester Prynne (Demi Moore) arrives from England, seeking independence. Awaiting her husband, she establishes independence, fixing up a house, befriending Quakers and other outsiders. Passion draws her to the young pastor, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale (Gary Oldman). He feels the same; when they learn her husband has probably died at the hands of Indians, they consummate their love. A child is born, and on the day Hester is publicly humiliated and made to wear a scarlet letter, her husband appears after a year with Indians. Calling himself Chillingworth (Robert Duvall), he seeks revenge, searching out Hester's lover and stirring fears of witchcraft. Will his murderous plot succeed?

Written by

Nathaniel Hawthorne, Douglas Day Stewart

Directed by

Roland Joffé

Cast

Demi Moore, Gary Oldman, Robert Duvall

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Hollywood Pictures, Cinergi Pictures Entertainment

Languages

English

Awards

1 win & 10 nominations total

Trailers
Gary Oldman, Demi Moore - The Scarlet Letter trailer
The Scarlet Letter (1995) ORIGINAL TRAILER
Scores
# of Votes
17,350
Average Rating
5.4 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA