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5.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Scarlet Letter remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Should you watch the 1934 The Scarlet Letter? Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for pre-code era drama or just really enjoy watching people look miserable in period costumes. If you need explosions or a fast-moving plot, you are going to be bored to tears within five minutes.
It feels like a play recorded on a soundstage that forgot to leave the theater. The lighting is super flat, and everyone talks like they are trying to reach the back row of a massive auditorium. But there is something weirdly magnetic about Colleen Moore here. She carries that 'A' on her chest like it weighs fifty pounds.
There is this one scene—the town square bit—where the extras are just milling about looking confused. I am pretty sure I saw one guy trip over his own wooden shoes. It was distracting, but it made the whole thing feel strangely alive in a way that modern, polished movies never do.
The dialogue is heavy, obviously. It’s Nathaniel Hawthorne, so don’t expect any snappy back-and-forth. It reminded me a bit of the pacing in The Squaw Man, where the silence between lines is almost louder than the actors themselves.
Honestly, the whole thing feels like a dusty old book you find in an attic. It’s not perfect. It’s barely even 'good' by modern standards. But it has this odd, somber energy that kept me watching until the end, mostly just to see how much harder they could make Hester’s life.
Some of the supporting cast are clearly just there to fill space. You have these guys in the background with beards that look like they were glued on with Elmer’s paste. One of them, I think it was the town elder, kept squinting at the camera. Maybe he lost his contact lens? Who knows.
It lacks the spark you find in something like The Midnight Express, but it’s an interesting curio. If you are into early cinema, you will probably find it fine. If not, it will feel like a long, slow walk through a swamp. 📜