T Y I admire Hawthorne's book very much. It is not a 'novel' as we now think of novels. Instead I've enjoyed it for decades as a book to be considered in three or four page bursts around bedtime. I don't really believe guilt is the foundation of society like Hawthorne did, but it's still a fine meditation on guilt and hypocrisy. Hawthorne loves language and introspection and is not overly concerned with plot developments and pacing. It's the quality I like about the book.This version of the novel then is absolutely true to the source, It has a slow, deliberate pace and is weighted with ponderous, heavy import. It marches inexorably to a guilt-fueled, hopeless, agonized conclusion. Every filmed narrative ever made is not about your entertainment. It's 4 hours long and that seems to be the perfect length to get Hawthorne's tone across. Meg Foster is spot-on as the iron-willed morally-superior scapegoat of a retched Puritan town. Arthur Dimmesdale remains one of the most irritating protagonists in all of literature. John Heard (he of no eyebrows) plays the unsympathetic religious hypocrite; His Dimmesdale is quite the self-pitying drama queen. I used to think Heard was way over the top; now I think he's only purple here and there. Kevin Conway also chews on the scenery. The lady portraying the governor's mother (and a witch) is perfectly cast; even her bodily movements are finely nuanced. The only elements that date this are the poor atmospheric effects, and the junky credits. The videography is crisp, except when slow-mo is attempted. The score is again right on the money; ominous and simple.A note on the DVD: There is absolutely no reason after 30 years to preserve the preview & recap materials in the exact place they were first viewed when broadcast (in segments) on TV, once upon a time in 1979. They intrude at the start of each new hour of this production, and prevent more people from taking the movie for a spin. The DVD would easily fit onto one disc if they dumped all that stuff. It's just not relevant to the DVD format. And we now have a devoted place for behind the scenes featurettes. It's called the "Extra Materials" section. Hawthorne interrupts the narrative only once with his Custom House sketch. Here they do it 4 times (the start of each night's episode). That was not his intent.Still, there is no finer film version of the book. And it could be argued that this is the cleanest book to film xfer ever.

Darlene Hansen John Heard is one of those under-rated actors who deserves more acclaim ... His portrayal of anguished Reverend Arthur Dimsdale was heart-rending and truly unforgettable. Meg Foster and John Heard worked a chemistry the likes of which I have not seen equaled much of late in films. Arthur Dimsdale (so true to the Nathaniel Hawthawne's novel) rends his heart distressingly and is torn literally in two by his inability to act upon his indiscretions brought only partway to light. Meg Foster's Hester Prynne holds tight to a resounding strength, a strength of soul it seems. It is impossible to not feel the powerful emotions, and to hold on tightly to the hope that these two "soul-mates" will once again become one. Keep plenty of tissues handy, especially for Part 3's epiphany of the heart.

bgirl781 We have been watching this movie in English as we read the book, and this is probably one of the most awful movies I have seen. The camera is shaky and looks homedone, the acting is horrible, and the background music, when present, does not fit the theme. The funniest part about the movie is when the comet and its sci-fi music flashes across the sky looking like the worst special effects I have ever seen. The extras do look lost, and the after a minute or two of the babies crying, I wanted to put it (or myself) out of its misery. It follows the book really well, but it seems that the budget of the book was probably higher than the movie. (Did they really have a 100 dollar budget? Because that's what it seems like...) The acting isn't good either - I completely cracked up when Chillingworth did his little dance after looking into Dimmesdale's shirt. Lastly, Meg's eyes are very freaky. I do not recommend this movie.

kroberteaton Don't let Michael's comment deter you from watching this very faithful, well-acted AND produced version of the book. If actually reading the book itself isn't your cup of tea, you won't go wrong by viewing this 4-hour, videotaped production from PBS. Its leads are excellently and richly portrayed - it has a fine sense of time and place - and only the quite inept view of the Salem Custom House (special effects creation) stands as less than exemplary. The director clearly wanted a sense of the realism of the pounding sea in the scene with Hester & Roger, which heightens the emotional urgency, and the baby crying is annoying because a baby crying is often QUITE ANNOYING! If a dramatic presentation of the tale is your interest, you won't go wrong with this one.