Three Sovereigns for Sarah - A True Story Of The Salem Witch Trials [VHS]

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Product Description ------------------- This is a true story. Nineteen people were hanged and one old man pressed to death, while hundreds of others suffered in jail cells during the "witch hysteria" of 1692. Three Sovereigns for Sarah is the most accurate portrayal yet. Each character you will see actually existed, actually spoke many of the words you will hear. Original transcripts of the trials are woven into the dialogue. All of the costumes, locations, buildings and props offer a rare, authentic glimpse of the late 1600's in America. Each viewing will reveal something new, never before seen. Most important, it is a powerful and moving story about three loving sisters who are accused of witchcraft. Academy Award winners Vanessa Redgrave, Kim Hunter and Phyllis Thaxter portray those sisters. The youngest, Sarah Cloyce (Vanessa Redgrave), tried to clear her sisters' names. In real life Sarah died thinking she had failed--but did she? .com ---- This dramatization of a true story deals with one of the most troubling episodes in early American history, the "witch hysteria" that convulsed the village of Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1690s. Noted actress Vanessa Redgrave plays Sarah Cloyce, who years later, is seeking to clear the names of her sisters who were executed as witches. The historical basis for this drama is the fact that early in the 1700s the colonial government offered to pay reparations to the survivors of those who had been killed, but only if their relatives could somehow prove that the deceased were not in fact witches. Redgrave's character, in telling the story of her sisters' tragedy, shows the difficulties face by the accused, who really had no way to defend themselves against accusations that were, by definition, supernatural. Using actual transcripts of some of the trials as the basis for the dialogue, the production sacrifices some dramatic flair while striving to remain historically accurate, yet seeing how the peculiar madness of the witch hunt developed over time remains fascinating. Redgrave's performance, as might be expected, stands out, and she does a fine job of portraying how literally earthly concerns--paltry disputes over land ownership--eventually snowballed into a frenzy that saw 20 people executed and scores of others jailed on suspicion of witchcraft. --Robert J. McNamara