Facebook Twitter Pinterest
Qty:1
  • List Price: $29.95
  • You Save: $14.85 (50%)
& FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details
Only 11 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
The Scarlet Letter has been added to your Cart
Want it tomorrow, April 26? Order within and choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Ship to:
Select a shipping address:
To see addresses, please
or
Please enter a valid US zip code.
or
FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details
Used: Good | Details
Sold by buyroxy
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Former library item. Stickers present. Discs play perfectly.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and .

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you increase your sales. We invite you to learn more about Fulfillment by Amazon .

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Sell yours for a Gift Card
We'll buy it for up to $1.71
Learn More
Trade in now
Other Sellers on Amazon
21 used & new from $9.77
Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

The Scarlet Letter

John Heard, Kevin Conway Meg Foster (Actor) Rated: Unrated Format: DVD
4.2 out of 5 stars 68 customer reviews
Additional DVD options Edition Discs
Price
New from Used from
DVD
(Mar 04, 2003)
"Please retry"
—
2
$15.10
$11.08 $9.77
Unlimited Streaming with Amazon Prime
Unlimited Streaming with Amazon Prime Start your 30-day free trial to stream thousands of movies & TV shows included with Prime. Start your free trial
$15.10 & FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details Only 11 left in stock (more on the way). Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Frequently Bought Together

  • The Scarlet Letter
  • +
  • Crucible, The
  • +
  • Salem Witch Trials (History Channel)
Total price: $28.33
Buy the selected items together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.
Back
  1. Crucible, The
    Daniel Day-Lewis
    4.3 out of 5 stars 686
    DVD
    $6.31 Prime
  2. Salem Witch Trials (History Channel)
    4.2 out of 5 stars 48
    DVD
    $6.92 Prime
  3. The Scarlet Letter
    Demi Moore
    3.5 out of 5 stars 253
    DVD
    $9.99 Prime
  4. The Great Gatsby
    Various
    4.1 out of 5 stars 824
    DVD
    $8.79 Prime
  5. The Great Gatsby (Two-Disc Special Edition DVD)
    Leonardo DiCaprio
    3.8 out of 5 stars 2,329
    DVD
    $6.50 Prime
  6. Death of a Salesman
    Dustin Hoffman
    4.3 out of 5 stars 45
    DVD
    $11.49 Prime
Next

Special Features

None.

Product Details

  • Actors: John Heard, Kevin Conway Meg Foster
  • Format: Multiple Formats, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
  • Language: English
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 2
  • Rated: Unrated
  • Studio: PBS
  • DVD Release Date: March 4, 2003
  • Run Time: 240 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00008DDS0
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,326 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

  • Learn more about "The Scarlet Letter" on IMDb

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsBrilliant, faithful adaptation of Hawthorne's novel
By Niel Rishoi on March 27, 2005
Format: DVD
For those (including me) still smarting over the insultingly demeaning, appalling Demi Moore film "retelling" of this American masterpiece, this PBS version more than makes up for the crime. It is not only faithful to Hawthorne's novel, but it does an astonishing job of being very nearly the "visual" version of the story; in other words, it serves almost as a companion piece to the book. It being filmed on video intensifies the bleak reality of the situation and time, almost giving it a "live" aspect that would have been lost on film. Meg Foster is everything Hester Prynne should be, strong, intelligent, dignified and proud, yet passionate, sensible and utterly independent. There could have been slightly more differentiation between Kevin Conway's early vs. later Chillingworth (I would have liked to see the character more "eaten up" by his own evil in the end scenes), but he plays the unsympathetic role with a good deal of insight and individual touches; his eyes are especially expressive of his true thoughts. The most difficult role of all is Arthur Dimmesdale, as he could easily come across as a whiny, petulant idiot, but John Heard conveys a tortured, inner intensity that makes the Reverend's dilemma's vastly believable. You REALLY believe he is tormented by his guilt-ridden agony, and his final breakdown on the scaffold is overwhelmingly powerful, and packs an emotional wallop. The three young actresses (including the baby!) who play Pearl are amazingly believable and the director, Rick Hauser, is to be commended for handling them so as to come across as truly into their characters and not as a series of bratty, precocious turns that often distinguish children's appearances in movies.Read more ›
3 Comments 123 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsdefinitive film version of the first american classic novel.
By Lucas_M. on November 28, 2003
Format: DVD
I am elated that this PBS production of the Scarlet Letter (1979) has received DVD treatment. John Heard deals superbly with the dichotomies and private tortures of Dimmesdale. John Heard is not only physically gorgeous (helping us understand Hester's "fall"), but he seems more than able to effortlessly manipulate the shame-filled, weak, and complex character of Dimmesdale. Meg Foster is the quintessential Hester Prynne. She is fully equipped to portray Hester as both a feminist and a desperate mother to Pearl.

The DVD also contains behind the scenes footage.

This is the most accurate, deftly-acted version of America's first classic novel. I highly recommend purchasing this DVD. You will not be disappointed. Instead, you will be provoked to question spirituality, redemption, gender roles, America's puritanical history, etc. This production is a terrific companion to the book in a classroom setting, and it stands alone as a faithful film version of the spectacular novel. It is well worth the money and your time!!!!!!!!!!

(Please don't bother with the 1995 Demi Moore version of "The Scarlet Letter", as it massacres the actual plot (the only similarity to the novel is the scarlet "A" on Hester's chest). It got lost somewhere between One Life to Live and softcore Cinemax sexuality - an utter waste of time.)
Comment 66 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsEssential for English Teachers
By Jefferson T. Packer on February 24, 2006
Format: DVD Verified Purchase
As a movie buff, I give this DVD 1.5 stars. As an English teacher, I give it 5.

Cons:

Ultra-low budget production

Costumes meant to be dramatic, are actually comic

Filmed on video - looks and sounds almost submerged

Campy music is source of uproarous class laughter

Special effects that aren't special at all (i.e. hilarious meteor)

It takes at least one hour to get used to Meg Foster's eyes

"Boston" has the feeling of "this is all we could afford"

Actress who plays Mistress Hibbens attempts to act "near the edge" and instead plunges over it

Pros:

Extremely faithful to the book

Many critical scenes are reproduced word-for-word

High School appropriate, (unlike Demi Moore's version)

Would be rated "G" if it had a rating - no profanity or nudity

Quite compelling performances by Meg Foster and John Heard

Becomes strangely more and more believable as it progresses

Nice use of natural light and scenery

Convenient menus divided by titles of book chapters

Until someone decides to film this book properly, with a big budget, faithful script, THX sound and world-class actors, this 1979 PBS special on DVD is the only choice for English teachers.

There are, of course, two earlier versions. The first is a silent film that I have not seen. The second is from 1934 and I've seen enough of it to know that it is so hopelessly ancient, with choppy, jerky black and white cinematography and sound that seems to have come from an Alexander G. Bell wax cylinder, that high school students will likely be unable to connect with it.

The third version is this 1979 PBS miniseries on DVD.Read more ›
2 Comments 114 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
3.0 out of 5 starsFaithful to text, but nearly unbearable technical quality
By Michael Barnes on September 8, 2000
Format: VHS Tape
Since I have used this video in teaching the novel to 10th graders for the last 7 years, I have probably seen it 25 times. As other reviewers have stated, it is very faithful to the original, not just in the storyline, but in the overall mood of gloom that is created, and in the dialogue, which at times is verbatim. The scenes between Hester and Chillingworth in the prison, and between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are especially well done, as is the climactic ending (and sorry Disney fans, they DON'T live happily ever after). In some cases the film is too faithful. It is described how Pearl cries incessantly the entire time she is on the scaffold, and in the prison. It is one thing to be told this, quite another to have to hear it for 15 minutes, and the microphone seems placed directly next to the infant. The scene between Hester and Chillingworth on the shore is nearly inaudible due to the pounding surf. The special effects are as good as they could be for a low budget film made in 1979, but for modern students are laughable, especially the appearances of the supernatural "A's". I felt that Meg Foster's performance was forced, and the child actor playing Pearl was terrible, but was impressed by Heard and Conway. Additionally, the theme music never changes, and the narrator is a little TOO dreary. I long for a more quality version to be produced that can be used in the classroom, but until that day, this is the best available.
4 Comments 47 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse

Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsTrue to the novel

Best SL movie you will find that is true to the novel.

Published 3 days ago by Annee Hall
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Excellent production & Meg Foster is wonderful. That silly movie with Demi Moore was, indeed, insulting.

Published 3 months ago by Baby Boomer
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

This gift for a family member was a good way to spread joy.

Published 4 months ago by Diane at the Beach
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat cd

Saw this years ago and just had to have it. A classic.

Published 5 months ago by Russ Chappell
5.0 out of 5 starsGood movie to show your students

A safe alternative to the other Scarlet Letter movie! And, it remains loyal to the text. Good movie to show your students.

Published 9 months ago by Redbeard
5.0 out of 5 starsGood to have the old movie

Good to have the old movie. Remember seeing this when it was on television. Much better than the newer show

Published 13 months ago by Laura C. Guinan
5.0 out of 5 starsWell done.

Well done, and as true to the book as one could hope.

Published 16 months ago by jdc, sr.
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

I love using this version to assist with teaching the novel

Published 18 months ago by Erica Lynn Thompson
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great movine-true to the book!

Published 18 months ago by Melissa Young
5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful Version

The video isn't of the best quality (it was 1979 when it came out) but it follows the story the best. It's well worth the time and effort to watch this version over any others. Read more

Published 19 months ago by LaRose

Forums

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

The Scarlet Letter
Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more
This item: The Scarlet Letter
Set up a giveaway

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

Customers Also Watched on Amazon Video

There's a problem loading this menu right now.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.



Look for Similar Items by Category

Pages with Related Products. See and discover other items: the movie scarlett on dvd