Witch City

When Salem, Mass. is mentioned, the 1692 witchcraft hysteria immediately comes to mind. Accusations of witchcraft and the trials that followed led to the hanging of 19 suspected witches. Flash forward to 1992, and we find one hysteria replaced by another--the hysterical urge to commercialize and capitalize on the town's dark, bloody past. To the amusement or irritation of longtime residents, serious history is tossed aside in favor of telephone tourist "haunt lines," tacky witch and wax museums, and shops catering to wiccans and others fascinated by the dark arts. As the 300th anniversary of the trials drew near, the town became a battlefield of conflicting ideologies, fought between fundamentalist Christians and wiccans, with results both amusing and grotesque (as when a Jesus re-enactor harangued listeners from his cross). Although the city sometimes appeared to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, visitors Arthur Miller and Elie Wiesel provided moments of clarity and sanity. Former Salem resident Joe Cultrera directs this sad, funny, and revealing look at how Americans honor their history, which isn't very different from what goes on every day in Gettysburg, Amish regions of Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania, or a hundred other tourist places. By 1995 Cultrera finds much of the ideological fervor has faded, while the schlock merchants maintain their frantic pace of exploitation. Recommended for anyone who appreciates provocative filmmaking. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)