The Innocents

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The Innocents

January 27th 2009 23:16

Based on the famous novel The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Innocents (1961), directed by Jack Clayton, is a handsomely staged and deceptively effective ghost thriller with a decidedly disturbing subtext. For its time The Innocents’ thematic content would’ve proved a rather heavy and disquieting experience indeed (in fact its original UK rating was “X”).

In late Victorian England Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) is appointed the new governess of sprightly young Flora (Pamela Franklin), an orphan whose London-based socialite uncle (Michael Redgrave) no longer wants to be involved in her upbringing. Miss Giddens will live at the uncle’s huge country estate, along with the housekeeper Mrs. Grose (Megs Jenkins), plus a few maids, and exert total authority and tutorship over Flora.

Deborah Kerr as Miss Giddens

It isn’t long before they are joined by Flora’s young brother Miles (Martin Stephens), who has been expelled from boarding school for corrupt behaviour. Miss Giddens is surprised, as Miles is as charming as his sister, if perhaps a little outspoken. But there is something sinister within the confines of the mansion and its garden surrounds; Miss Giddens becomes aware of a supernatural presence, or is it all in her head?

Pamela Franklin as Flora

The housekeeper talks of the children’s previous governess, the late Miss Jessel (Clytie Jessop), and the children’s valet, the late Mr. Quint (Peter Wyngarde), both of whom were involved in a kind of desperate romance. As the children’s behaviour grows increasingly stranger and more ominous Miss Giddens becomes incredibly anxious, even paranoid, convinced her charges have been possessed by the immoral and perverse spirits of the dead Quint and Jessel. She must save them, purge the insidious evil that floats through the house and penetrates their innocent pre-adolescent souls.

The Innocents Peter Wyngarde and Martin Stephens

Martin Stephens as Miles and Peter Wyngarde as the apparition of Quint

What makes The Innocents so interesting is the ambiguity of the entire premise. The screenplay, written by William Archibald and Truman Capote (with additional scenes and dialogue by John Mortimer), is a marvelous example of the power of suggestion and clever manipulation through not what you see and hear, but what you don’t see and hear.

The movie begins and ends with Miss Giddens in prayer surrounded by a pulsating darkness, the soft lilting lullaby that haunts the soundtrack (which, very curiously, was sequestered and used as part of the audio melange during the cursed video of The Ring). Miss Giddens is in almost every scene; it is through her eyes and ears that the story unfolds, the audience experience everything as she does, which heightens the movie’s sense of uncertainty and Miss Giddens interpretation is what influences the audience, although there is still much left to the imagination, and therein lies the Supernatural Rub.

Miss Giddens strolls through the deceptively alluring estate

Even the movie’s controversial and deeply unsettling last scene forces itself upon the viewer as if to say, “What did just happen? Oh, the humanity! Surely not?!”

The Innocents Deborah Kerr and Pamela Franklin

Flora does her best to unnerve Miss Giddens

The Cinemascope cinematography by master monochromatic lensman Freddie Francis is superb; crisp and luminous, and beautifully composed (the split deep-focus shots and the iris-ed tracking shots are fantastic). There are also several genuinely frightening moments, especially one where Quint suddenly appears at the window peering in with a dark glint in his eye.

Miss Giddens spies the ghost of Quint ...

The literary source material The Turn of the Screw has been filmed several times, including a curious prequel The Nightcomers (1971) which delves into the lurid and sadistic relationship between Peter Quint and Miss Jessel and features Marlon Brando as Quint. The novel has also inspired numerous other movies, such as The Others (2001) starring Nicole Kidman, but as atmospheric and at times equally unsettling as these other versions are, they don’t possess the same deep dark poetic intrigue that The Innocents commands.

... and the ghost of Miss Jessel

Jack Clayton’s direction is masterful, maintaining a visual elegance that steers into gothic territory (although a little heavy-handed with the frequent use of dissolves), but equally impressive are the central performances he elicits from his three central acting charges; Deborah Kerr, Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin. Of special note are Peter Wyngarde’s eerie visage in close-up and Clytie Jesssop’s creepy darkly clad-figure in long-shot.

Like all the best ghost stories, The Innocents leaves a significant element of the mysterious lingering as the last image dissolves to black.

Here's the original trailer:

The Innocents DVD is courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment, many thanks!

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

4 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by David O'Connell

January 29th 2009 04:46

Screen Fanatic

Perfectly summed up Bryn, especially with regards the masterful ending and the Freddie Francis cinematography. He made a similar mark with his work on The Elephant Man too, didn't he?

Probably one of my top 2 Deborah Kerr films alongside Black Narcissus.

Comment by Bryn

January 29th 2009 05:38

Horrorphile

Hi David, cheers! Yes, I was thinking the whole time I watched this about Freddie's similarly luminous work on Elephant Man. I haven't seen any other Deb Kerr movies to be honest ... Was she in From Here to Eternity?

Comment by David O'Connell

January 29th 2009 05:48

Screen Fanatic

Yeah that's another good one Bryn but I think it's possibly a little bit overrated.
Seperate Tables is another brilliant film too, King Solomon's Mines wasn't bad either.