Starring: Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins, Michael Redgrave, Martin Stephens (II) Directed By: Jack Clayton Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: Unrated Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Black & White, DVD-Video, Anamorphic, NTSC Label: 20th Century Fox Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: September 06, 2005 Running Time: 100 minutes Theatrical Release Date: 1961
Description: Deborah Kerr stars in this "horrifying Gothic ghost tale" (Newsweek) based on Henry James' "The Turn Of The Screw,' a powerful psychological drama about innocence possessed by evil. Shortly after coming to live with orphans Flora and Miles in their dark, eerie mansion, the new governess (Kerr) mistakes their strange behavior for preciousness. But she soon comes to believe that the charming, beautiful children are possessed by evil, malicious spirits - the souls of their previous governess and estate manager who are now dead. With its shocking conclusion and sinister cinematic effects. The Innocents "catches an eerie, spine-chilling mood right from the start" (Variety) that never lets up.
Amazon.com: The definitive screen adaptation of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, the 1961 production of The Innocents remains one of the most effective ghost stories ever filmed. Originally promoted as the first truly "adult" chiller of the big screen (a marginally valid claim considering the release of Psycho a year earlier), the film arrived at a time when the thematic depth of James's story could finally be addressed without the compromise of reductive discretion. And while the Freudian anxiety that fuels the story may seem tame by today's standards, the psychological horrors that comprise the story's "dark secret" are given full expression in a film that brilliantly clouds the boundary between tragic reality and frightful imagination.
In one of her finest performances, Deborah Kerr stars as Miss Giddons, a devout and somewhat repressed spinster who happily accepts the position of governess for two orphaned children whose uncle (Michael Redgrave) readily admits to having no interest in being tied down by two "brats." So Miss Giddons is dispatched to Bly House, the lavish, shadowy estate where young Flora (Pamela Franklin) and her brother Miles (Martin Stephens, so memorable in 1960's Village of the Damned) live with a good-natured housekeeper (Megs Jenkins). At first, life at Bly House seems splendidly idyllic, but as Miss Giddons learns the horrible truth about the estate's now-deceased groundskeeper and previous governess, she begins to suspect that her young charges are ensnared in a devious plot from beyond the grave.
Ghostly images are revealed in only the most fleeting glimpses, and the outstanding Cinemascope photography by Freddie Francis (who used special filters to subtly darken the edges of the screen) turns Bly House into a welcoming mansion by day, a maze of mystery and terror by night. Sound effects and music are used to bone-chilling effect, and director Jack Clayton, blessed with a script by William Archibald and Truman Capote, maintains a deliberate pace to emphasize the ambiguity of James's timeless novella. The result is a masterful film--comparable to the 1963 classic The Haunting--that uses subtlety and suggestion to reach the pinnacle of fear. --Jeff Shannon
CREEPY CLASSIC HOLDS UP WELL! 4 1/2 STARS! There are few films that are this old that can actually deliver any chills anymore. 'The Innocents' is a solid chiller even if it's a tad too long. Creepy atmosphere, haunting visuals and an excellent cast make this a grade a chiller! I caught this on cable so i can not give a review for this DVD edition. The film is worth checking out for sure!
A superior thriller This is so far superior to the dozens of Hollywood horror films...instead of gallons of blood thrown at the screen, cheap thrills, gratuitous violence, we have a beautifully acted and directed psychological thriller.
The fear we experience is in the faces of the actors--especially the very fine Deborah Kerr, in the leaves of the trees, the rooms, in the wind, darkness/light.
Beautiful black and white photography.
Restraint, intelligence, taste...all qualities Hollywood throws by the wayside, which the British seem to have been able to conserve.
The only other film I can think of which matches it might be "The Other."
Unfortunately, NO extras,
Tremendous film 5 stars--1 star for this version... Once again americans are forced to suffer the lack of extra features and the UK gets a 'real' version of this delightful film. Frankly I'm tired of the film industries doing this with dvds. If there are special features for a dvd, those features should be on every copy no matter what country you live in! I don't think it's too much to ask for and do we really need dvd regions? I think not!
Thanks for nothing Fox Century!
The coldest, blackest Winter's night... "Do you have an imagination?" the Uncle asks Miss Giddons during her interview for the job as governess to his niece and nephew. "Oh, yes, yes, I can say that I do."
That's our cue into what happens next; this woman's imagination gets the worst of her in the big old house of Bly. Or does it?
It is rare for a film to capture so beautifully, and disturbingly, the disintegration of a sane person eaten away by uncertainty. This movie is surely the greatest ghost story ever filmed. There are no big scares, just a lot of really creepy and disturbing chills. The crumbling of the white roses everytime Miss Giddons touches them tells you everything you need to know about what's really going on in this house. A masterpiece to learn from.
If you have an imagination.
Creepy Children, and Deborah Kerr... I first watched this movie in college, and I loved it. It's based on Henry James Novella "The Turn of The Screw." You can't get much better than two young children driving their governess insane. I mean, if you're into that sort of thing. Deborah Kerr is perfect, when she starts to go crazy, you're right there with her.
So, if you're into creepy children, ghosts, mansions, awesome imagery, and Deborah Kerr, I highly recommend this film.
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