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The Innocents (1961) More at IMDbPro »

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Atmospheric Translation of Classic Ghost Story, 5 May 2008

Author: David H. Schleicher from New Jersey, USA

Jack Clayton's "The Innocents" is a wonderfully atmospheric film translation of Henry James' classic Victorian Era ghost story, "The Turn of the Screw." Highlighted by stunning black-and-white cinematography from Freddie Francis (who later worked on David Lynch's "The Elephant Man") and fabulous set designs, "The Innocents" stays very close to James' text while adding a few cinematic elements (like the music box, highly suggestive visual symbolism, and the reading of a macabre poem) as it weaves its tale of a governess (Deborah Kerr) trying to unravel the mystery surrounding some strange apparitions on a lavish country estate where she cares for two young children displaying some odd behavior.

The brilliance of the film and the original story is in the ambiguity. There are two logical interpretations: the governess is slowly going mad, or the estate is haunted. Regardless of which interpretation you take, there is still plenty of room to intertwine the disturbing Freudian subtexts involving the governess' repressed emotions and what the children have actually seen, heard, known, or experienced. I can't think of a more refined or subtle exploration of what happens when an adult transfers or projects their own psychological hang-ups onto children in their charge than James' quietly suspenseful potboiler.

The performances are a bit melodramatic at times, but note perfect in their proper context, with Kerr prissy but sympathetic and the children expertly performing the sudden turns from innocent angels to sinister manipulators. "The Innocents" does feature some dated sound effects that come across as annoying rather than creepy, but the visuals and the shrieking climax are what will stick with the viewer. Unlike recent (and for the most part very worthy) modern updates on the story like "The Others" and "The Orphanage" where a twist ending reveals the only true interpretation of the ghastly events, "The Innocents" leaves it all to the imagination of the viewer. The imagination, it seems, can be a very dangerous thing with which to play.

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