A young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.A young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.A young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.
- Director
- Writers
- Henry James(based on the story "The Turn of the Screw")
- John Mortimer(additional scenes & dialogue)
- William Archibald(screenplay)
- Stars
- Director
- Writers
- Henry James(based on the story "The Turn of the Screw")
- John Mortimer(additional scenes & dialogue)
- William Archibald(screenplay)
- Stars
- Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
- 3 wins & 5 nominations total
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- Coachmanas Coachman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Henry James(based on the story "The Turn of the Screw")
- John Mortimer(additional scenes & dialogue)
- William Archibald(screenplay)
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
- Taglines
- Do They Ever Return to Possess the Living?
- Genre
- Certificate
- Not Rated
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaDeborah Kerr was said to have regarded this as her finest performance.
- GoofsIn the scene where Miles is on the horse, he rides with and without a saddle in various shots.
- Quotes
Miles: What shall I sing to my lord from my window? What shall I sing for my lord will not stay? What shall I sing for my lord will not listen? Where shall I go when my lord is away? Whom shall I love when the moon is arisen? Gone is my lord and the grave is his prison. What shall I say when my lord comes a calling? What shall I say when he knocks on my door? What shall I say when his feet enter softly? Leaving the marks of his grave on my floor. Enter my lord. Come from your prison. Come from your grave, for the moon is a risen. Welcome, my lord.
- Crazy creditsThe film begins with a totally black screen and the sound of Flora singing for several seconds; then the 20th Century Fox logo fades in and out. The singing continues for a few seconds before the opening credits begin. As the credits display, we see an anguished Miss Giddens praying on the left side of the screen. Her actions are not explained until the film's climax.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Aweful Movies with Deadly Earnest: The Innocents (1974)
The story revolves around an uncle who doesn't have time for the children he has inherited, and therefore hires Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) to look after them. When Miss Giddens arrives at the mansion, she first meets Flora, the young girl and is 'enchanted' by the child. A few days later the boy, Miles, arrives at the house after being expelled from school. The fourth lead is made up by the housekeeper, Mrs Grose; played by Meg Jenkins. From the housekeeper, Miss Giddens eventually learns of what happened to the previous occupants of the house, and that's where the fun starts...
Martin Stephens (Miles) and Pamela Franklin (Flora) do surprisingly good jobs as the two adorable young children that are the centre of the story. Their characters are portrayed as nice young children, but at the same time there is something sinister about them, and that is where the tale draws a lot of it's suspense and mystery from. Deborah Kerr also shines as the watcher of the children. We know from the outset that her character loves children, which makes her plight believable to the audience when she does all she can to save the children from the evil she believes is haunting them. We never really know what is happening in the movie; the children's viewpoints contradict that of Miss Giddens, and as there is evidence to support what both sides say, along with evidence to support that of the contrary, the mystery is able to build itself through this and that, therefore, along with the empathy we are able to feel for Mrs Giddens due to the nature of her character; the film is able to remain interesting and suspenseful for it's running time.
The thing that this film does best is in capturing a dark and foreboding atmosphere. Through the way the story is portrayed and the beautiful cinematography, Jack Clayton is able to create scenes and sequences that are genuinely frightening and suspenseful; less is more rarely works to a great effect, but here it does. The 'ghosts' have very little screen time, but the time they do have is powerful and memorable enough to make it seem like much more. The film's creepy and menacing atmosphere never delves into violence or gore and relies solely on the story itself and the Gothic, atmospheric setting; and that is much to the film's credit.
If you liked the slightly later 60's paranoid horror films, such as Carnival of Souls or The Haunting, then this film is definitely one to check out.
- The_Void
- Jul 1, 2004
Details
Box office
- Budget
- £430,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $30,103
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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