The Innocents (1961)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Innocents (1961) – J. Clayton

This is a great Gothic ghost story, a retelling of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw (1898), with Deborah Kerr as Miss Giddens, the new governess to two children who she comes to believe are possessed.  “Comes to believe” are the operative words here, because the film never provides us with any certainty – although we see what seem to be ghosts, we suspect that they could be figments of Miss Giddens’ overactive imagination (something foreshadowed at the very start of the film).  This is also a serious haunted house film, because the setting is a country manor, a big empty one with many rooms that require Miss Giddens to wander long hallways with only the glow of a candelabra at night.  The high contrast black and white cinematography is truly impressive (from Freddie Francis, later a minor horror director in his own right), making the dark seem darker.  Even the daylight outdoor scenes are creepy, particularly down near the lake, where Miss Jessel makes her first appearance.  Truly, director Jack Clayton has managed to gather all the correct elements together for a high water mark in the genre. Even the child actors, who can so easily put one off, have hit the right tone here.  I understand that Deborah Kerr thought this was her best performance in a film, which is saying a lot. It has quite the punchline. Save this for a dark and stormy night.