(1961)
A strange new experience in shock
Directed by Jack Clayton, and starring Deborah Kerr, Michael Redgrave, Martin Stephens, and Pamela Franklin, "The Innocents" is a dark and eerily disturbing film of psychological horror. Set in Victorian England, and based on the novella "The Turn Of The Screw" by Henry James, with its Freudian screenplay written by Truman Capote, "The Innocents" has long been a favorite of fans of the genre.
Cinematographer Freddie Francis' skillful lighting and Clayton's direction give the film its eerie atmosphere - the beginning is completely black, with only singing heard (which confused projectionists of the time), for almost a minute, before the credits begin. This sets the tone for the entire film, in the manner of another masterful black and white film of the genre - Robert Wise's "The Haunting" (1963).
The uncle (Redgrave) of orphaned Flora (Franklin, age 11 at the time in this her first film role) and her brother Miles (Martin Stephens, an extremely popular child actor of the 50s and 60s) grants Miss Giddens (Kerr) her first position, as governess. He gives Miss Giddens full rein with them, as he is busy and does not want to be bothered. Her repressed sexuality begins to be evident in her scene with Redgrave, and is brought to the surface more as the film develops, especially in a couple of particulary unsettling scenes with Miles.
Miss Giddens is convinced soon after she moves into the estate (the film takes place on location in a gothic estate in England) that the spirits of the former governess Miss Jessel and valet Peter Quint (Peter Wyngarde- who fans of "The Avengers" TV show will recognize from the most popular episode of the series, "A Touch Of Brimstone", have possessed the children, and she strives to free them of the dead lovers' influence - resulting in unforeseen consequences.
Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox
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