"The Innocents" (1961)

• Directed by: Jack Clayton
• Written by: William Archibald & Truman Capote
• Starring: Deborah Kerr, Martin Stephens, Pamela Franklin, Megs Jenkins, Michael Redgrave, Peter Wyngarde & Clytie Jessop

     Lately I've been becoming very intrigued by ghost stories. There's something about the dark, Victorian mysteriousness of them that endears them to me... and scares me out of my wits. However, "The Innocents" is not a ghost story.

  "The Innocents", adapted from Henry James's 1898 novella "The Turn of the Screw", tells the story of an English governess (Deborah Kerr) who has been tasked with taking care of a disinterested uncle's children. At first, things go well, but soon strange things start happening, the children start exhibiting abnormal behavior, 

and the governess begins seeing ghostly apparitions. But are the ghosts really ghosts?

  This is the question that the film asks. It presents us with what, at first glance, seems to be an ordinary ghost story and then asks us to dig deeper, to question not only the actions of the governess, but her reality and sanity as well. The ghosts could be real, but then again the governess could merely be insane. It's this complex, intriguing theme that makes the film rise above the trappings of generic ghost fiction.

This psychological undertaking is supplemented by the film's airtight, beautiful and even haunting atmosphere. It opens very coldly, with a chilling child's song, floating ethereally over the 20th Century Fox logo. It perfectly prepares the viewer for the tone of the film. Not only that, but it's framed by the late Freddie Francis, and it's one of the most effective, beautifully shot films I've ever seen. Every shot looks like a painting and it infuses the film with an evocative, dreamlike atmosphere.

As well as the simple visual look, the hauntings themselves are very subtly portrayed. Oh yes, we do see some apparitions, but when we do it's not about jump scares and gory imagery. Instead, the apparitions simply serve to unnerve and disturb the viewer, despite the fact that they never appear to do anything menacing. We only catch fleeting glimpses of them out of the corner of our eye, or far away, dressed in black, exhibiting some kind of feeling of danger, but as to what sort of danger we're not exactly sure. The fact that the cast is very minimal also contributes to this atmosphere, making the house itself feel claustrophobic and lonely.

However, at the heart of the film is the question of the governess' sanity. Throughout we are provided with many visions of the ghosts, but it is implied that only the governess sees them. However, we are also provided with evidence to the contrary, as it seems that the children have some knowledge of the ghosts as well as learning vulgar language that they couldn't have possibly learned anywhere else. Just when we think that we have figured out the mystery, the film throws something else our way to make us rethink our position. It leaves the film with an air of uncertainty and it's not easy to decide what exactly happened. The film is much stronger for going this route, in that it explains basic things like the history of the house and the people in it, but it doesn't decide the outcome of the story for us, it's left up to the audience. It's very rare that a psychological thriller such as this leaves so much of the actual thinking to the viewer.

Neither does the film provide us with any easy answers to the characters. They're not black and white slates, attempting to sway our emotions one way or another, they feel like very real and confused individuals. Should we feel sorry for the governess because of her increasingly manic actions that drive everyone away from her, or should we hate her because of it? And what about the children? Are they just little brats that are dirty schemers, or is there something more to them, something sadder? Like a lot of great films, it doesn't tell us what they are or how to feel, it simply presents us with the facts and asks us to make our own conclusions.

Much of this complex characterization comes from the actors themselves, who play their roles with a terrifying amount of conviction. I've never actually seen Deborah Kerr in anything before, other than "The King and I", but her role as the governess is so amazing that it makes me angry! She can go from lilting and sweet to manic and crazy at the drop of a hat, and yet she avoids seeming like an exaggerated parody of a crazy person. Instead her (percieved) insanity is depicted very convincingly, like a woman who is merely frustrated and has been pushed too far, rather than someone who has had too much sugar and cocaine.

I also can't forget the two children, Nora and Miles (Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin, respectively) who are so chillingly creepy and convincing that at times I find it impossible to believe that they were only 11 when they made this film. I've never seen any child actors that can even approach their talents in this film. Stephens in particular is a highlight, with his icy stare and his erudite manner of speech that seems far too mature for someone of his age. Everyone in this film is perfectly cast, and it's some of the best acting I've seen in a film.

But there's more to the plot of this film as well... there is some intriguing psycho-sexual tension going on. Throughout the film Miles is slightly flirtatious and playful with the governess, and this reaches a head when, while putting Miles to bed one night, he kisses her full on the lips, and the governess responds not with revulsion, but instead her eyes fly wide open and she seems taken aback, like a lover who has been kissed for the first time. In the opening scene of the film she tells their uncle that she loves children. What does she mean by this? Does she merely enjoy the company of children, or is there something a bit more sinister going on? It's quite possible considering that Truman Capote, well-known for infusing his works with psycho-sexual undertones, had a hand in writing the screenplay.

After the film's chilling and frankly disturbing climax, "The Innocents" ends just as it begins: the governess, hands clasped, beseeching the heavens. "I must protect the children," she says. And this very rewarding, very unnerving film shows just how far she will go to do that. This is not only a great horror film or a great ghost story, it's simply a great FILM in every sense of the word. The fact that the Academy chose to completely ignore this masterpiece is a crime of the deepest order. Seek this film out and watch it in the dead of night, you won't come out disappointed.