The Innocents

‘’The innocents’’ is 100 minutes long horror/mystery movie directed by Jack Clayton. It was inspired by classic novella ‘’The Turn of the Screw’’.  The film tells the story about governess woman Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr), who comes to take care of two children Flora (Pamela Franklin) and a boy named Miles (Martin Stephens), who recently lost their governess. The previous governess mysteriously died.  From the first sight, really polite and nice children start to act unusual and weird. Miss Giddens starts to see ghosts. However none of households notice a thing, children are really calm and artificially happy. It is hard to tell if the children are posses with the spirits or it is miss Giddens, who is driving insane. The movie is full of weird, and scary scenes. ‘’ Maybe some of these apparitions are a little more actual and less ambiguous than they would have been on the written page but they are as much as one wants to make of them – a window slams open, snuffing a candle out. “I’m so afraid,” Deborah Kerr fearfully admits. “It’s only the wind, my dear,” the aloofly smiling Martin Stephens calmly assures.’’ [unknown, moria.co.nz ] till the end of the movie it’s unclear if the house is possessed or if the Ms. Gidenns have some mental issues

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The movie starts to appear quite scary, because of the contrast of Flora’s and governess behavior. Ms. Giddens has a strange feeling something unusual and mysterious going on in the house. She is presented as quite scared and nervous, while at the same time Flora is really come and smiles all the time. Stereotypically children are scared of the night, darkness. But in this movie an adult changes the role with a child,  that makes the situation look quite uncontrolled.   ‘’During the night, Flora awakens and looks out the window overlooking the garden, and hums "Oh willow waly". The next day Flora receives the mail and gives it to Ms. Giddens who is shocked to learn that Miles has been expelled from school. Even more shocking to her is Flora’s ability to know this the night before.’’ [Unknown, horrorexpress.com]. However the scene can be logically explained, that maybe Flore get letter one night before, however did not say anything to the governess. The movie is full of strange and unclear, mysterious scenes, which at the same time can be logically explained. That makes film really uncanny.

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All the action in the film is in the big, old house, with really big and nice garden and lake. In the middle of the movie ghosts appears however just governess can see them, that makes viewers guess if there is actually paranormal phenomenon or it is just Ms. Giddens mind what creates weird hallucinations.  ‘’ The best and most frightening vignette in The Innocents occurs when the governess casually kisses young Miles, then recoils in horror when she realizes that someone other than Miles has kissed her back.’’ [Unknown, rottentomatoes.com] The scene appeared shocking, the way the governor kisses the child, because it seemed quite erotic, weird and unexpected.

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Bibliography

horrorexpress.com (unknown) The Innocents film review, (online)http://www.horrorexpress.com/moviereview/the-innocents [accessed 14/12/2011]

rottentomatoes.com (unknown) The Innocents film review, (online)http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1099622-innocents/[accessed 14/12/2011]

moria.co.nz (unknown) The Innocents film review, (online)http://www.moria.co.nz/horror/innocents.htm [accessed 14/12/2011]

Image List:

Figure 1, best-horror-movie.com (unknown) (online) http://www.best-horror-movies.com/the-innocents.html [accessed 14/12/2011]

Figure 2, horrorexpress.com (unknown) (online)http://www.horrorexpress.com/moviereview/the-innocents [accessed 14/12/2011]

Figure 3, demonstresume.wordpress.com (unknown) (online) http://demonsresume.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/31-flavors-of-horror-10-the-innocents-1961/[accessed 14/12/2011]