Based on Henry James' classic "The Turn of the Screw." The Innocents focuses on a young governess for two children who becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.
One word: Creepster. Everything about this movie is creepy, and it is brilliant. Despite being miscast because of her age, Deborah Kerr makes up for her disadvantage by giving the kind of performance thriller actresses today can only dream about. Her facial expressions are haunting, perfectly capturing the mix of confusion and terror that any woman would feel during the situations Kerr finds herself in. The children are good actors, but it is the young boy that truly finds his character and nails it. The girl...eh. She's kind of annoying, honestly, but that's ok. It's the boy we watch, and it is the boy that frightens us.
"The Turn of the Screw" is one of the most confusing books I've ever read, but also the most fascinating. Because of its first-person perspective, we are left wondering if any of it is real or has this young girl completely lost her mind. In the movie, it's a little less vague, but there are moments when we seriously question the sanity of Kerr's character. It makes the movie open to interpretation, and the intro and conclusion of Kerr's prayer is magnificent. Love it. Totally creepy.
I like it in black and white. It captures that Gothic mood so crucial to the story that 1960's technicolor would have ruined. In the book, sexuality was a key part of the controversy that Henry James sought, and in the movie it is maintained in its subtleness, adding even more layers to the complex story.
This is a real thriller. No gore, no blood, no monsters...just dark corridors, terrified faces, random noises, candlelight and creepy children. It will haunt you. You will spend the rest of your life trying to piece together the puzzle. I don't know if anyone ever will.
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