{"id":4210,"date":"2007-09-13T10:23:54","date_gmt":"2007-09-13T17:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4210"},"modified":"2021-01-07T22:45:24","modified_gmt":"2021-01-08T05:45:24","slug":"innocents-the-1961","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4210","title":{"rendered":"Innocents, The (1961)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;They must be made to admit what is happening &#8212; one word, one word of the truth from these children, and we can cast out those devils forever!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Innocents-Poster-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Innocents-Poster-1-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-62192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Innocents-Poster-1-198x300.jpg 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Innocents-Poster-1-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Innocents-Poster-1-178x270.jpg 178w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Innocents-Poster-1.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA governess (Deborah Kerr) in charge of two sibling orphans &#8212; Miles (Martin Stephens) and Flora (Pamela Franklin) &#8212; gradually becomes convinced that they are possessed by ghosts, and tries to get their housemaid (Megs Jenkins) to believe her.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Deborah Kerr Films<\/li>\n<li>Ghosts<\/li>\n<li>Governesses and Nannies<\/li>\n<li>Jack Clayton Films<\/li>\n<li>Mental Breakdown<\/li>\n<li>Michael Redgrave Films<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;No One Believes Me!&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Orphans<\/li>\n<li>Psychological Horror<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nWidely acknowledged as the best cinematic adaptation of Henry James&#8217; novella &#8220;The Turn of the Screw&#8221;, this atmospheric thriller by director Jack Clayton is a true gem of the horror genre. James&#8217; novella is notoriously ambiguous, with readers left to determine whether the noises and visions experienced by Miss Giddens (Kerr) are real or imagined &#8212; but it&#8217;s made fairly clear here that Kerr&#8217;s increasing paranoia is self-induced, and that the tragic ending is of her own making. Indeed, screenwriters William Archibald and Truman Capote do an admirable job translating James&#8217; difficult psychological story into literal visuals, while simultaneously keeping us in suspense about whether or not Miles and Flora really are &#8220;innocent&#8221; &#8212; and, if so, in what way.  <\/p>\n<p>The performances in <em>The Innocents<\/em> are, across the board, superb. It&#8217;s difficult to imagine anyone better than Kerr at playing Miss Giddens, an idealistic, faithful, sexually repressed woman who is mortified to learn that her sweet charges may have been corrupted &#8212; and who will stop at nothing to &#8220;clear&#8221; them of their sins. Both Pamela Franklin (who, six years later, starred in Clayton&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3066\"><em>Our Mother&#8217;s House<\/em><\/a>) and Martin Stephens (from <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5369\"><em>Village of the Damned<\/em><\/a>) are entirely believable as the inscrutable siblings, and Megs Jenkins rounds out the cast beautifully as the children&#8217;s well-meaning, naive maid &#8212; her performance never hits a false note, and is essential to the success of the story. <\/p>\n<p>Equally impressive are the film&#8217;s visuals, including the stunning black-and-white cinematography, appropriately baroque set designs, and effective use of pastoral outdoor settings. Much like in Robert Wise&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=41\"><em>The Haunting<\/em> (1963)<\/a> and Val Lewton&#8217;s early films for RKO, the frights here are cinematically suggested rather than made explicit, with Clayton using a variety of techniques (including deep focus framing and double exposure) to evoke horror; yet even some straightforward shots &#8212; such as a bug crawling out of a statue&#8217;s mouth &#8212; are enough to cause one to jump. Ultimately, the &#8220;horror&#8221; here is truly psychological, indicating that the worst monsters are the ones we &#8212; like Miss Giddens &#8212; conjure up for ourselves. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Deborah Kerr as Miss Giddens<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/breakdown.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/breakdown.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4212\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Megs Jenkins as naive, well-meaning Mrs. Grose<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/maid3.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/maid3.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4222\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Martin Stephens as Miles<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/boy.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/boy.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4211\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Pamela Franklin as Flora<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/franklin2.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/franklin2.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4221\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Freddie Francis&#8217;s atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/cinema3.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/cinema3.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4213\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Haunting set designs<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/innocents-set.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/innocents-set.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4220\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Good use of selective cinematic techniques to evoke horror<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/doubleexposure.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/doubleexposure.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4218\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Effective establishment of a pastoral calm before the storm<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/pastoral.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/pastoral.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4217\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A powerful depiction of mental breakdown<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/creepy.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/creepy.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4214\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The creepy opening credits<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/opening.JPG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/opening.JPG\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4216\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>William Archibald and Truman Capote&#8217;s smart screenplay<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. This excellent psychological thriller is a good show all-around, and a classic of the horror genre. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<li>Noteworthy Performance(s)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0055018\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1961\/12\/26\/archives\/screen-the-innocentsfilm-from-james-tale-is-at-two-theatres.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/classic-horror.com\/reviews\/innocents_1961\">Classic-Horror Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1721inno.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moria.co.nz\/horror\/innocents.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/the-innocents\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;They must be made to admit what is happening &#8212; one word, one word of the truth from these children, and we can cast out those devils forever!&#8221; Synopsis: A governess (Deborah Kerr) in charge of two sibling orphans &#8212; Miles (Martin Stephens) and Flora (Pamela Franklin) &#8212; gradually becomes convinced that they are possessed by ghosts, and tries to get their housemaid (Megs Jenkins) to believe her. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Deborah Kerr Films Ghosts Governesses and Nannies&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4210\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4210"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62193,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4210\/revisions\/62193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}