The Innocents (1961)

Film: The Innocents

Year: 1961

Director: Jack Clayton

Writer: William Archibald and Truman Capote

Starring: Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde and Megs Jenkins

Review:

This was a film that I believe my mother introduced to me. It would have been right after college that I would have seen this for the first time. I remember thinking it was solid. It wasn’t until after the fact that I learned it was based on a novella from Henry James. I did read the source material before that second watch for an Odyssey through the Ones. I’ve also now given it another watch, this time at the Wexner Center for the Arts.

Synopsis: a young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.

We begin with a rich man, portrayed by Michael Redgrave, as he’s interviewing a young woman to be a governess to take care of his niece and nephew. They were orphaned. Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) is being interviewed for the position. From their talk we can see she is sheltered and seems nervous. She’s never held the position before so there is a lack of experience. What we learn of him is that he is selfish and doesn’t care much for the children that he is guardian over. Something of note is the fact that the former woman in this position tragically passed away. The little girl adored her and it traumatized her.

Miss Giddens accepts the role and goes to the large estate that is out in the country to live. Flora (Pamela Franklin). She has the carriage stop at the gates and decides to walk up to the manor. As she does, she hears someone calling for Flora. She comes upon the young girl and asks why she didn’t come when she was called, saying she didn’t hear anyone. This puzzles Miss Giddens.

At the manor we also met some of the other staff. The maid who does most of the work is Mrs. Grose (Megs Jenkins) and she hits it off with Miss Giddens almost immediately. As they all get to know each other, Flora keeps stating that her brother Miles (Martin Stephens) will be coming home soon. This again puzzles Miss Giddens, but when they receive word that he was expelled from school, she becomes concerned.

As time goes on, we see that Miss Giddens isn’t completely stable. She gets along with both of the children, but when she sees a strange man on top of a tower, she becomes hysterical. It doesn’t help that Miles claims to have not seen anyone up there. The more that she learns about this estate and the tragic demise of Peter Quint (Peter Wyngarde) and Miss Jessel (Clytie Jessop), Miss Giddens believes their spirits are still here. She will do what she can to save the children, but are they really in peril?

That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that getting into podcasts has helped me to appreciate this movie. I came to it late as I said, having my first viewing after college. There are people I listen to and respect their opinions that have grown up with this film. Having also read the novella helps to fill in more.

Where I want to start is the character of Miss Giddens. This is a character study of her and her mental state. The details about her are given in a subtle way in the beginning which are interesting. When she answers the questions from the uncle, we see that she is nervous by nature. She’s not sure that she’s truly prepared to take on the role she is offered. I can connect with that feeling. The uncle doesn’t seem to notice. He’s desperate for someone to handle everything at the manor out in Bly and to not bother him. Those are his expressed wishes. I think that contributes to the madness that Miss Giddens sinks into.

Kerr's portrayal of Miss Giddens's descent into madness is expertly handled. Seeds are sown, leading to her breakdown. Upon arriving, Miss Giddens hears someone call Flora's name and then soon after sees a man. As she learns more about Quint and Miss Jessel, she becomes convinced they are specters, though she knows nothing of Quint until seeing him. This ambiguity makes us question the supernatural elements. After multiple viewings and reading the source, I have my own interpretation, but it remains open to the viewer.

There is an undercurrent here of sexuality and repression. We know that Miss Giddens has lived in a sheltered film. Her father was a village minister. When talking to the uncle, she gets uncomfortable hearing about how he’s more concerned with his social life. This is amplified the more that learns about the nature of Quint and Miss Jessel’s relationship, plus their influence on the children. She groups herself in with Flora and Miles, as she believes the former governess and man in charge corrupted them. She thinks they still are through the specters. This truly adds to my enjoyment with the overall story.

With Kerr's performance already discussed, I'll move to the supporting cast. Jenkins' Mrs. Grose works well; their relationship sours only when the governess becomes erratic and seemingly less concerned with the children's best interests than this housekeeper who has known them longer. Franklin and Stephens deliver good performances as Flora and Miles, respectively, with Stephens particularly excelling at conveying Miles' devious nature. Wyngarde and Jessop are respectable as the eerie, staring specters that drive Miss Giddens to madness. The rest of the cast also performed adequately.

Let’s then finish out with filmmaking aspects. Freddie Francis's cinematography expertly captures the manor's aged, isolated feel. The film subverts the haunted house genre with subtle effects. The soundtrack enhances the atmosphere, notably a recurring song introduced by Flora, originating from Miss Jessel's music box and later played by Miles on the piano, effectively haunting Miss Giddens as she descends into psychosis.

In conclusion, this stands as a masterful and unsettling psychological horror film that expertly blends ambiguity with a chilling atmosphere. Its enduring power lies in its character study of Miss Giddens and the masterful performances, particularly by Kerr, which leave the audience questioning the true nature of the hauntings. With stunning cinematography and a subtly haunting score, it's a must-see for fans of classic cinema and those seeking a nuanced, thought-provoking variation on the haunted house genre.

My Rating: 8.5 out of 10