THE INNOCENTS (1961)
Director: Jack Clayton
Writers: Henry James (novel)
John Mortimer (additional scenes & dialogue)
William Archibald   (screenplay) and  
Truman Capote   (screenplay)
CAST---
Deborah Kerr ...  Miss Giddens
Peter Wyngarde ...  Peter Quint
Megs Jenkins ...  Mrs. Grose
Michael Redgrave ...  The Uncle
Martin Stephens ...  Miles
Pamela Franklin ...  Flora
Clytie Jessop ...  Miss Jessel
Isla Cameron ...  Anna

Runtime: 100min

Do you know who Truman Capote is? You know, the gay guy who talked like a midget, and was famous
for writing "IN COLD BLOOD"? The same guy Philip Seymore Hoffman won an oscar for portraying? The
same guy who wrote the "BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S" novel? Are you with me now? Okay, imagine if
that little guy wrote a ghost movie! Can't do it? Well, think again, my friends, because here it is. "THE
INNOCENTS", directed by Jack Clayton (responsible for the 1974 version of "THE GREAT GATSBY"),
move on to the review.
Loosely based on Henry James's "THE TURN OF THE SCREW", this film is about a governess (or British
nanny) that goes to live with some orphaned children in the country. The children fall instantly in love
with her, and she with them. But subtly (maybe a bit too subtly) she starts to see and hear strange
things. From seeing a grown man walking along the parapets, to hearing a strange woman crying, our
heroine reaches a point when she starts to realize something is happening. The maid is a total dumbass
who tries to ignore things and is no help whatsoever, so the lady is left on her own to figure out what the
hell is going on. Is the mansion haunted? Is the gardener and the original nanny, who were supposed to
have died, still alive?
Well, here is where the wonderfully creepy film takes a bizarre turn. The governess, who the children call
Miss Giddens (played by Deborah Kerr of "AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER"), suddenly decides that the
kids, Miles and Flora, have been possessed by the ghosts of the departed gardener and their former
nanny. SAY WHAT? How she came to this conclusion, I have no idea, but now she has vowed to force
the spirits out of the kids and save their young souls.
I won't go into much more because the film is rich and swollen with class like a great, black and white
Hammer film, and there are great creepy moments. Certainly the acting is above par. Especially the
children, who straddle the delicate line between sweet and creepy. The film seems almost like a
precursor to great ghost films like "THE OTHERS", but without the shocks and jumps. This one, like I
have said, is more subtle than most films. This means, of course, that it is slower and takes its time to
build characters and really develop the situation. If I had one problem with the movie, it was the ending,
which was totally bizarre and incomprehensible. It almost ruined the film for me, but overall I really did
enjoy it. If you like chillers like "REBECCA", you'll dig this one, but beware the ending. It's 100% Truman
Capote certified grade z cheese.
                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                        - Jose Prendes








                                                                                     
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The Innocents (1961)
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