The Innocents | 
 enlarge | Director: Jack Clayton
Actors: Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins, Michael Redgrave, Martin Stephens
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
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Rating:  133 reviews
Sales Rank: 4815
Format: Closed-captioned, Black & White, Dvd-video, Anamorphic, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 100
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD2230296D
UPC: 024543202950
EAN: 0024543202950
ASIN: B0009X75EC
Theatrical Release Date: 1961
Release Date: September 6, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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Product Description
Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 09/09/2008
Amazon.com
The definitive screen adaptation of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, the 1961 production of The Innocents remains one of the most effective ghost stories ever filmed. Originally promoted as the first truly "adult" chiller of the big screen (a marginally valid claim considering the release of Psycho a year earlier), the film arrived at a time when the thematic depth of James's story could finally be addressed without the compromise of reductive discretion. And while the Freudian anxiety that fuels the story may seem tame by today's standards, the psychological horrors that comprise the story's "dark secret" are given full expression in a film that brilliantly clouds the boundary between tragic reality and frightful imagination. In one of her finest performances, Deborah Kerr stars as Miss Giddons, a devout and somewhat repressed spinster who happily accepts the position of governess for two orphaned children whose uncle (Michael Redgrave) readily admits to having no interest in being tied down by two "brats." So Miss Giddons is dispatched to Bly House, the lavish, shadowy estate where young Flora (Pamela Franklin) and her brother Miles (Martin Stephens, so memorable in 1960's Village of the Damned) live with a good-natured housekeeper (Megs Jenkins). At first, life at Bly House seems splendidly idyllic, but as Miss Giddons learns the horrible truth about the estate's now-deceased groundskeeper and previous governess, she begins to suspect that her young charges are ensnared in a devious plot from beyond the grave. Ghostly images are revealed in only the most fleeting glimpses, and the outstanding Cinemascope photography by Freddie Francis (who used special filters to subtly darken the edges of the screen) turns Bly House into a welcoming mansion by day, a maze of mystery and terror by night. Sound effects and music are used to bone-chilling effect, and director Jack Clayton, blessed with a script by William Archibald and Truman Capote, maintains a deliberate pace to emphasize the ambiguity of James's timeless novella. The result is a masterful film--comparable to the 1963 classic The Haunting--that uses subtlety and suggestion to reach the pinnacle of fear. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 128 more reviews...
 The Innocents DVD - Movie December 16, 2008
Not a great movie. I suppose it was considered good for its time. The acting was horrible as were many movies in 1961 I suppose. I was bored with it halfway through. I love old movies...but this one's not on my list of favorites. I don't recommend it.
 I love this movie. October 15, 2008
This is a great movie from start to end. I watched this movie last night, and I have to say that it's a great film. When I watched it last night, I must say that it was a great ghost story right up to the very end of the film. The acting in this movie was awesome especially with the children acting so strangely. When you see them acting strangely, you can tell right away that something is not right about them, but I don't want to tell you anymore, because that would be a giveaway. Would you want to be in a house with something like that happening? I would, because I am not afraid, even if the house has a haunted past like this with the two creepy children. This film is a great film to watch for Halloween, and comes highly recommended.
Who's Zoomin' Who? October 9, 2008
[This review is part of my 31 days of Halloween series.]
There are certain aspects of this b&w puzzler that remind me of THE OTHERS with Nichole Kidman. The audience is presented a landscape with many undertones linking between the world of the living and the shadowland of those who have passed over. Deborah Kerr is outstanding as the repressed Victorian type governess. She is hired to take complete charge of 2 children who live in an appropriately gloomy mansion in the country. The man who hires her is the very reluctant guardian (Michael Redgrave) of the pair. He makes it clear that he is not interested in any future personal involvement. So, Kerr finds herself more or less stranded with the rather odd (and uncomfortably close) brother & sister. There is only a rather nice--and rather simple--housekeeper to provide any kind of adult companionship.
But are they really alone?
What unfolds is an extremely intelligent script & expert direction crafting a subtle yet gripping story of love, betrayal, psychic manipulation, death & suicide.
When this film was initially released in Great Britain it did so with an astonishing "X" rating. Apparently the movie earned this repressive tag because of one scene where the boy displays seductive behavior to his confused governess--or is it really the boy, or a spirit acting through him? Anyway, the scene was considered so forbidden that the child actor was not allowed to see the entire script & was given very little in the way of motivation. Surprisingly the scene is very effective--and really isn't "naughty" at all.
This is a b&w classic--and the fact that it is black & white sets up the atmosphere of shadow & light, misty gardens & an all round gothic sensation.
Valerie Bertinellie produced & starred in a 1980's YV version that was extremely good on all points. Of course it was in color, but this version maintained the atmospheric "feel" of the story.
The Haunting
The Changeling
Hammer Horror Collection (The Curse of Frankenstein / Dracula Has Risen from the Grave / Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed / Horror of Dracula / The Mummy / Taste the Blood of Dracula)
Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)
Bride of Chucky
Bram Stoker's Dracula (Collector's Edition)
Hauntingly great movie October 7, 2008
This is an excellent film for those that enjoy a truly classic ghost story... You will not have to brace yourself for any gore. This is a visual as well as a psychological thriller. It is one of my favorites.
CREEPY CLASSIC HOLDS UP WELL! 4 1/2 STARS! April 8, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
There are few films that are this old that can actually deliver any chills anymore. 'The Innocents' is a solid chiller even if it's a tad too long. Creepy atmosphere, haunting visuals and an excellent cast make this a grade a chiller! I caught this on cable so i can not give a review for this DVD edition. The film is worth checking out for sure!
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