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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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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The devinitive version of "The Turn of the Screw",
By
This review is from: The Innocents (VHS Tape)
Without doubt, this is the definitive version of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw." The acting of Deborah Kerr as the governess is superb, as are the performances of the actors playing the two posessed children. Filmed in atmospheric black-and-white, this is one film that deserves the full DVD treatment. My only reservation is with the title. While appropriate, it should have retained the title as given by Mr. James. Five stars!
5.0 out of 5 stars
STILL SCARES AFTER MORE THAN FORTY YEARS!!!,
By Daniel Henderson (Modesto, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Innocents (VHS Tape)
The Innocents, featuring an excellent performance by Deborah Kerr, is a perfect example of why less can be so much more when watching a psychological thriller. Even after forty years this masterpiece still delivers the thrills and scares. The Innocents not only makes the viewer think, but it provides many jolts which will keep any seasoned horror/suspense buff on his or her toes. This film is definitely worth seeking out, although, unfortunately, it has yet to appear on DVD.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Henry James, as he intended...,
By R. Gawlitta "Coolmoan" (Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Innocents (VHS Tape)
After "The Ininvited" (1944), this has to be the best ghost story ever. It may have been "bested" by Robert Wise's "The Haunting" (1963), but there's no excuse for this brilliant film NOT to be offered on DVD. The very classy, very wonderful Deborah Kerr has never been better. Anyone else out there craving a DVD of this exceptional film...?
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