The Innocents - Classic or Dud?

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Jack Clayton's adaptation of The Turn of the Screw, starring Deborah Kerr as the governess. I saw this as a child and Kerr's well-modulated hysteria and the dead Miles' face always haunted me. This and The Heiress are by far the best film versions of Henry James; it preserves the pedophiliac overtones of the source material. Rich atmospheric soundtrack too.

Fun fact: screenplay cowritten by Truman Capote!

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 23:37 (nineteen years ago)

holy toledo, completely classic. what a question!

scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 6 June 2006 23:58 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.bfi.org.uk/incinemas/nft/film/6588

Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 7 June 2006 06:44 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, this film is perfect. When I read the book I found it a bit creepy, nothing more than that. But The Innocents makes the story truly horrifying.

Fun fact: screenplay cowritten by Truman Capote!

Heh, the first time I saw it was on TCM last october, the day after I saw Capote.

JimD (JimD), Wednesday, 7 June 2006 08:43 (nineteen years ago)

six years pass...

Saw this today for the first time in a dozen-plus years. The Capote coating of Freudian hysteria manages not to overwhelm the story, and Kerr is perfect (her last great role?).

Also Martin Stephens gives a real, uncanny performance as the boy, whereas he was just bleached and creepy in Village of the Damned... Jack Clayton only gave the two kids their own pages the day before so as not to traumatize them with the whole scenario.

saltwater incursion (Dr Morbius), Monday, 5 November 2012 01:35 (thirteen years ago)

This and "Black Narcissus" may be the ultimate Kerr roles. Though I dunno, she's good in lots of stuff.

Josh in Chicago, Monday, 5 November 2012 01:37 (thirteen years ago)

apparently John Mortimer wrote the "used rooms like dark woods" line, not Capote.

saltwater incursion (Dr Morbius), Monday, 5 November 2012 20:17 (thirteen years ago)

the only terrible performance I've seen Kerr give is in Separate Tables.

the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 5 November 2012 20:21 (thirteen years ago)

saw that once on TV long ago, no one speaks well of it (besides Rex Reed probly0

saltwater incursion (Dr Morbius), Monday, 5 November 2012 20:38 (thirteen years ago)


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