Pamela Franklin as Flora, Deborah Kerr as Miss Giddens, Martin Stephens as Miles
Have you heard of the novella ‘The Turn of the Screw’ by Henry James? And did you read/complete it? I tried and failed. Published in 1898 I found it heavy going in terms of it’s language conventions and style. But I’m not that smart. Oscar Wilde apparently rated it highly. Now, I found the film version called The Innocents. A haunted house story, a young Governess is hired to look after two small children in a country estate. The kids are weird. Especially the boy. It doesn’t take long before the ghosties make themselves known to Miss Giddens played by the venerable Deborah Kerr. The Governess begins to lose her mind and depending on your point of view it’s either the kids ‘gas-lighting’ her or a genuine supernatural malady has befallen the estate. Either way the film is quite good. The child actors steal the show of course. They are adept in their portrayals and perhaps Miles played by Martin Stephens was a proto-Damien re The Omen and such like. If you like your silver screen flicks and you’re working your way through the obscure then I recommend you add this film to your list. Turn the lights down low when you watch it.
Film review: The Innocents, Timing: 1:40, Starring: Martin Stephens, Deborah Kerr, Pamela Franklin
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