THE INNOCENTS (1962) - Movie Review

[@jondebenedict7315]

I feel pretty assured in my opinion that this is the best psychological horror drama film ever made. Bar none. For me, it's a masterwork. There's been some great ones similar to this before and after The Innocents, but for me, this is where I set the bar for how to do this kind of story and film right. The atmosphere, the direction, the acting, photography, editing, etc. Wonderful, haunting film. Great review as always, Maggie.

[@Sx-xy2zi]

Above the wailing? I'll have to check it out

[@jondebenedict7315]

@@Sx-xy2zi You know what....you got me there, I don't think I've seen The Wailing. So, until I do...this is the best I've seen.

[@jakecorenthose2901]

The image of the woman in the black dress standing in the distance has lingered in my mind ever since I saw this as a kid. It has been imitated many times over by other filmmakers. Carpenter used it as inspiration for several of his shots in Halloween, Nigel Kneal pays homage to it several times in his adaptation of The Woman in Black, and Kiyoshi Kurosawa mimics it directly in Pulse. I'm astonished by how powerful a single frame can be.

[@J-Called]

Me too, that scene is one of the most powerful I have ever seen.

[@gabrieleskenazi9151]

This is actually my favorite horror picture. The directing is so precise, the decisions feel very real. The performances are stellar, again, so precise and delicate. I feel that this is a perfect picture, to be honest. It’s a brilliant brilliant film and I feel a sadness knowing that it’s not that known. Great review! Congratulations! The Innocents is a masterpiece!

[@bobbysbrother137]

The one scene you describe at 9:03 completely nails it - that's how true horror is created. A prime example of what the film does consistently, mixing subtlety with complexity. Another excellent analysis, thank you!!

[@rajatnandi2175]

"Rooms used by daylight as though they were dark woods".....what a writing.. truly magnificent

[@andyparnham7542]

Thanks for the review, this film has always been a favourite of mine. I love the way that the film remains ambiguous, are the kids possessed or just getting swept up in the nanny’s paranoia? The shot where they see the ghostly figure of the school teacher across the pond never fails to send a shiver up my spine and will haunt me forever. Cheers! 😁

[@jaycollins2036]

The woman by the lake is still one of the most haunting images ive ever seen on film. The sound design and music do a lot to enhance it. Simple but terrifying.

[@Suite_annamite]

@13:05: Speaking of watching Beauty and the Beast for Christmas, you might like the newer French one from 2014 with Léa Seydoux and Vincent Cassel. I just bought it for the holiday season and watched it on NYD 2022.

[@Suite_annamite]

@6:52: Being precocious is probably the first thing that would make kids creepy, which makes it such an effective horror trope. What are children who are "too mature" or too sophisticated other than little ghosts?!

[@WattisWatts]

Saw it when it first came out in 1961. I was 7. I was with my parents. Scared all three of us to bits.

[@peteralbert1485]

I like your review and admire your analysis, but I think the fact that the governess is clearly older than 20 actually profoundly enhances the eerie, uncomfortable feel of this movie. Miss Giddens has clearly lived a life of frustrated feelings and a sensuality she tries to suppress, and at this later point in life she's coming apart at the seams. A 20-something with her troubled state of mind could pass for being "innocent," but one her age, living so long with her dark nature unexpressed, makes her feel more ominous as a woman of 40. Her almost predatory role here makes the children seem her prey, creepy as they are - and their role as victims (either of the haunting or of the aggressions of their 40-something governess or maybe even a bit of both) make them an especially pitiable pair of innocents.

[@MrJfairbrother]

Also love The Innocents. Startling performances, amazing cinematography. The atmosphere is so rich that when the apparitions are finally seen (or are they...?), it hits like a train. Have mentioned this in a previous comment, but one tiny detail that always struck me was the way Miss Giddens, just-arrived at Bly House with wide-eyed excitement, rushes toward a vase of fresh flowers in the foyer... The flowers crumble immediately at her touch. There's the briefest flash of horror across her face. But it's swiftly repressed by a polite smile as Mrs Grosse, oblivious, leads her further into the house. Two seconds of screen-time that says it all; gives me goosebumps.

[@123rockfan]

It’s kind of crazy to me that Jack Clayton initially didn’t want to use CinemaScope, he thought he couldn’t fill the rest of the frame with anything interesting. I think the widescreen makes the mansion and the mansion grounds even more intimidating and eerie

[@mrcrhartman]

Wow, I saw this film over 40 years ago before I even knew the story "turn of the screw" existed, then when I had to read it in high school, I went "whoahh...I know some of these characters..." Haunting film that stays with you. Amazing to hear someone talk about it now.

[@andreashypailo5778]

Your presentation skills is what I aspire too, Maggie. Great review!

[@AndrewWatson401]

Did you see the Haunting of Bly Manor, the Mike Flanagan miniseries that came out on Netflix about a year ago? It's based on The Turn of the Screw and on other fiction by Henry James. I recommend it. Thanks for recommending The Innocents, now added to my watchlist.

[@scampoli25]

I remember watching this for the first time thinking “Well at least the brother can’t be creepier than the sister” oh how wrong I was.

[@wolffman2445]

😂 right? Both child actors were amazing but the boy was definitely next level.

[@nunyabizness9787]

I re-watched this just a couple of weeks ago. Gets better every time I see it. I once fell asleep during this movie and had one of the worst nightmares I ever had... which I consider a good thing. :) Best thing is, it finds the good story hidden in Henry James's terrible prose. "Turn of the Screw" is actually a great story, but Henry James is a terrible writer. He can't let go of a sentence until he's throttled every spark of life out of it. I love almost every other Victorian ghost-story writer but him. So I'm glad the film got all the good out of it. It's one of those cases, like Apocalypse Now, where the film actually improved the book.

[@Ravensantos129]

Love the very detailed review. I highly recommend a movie called “The Innocents”. There’s a lot of movies with the same title but this one in particular was made from Norwegian, released in September this year. I highly recommend it, I haven’t found a single review of it on KZbin, would love to see your insight on it.

[@uhdudewhy7980]

I first watched this when I was a kid and it freaked me out. In other words, it worked. Now I own the DVD. Glad you reviewed it.

[@robertjewell9727]

Really excellent analysis. Although having read the novella I didn't get the impression that the governess was a young woman, but what was called in that time period, an old maid, which I think heightens the weird sexual repression inherent in the story. I shared with my friend Dorothy who is Bernard Herrmann's daughter, this being one of her favorite films.

[@blackswan4486]

Wow. Tell your friend I’m a young film student and I think her father was awesome.

[@bokuboke482]

Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!" centred around the construction of a mansion on swampland, and I recall a sense of oppulent decadence followed by slow, haunting decay. You've made me curious to seek out this classic flick!

[@deepfocuslens]

Absalom, Absalom is far more experimental in nature, but yes southern gothic type of feel.

[@belloq81]

A wonderful, chilling movie. Thank you for highlighting it, because it's a film that more people should check out.

[@dravenlee4473]

Glad to see this. I blind bought it last year and loved it. It's really perverted and hugely ahead of its time in themes and film making.

[@deadstrobe]

The cinematographer, Freddie Francis, was hired by David Lynch for THE ELEPHANT MAN, DUNE & THE STRAIGHT STORY. Partially on the strength of the fact that FF had a talent for staging eerie scenes during daylight hours. No mean feat!

[@MLElf]

I watched this about a month ago, I loved it! Some scenes give you chills! Great film. Love the channel/reviews , thanks from the U.K. 😎👌

[@hamzarouri8454]

It's one of my favorite horror films, as well. The ambiguity of it all was what really made this film unforgettable.

[@thunderstruck5484]

Watching the trailer it reminds me of The Others not sure if I’ve seen the Innocents but if it was on tv in the sixties I’m sure I did we watched every movie that came on the that fourth channel thanks again for keeping the Internet interesting

[@TheMigalito]

I took your advice and watched that Stewart film, shop around the corner, i think it's called. Loved it for the lost film making. Not my idea of an ideal Christmas movie...but also very refreshing. Ty 😊

[@sahil12ful]

There's this Nordic horror film with the same name that came out last year. Definitely one of the most innovative horror films I've seen in a long time.

[@johnjacob688]

Looking forward to your review of Last Night in Soho.

[@johnsreviewsofmovies6289]

great review of a very intriguing often overlooked mystery

[@colecolettecole]

i found this version of the turn of the screw the most terrifying one ~ considering the newer versions have all the modern tech to use ~ this black/white one was so freakin scary

[@samuelenpcb25884]

Hey, sorry for my english. I just finished writing an essay about this movie and the turn of the screw novel to college. What a coincidence!

[@ryanrudolph5667]

Was wondering if you could review Once Upon a Time in America?

[@hanng1242]

I like that you pronounced "Kerr" correctly.

[@tonybennett4159]

I don't agree at all the Deborah Kerr was too old for the role. As Written in The Turn of the Screw, yes, but the film makers gave it a subtle twist that changed that. As an older woman, but still young enough for marriage, Miss Giddens has had all to long to have had unbidden thoughts assailing her from the edges of her consciousness, thoughts which in those days were deemed unsavoury. One only has to look at the masterful way in which the interview scene was shot to see that the uncle was casting a powerful spell on the sheltered spinster. This was then used to lay the foundation for the ambiguity (greater than in the book) which makes the film so special. This simply would have not worked with a younger actress. For that reason, I consider this to be one of those films, like The Third Man, where it cannot be envisaged that any aspect could have been done better.

[@riccardoalcaro8483]

The movie is a masterpiece. No other words needed

[@KlausGehrmann]

Just finished watching, and yes it is a masterpiece, one of the best movies of the genre I think, - go watch it. if only for Deborah Kerr's stellar performance, even if you don't care for horror films.

[@adamgates1142]

I see this is on the leaving list on the criterion channel this month. Will have to check it.

[@adamgates1142]

Best movie kiss ever lol

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Love this film. Just watched it today

[@Suite_annamite]

@10:05: There's definitely something about 60's horror that is conducive to spectrophobia.

[@acrophobe]

I love watching The Innocents as a refined, mature, highfalutin' counterpoint to the delightfully stupid, shlocky skeletons-flying-on-wires William Castle garbage from the same era. I love horror in its peaks and its valleys too 😅😅

[@xavierpark5937]

Wow i just seen it today i inow i am one year late .

[@hasfazirakamaludin2933]

My summary on the first 3 Episodes of “HAWKEYE”. My first thought is that Kate’s father; Derek Bishop is still alive as we never see his death onscreen nor his dead body. The online rumor is that Eleanor Bishop is the Marvel comics version of Madame Masque. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin shall appear by the end of this Season 1 as Echo’s adopted father @ Uncle. The wristwatch that the Tracksuit Mafia were searching for originally belonged to the late Anthony Edward Stark. Just like the blue-tinted glasses which Tony wore during “Avengers: Infinity War” nicknamed EDITH. It was later inherited by Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Far From Home”. EDITH was able to command hundreds of Stark Industries drones and satellites. The timepiece was lost under the Avengers Compound rubble when Thanos’ Army bombed it toward the end of “Avengers: Endgame” and possibly contained Iron Man technology. Jack did not seemed surprised at all when the Tracksuit Mafia raided the underground auction. Like he knew it was going to happen. In fact, he took the opportunity to pocket the much coveted Ronin retractable sword during the commotion. Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova shall appear in the second half of this Season 1. As per “Black Widow” post-credit scene, she is assigned by her handler: Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine @ Val to exact revenge for Natasha Romanoff’s death. Yelena is handed a tablet showing an image of Clinton Francis Barton in his full Ronin gear without his mask. It means that Yelena and Val are aware that Hawkeye and Ronin is actually the same person. Whereas in Episode 1, the black market auctioneer made it obvious that the general public is not aware of this. Yelena is being manipulated to assassinate Clint as details of what transpired on Vormir is only known to the Avengers. Maya Lopez @ Echo played by Alaqua Cox will be getting her own spinoff show after this. “Hawkeye” is part of Marvel Cinematic Universe {MCU} Phase 4. It is set a week before Christmas 2025; 2 years after “Avengers: Endgame”. In Maya’s flashback of the Karate Academy, there was a curly haired boy whom was brought down by an African-American boy. That curly haired kid is credited as Little Kazi in the end credits roll. It means they go way back as childhood friends. My own personal theory is Kate’s daddy; Derek Bishop faked his own death during the 2012 Chitauri Invasion - so that his wife could then claimed life insurance money. The Bishops were under severe financial duress at this point in time and contemplated selling their posh penthouse to stay afloat. Afterwards, Derek impersonated Jack Duquesne via a photostatic veil @ nano mask. We saw this tool of deception being used when Black Widoq disguises herself as World Security Council member, Hawley toward the end of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”. The real Jack Duquesne must have died in The Battle Of New York. I feel that Eleanor Bishop is the real mastermind who convinced her husband to fake his death and impersonate Jack.

[@Tolstoy111]

You have the wrong year in the title! :)