The Innocents

(1961) ****

Set in Victorian England, Miles and Flora, two children are living in a huge mansion. A governess, Miss Giddens is hired to raise the children since they have been acting up at school. Soon after her arrival Miss Giddens begins to see ghosts. She believes that the ghosts are of the former governess Miss Jessel and groundskeeper Peter Quint. They are not only haunting the children, but taking possession of them at times making them act out of character and do terrible things. She decides she must help them face the spirits to free them of their grasp.


Is it me or does it seem like horror has a much more ominous air when shot in black & white? I honestly had never heard of this film before and I'm not sure how it slipped by me. It is genuinely creepy. Not just the ghosts hanging around but the children are creepy too, especially the boy. Deborah Kerr does a bang up job as Miss Giddens, she makes no effort to hide the shock and horror she feels being in this house. As the story unfolds she begins to pry more and more information from the housekeeper shedding some light on the children's unusual behavior. Truly a horror classic derived from William Archibald's 1950 Broadway adaptation of “The Innocents”. Originally based on Henry James' novella "The Turn of the Screw". A really great film adaptation. Adding this to my list of favorite classics. Excellent film.