Miles (Martin Stephens) and Flora (Pamela Franklin) are orphans that are wards of their uncle (Michael Redgrave). A job that he is not fond of. The uncle is not family inclined and finds himself in need of a governess since the last one, Mary Jessel (Clytie Jessop) drowned in the lake. Uncle is a busy man, so he hires Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) to take care of Bly, the country estate, and the children. His orders are for her to handle any problem that comes up and to not disturb him with any decisions. This is Miss Giddens’ first job as a nanny, and she enthusiastically takes to it despite being sorely under qualified for the post.
At the country house Miss Giddens is introduced to the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose (Megs Jenkins) and the maid, Anna (Isla Cameron). She also becomes fast friends with little Flora. Not long after settling in she receives a letter from the school that the uncle forwarded on to her to handle. The letter states that Miles has been expelled and is on his way back to the estate. Miles turns out to be a charming boy, so Miss Giddens decides to give him the benefit of the doubt and assumes that the school exaggerated the circumstances that resulted in Miles’ expulsion.
Soon Miss Giddens begins to see some strange behavior with the children. They become secretive and conspiratorial in their manner. Miss Giddens also begins to feel that something is wrong with the mansion. She begins to feel as if there is something otherworldly haunting the house and grounds. She then learns that the uncle’s valet, Peter Quint (Peter Wyngarde) was an abusive man who had an affair with Miss Jessel, the former governess. Peter died one snowy night in a fall just outside the house. His death affected Miss Jessel. Some suspect that her death was a suicide. Miss Giddens becomes convinced that Peter and Miss Jessel are haunting the estate and are trying to possess the bodies of the children. Miss Giddens decides that something drastic needs to be done to save the children from the evil that is trying to take over their bodies.
“The Innocents” was released in 1961 and was directed by Jack Clayton. It is a British and American psychological horror thriller. The film was based on the 1898 novel “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James.
What makes the story good is the ambiguity of the threat to the children. You’re never really sure if Miss Giddens is really seeing and hearing malevolent spirits or if there is something mentally wrong with her. Are the children really being possessed or are they just children with big imaginations?
The atmosphere is very much like other haunted house stories like “The Haunting” 1963 where the horror comes from imagination rather than blood or actual violence. The sets are drenched in shadows and extravagance. The cinematographer was Freddie Francis, so the film has a Hammeresque feel to it even before Hammer became the idea of Victorian splendor. His lighting techniques add to the sinister claustrophobic nature of the movie. The film is in keeping with the sexually oppressive Victorian era.
It is the quintessential “Old Dark House” ghost story.