I just finished watching this and I'm amazed at how creepy and even scary this movie is. I wasn't expecting it at all! But I was honestly cowering in my bed. There are so many disturbingly creepy things going on in this movie that it boggles my mind.
Deborah Kerr's character has recently become the governess for two parent-less children named Flora and Miles. Upon arriving all seems well until Kerr gets a letter from Miles' boarding school saying that he was expelled due to certain unmentionable circumstances. Miles makes his entrance and he is alarmingly kind and proper. He talks like he is 50 years old and it's really really scary. Kerr soon starts seeing two ghosts whom she soon finds out were lovers that used to do improper things in broad daylight. One can only guess what those improper things may be, but Kerr is convinced the two ghosts are somehow possessing the children and that only she can save them.
The plot may seem confusing and you may be wondering why I found this scary at all but I'm telling you. Something is going on in this movie that I can't explain. It may start with the very beginning of the film. Against a black screen a child sings the creepiest song I've ever heard and it goes on for about 30 seconds. THEN the fox logo comes on....AFTER 30 SECONDS! In some theater's they thought this was a mistake and started the film only when the logo appeared. But this is no mistake. So then the creepy song continues and Deborah Kerr's voice is heard babbling something about it has to be done to protect the children...the children she says over and over again. The trivia section on IMDB confirms may assertion that this song is extraordinarily creepy because IT'S THE SONG FROM THE RING. You know the part when we see Samara standing by the well? You hear a bit of song right in the beginning and this is that song!!!
So anyways the children sing, and play this song throughout the whole movie and it really only gets creepier. Other really frightening things are the presences of the ghosts. And let me be clear there are no giant crescendo's when ghosts appear like in the Sixth Sense. My fear in seeing the ghosts was real because it wasn't influenced by anything. The creepiest by far is the woman in the black dress sitting across from the lake. It was just so unexpected and so terrifying to see that woman there I just can't explain it.
The list of creepies only gets bigger; the children in general are just creepers, the little girl smiling to her doll, the kiss that Miles delivers to Kerr, the dead pigeon under Miles' pillow, the bobbing clown head in the attic, it really seemed that there was never a point where the creepiness ended, and that is extremely impressive to me.
Then there are the dark undertones of the film. What is implicated by the end of the movie is very, very unsettling. It has been hotly debated by critics and I can honestly say I have no idea what to think. It's one of those did she or didn't she things where there is no real right answer. My minds was going nuts after watching this and I'm sure it will probably take me days to really figure out what I think is the truth.
Hands down this is a truly powerful movie. It's an adaption of The Turn of the Screw by Henry James and the same concepts are debated with the book. If you are an avid horror movie fan and adore classic movies please watch this and tell me what you think. I'm dying to know if I am just being vulnerable or if this is really as creepy as it seems.
I'm posting the beginning of the movie so you can understand what I mean by this is the creepiest beginning to any horror movie I have ever seen.
Buy The Innocents at Horror Movie Empire!
Don't tell me that isn't creepy.
Ok here is where we see the lady across from the lake.
What do you think?
Don't tell me that isn't creepy.
Ok here is where we see the lady across from the lake.
What do you think?
1 comment:
I'm late to the party, I know, but yes, this is a terrifying movie. The song is a big part of that. It's a very adult song. If you listen to the words, it's about a woman mourning the death of her lover. Not a song for an eight-year-old. Same with the poem Miles recites. "What shall I do for my lord is away?" Yeesh. There are very dark implications in this movie. I know a lot of the debate focuses on whether the ghosts are real or just Kerr's insanity, but to me, it doesn't matter. Something bad happened / is happening to those kids no matter what. So technically the house is haunted either way, because Quint and Miss Jessel (and now Kerr) all leave their mark on the house and on the kids. I think that's what frightens me most of all. This movie sums up why it's so unsafe and scary to be a child. You can so easily end up in the care of the wrong person, and you have no control.
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