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StevenPayne Unit3EnvironmentTheInnocents(1961)

Dir.JackClayton

TheInnocentsisaclassicghoststory,following

thesurrealexperiencesofMissGiddens,themanors

newlyappointedgoverness.Sheisresponsibleforthecareofheremployersyoungnieceandnephew,Flora

andMiles,twowonderfullypolite,yetundeniably

unnervingchildrenwhosebehaviorthatwouldtypically

beconsideredunusualfortheirage.

Thefilmaddressesthemesofsexualrepression

fromtheperspectiveofMissGiddens.Thisismost

notablewhenobservingthevariouskissesexchanged

betweenherselfandMiles.Theseexchangeswould

normallybeconsideredinnocent,ifitwerentforthe

subtlequirksofundeniablepassionthatwouldleadthe

audiencetoperceiveitassomethingmoresordid.Although,BosleyCrowtheroftheNewYorkTimeswrote

that,

MissKerr(MissGiddens)neverlooksnoracts

arepressedorinhibitedwoman.Andevenwhensheis

beginningtogetstrangeandhorrendousideasofghostlyinhabitantsoftheoldmansion,

shestillseemsathoroughlyhealthywoman(Crowther,1961)

Thepresentationofthechildrenssupposedpossessionisreminiscentoftheideaof

thelossofinnocence,particularlythroughadolescenceintoadulthood.Theoverwhelming

maturitydisplayedbythechildrenindicatessomewhatofanadultperceptionoftheworld

surroundingthem,whichmaybewhyitissaidthatMilesdoesnotgetalongwiththeother

childrenhisage.Thedetachmentfromtheirunclemayhaveleadthechildrentoadoptamoreadultmindset,havingtoeffectively,intheireyes,fendforthemselves.Theadoration

displayedbyMilestowardshissisterislesslikethetypicalrelationshipbetweenabrother

andasister,andmorelikethatofafatheranddaughter.HistreatmentofMissGiddensis

likethatofahusbandtohiswife,andbeingtheonlymaleinthehouseholdultimately

makeshimawareofhispositionofmanofthehouse.

Thesettingisstereotypicalofgenerichauntedhouseghoststories,butthisdoes

notresultintheportrayalofaclearlyadultstoryinanimmature, Scooby-Doofashion.There

isanever-presentsupernaturalundertonetothemanor,buttheplacestillfeelssuitedtoa

familythroughout.Thecreepynatureofthesettingisonlymadetrulyapparentwhenpaired

withtheunusualmannerismsofitsinhabitants.Mainly,theunsettlingpresentationispush

forwardthroughspecificdecisionsofcinematography,asstatedbyWesleyLovellof

Cinemasight.com.

Thestoryistoldquiteeffectivelyusinglightandshadowstocreatedimensionand

space,andtotrickthemindintoseeingthingsthatmaynotbepossible (Lovell,2011)

Although,ofcourse,thetruehorrorcomesfromthecharactersofMissJessel,the

formerGoverness,andherlover,PeterQuint,theformervalet,bothhavingdiedsuddenlya

yearpriortoMissGiddensemployment.Therelationshiptheyhadwiththechildreniswhat

leadsMissGiddenstobelievethatFloraandMilesmayinfactbepossessedbytheirrestless

spirits,inorderfortheirrelationshiptocontinueafterdeath.Theirpresencebecomes

apparenttoMissGiddensthroughaseriesofencounters.SteveBiodrowskiof

Cinefantastiqueonline.comdescribestheseencounters,saying,

MissJessellisthemorereticentofthetwo,waitingintheshadowsattheendof

thehallwayorstandingontheshoreacrossthelake.Quintseemsmoreaggressive,his

Fig1.TheInnocentsFilmPoster

8/3/2019 The Innocents Film Review

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StevenPayne Unit3EnvironmentexpressionsparallelingthoseofMiles,asifhewerethepuppeteerpullingthestringsof

theyounglad(Biodrowski,2008)

Thefilmisleftonacliffhanger,withtheendingbeingleftopentointerpretationby

theaudience.ItisnevermadeconclusivewhatactuallyoccurredduringMissGiddensstay,

andthisonlybuildsuponandreinforcesthemysteryalreadyputinplacebythefilm,as

opposedtotyinguplooseendsintheplot.Themostobviousexplanationsfortheoccurrencesaretheyreallywerepossessedandshewasinsane,andwhilsttheseare

perfectlylegitimatereasons,theyareonlyjusttouchingontheplethoraofpotential

explanationsforMissGiddensexceptionallysupernaturalexperiences.

Bibliography

Quotes

Crowther,B.(1961)TheInnocents.In:movies.nytimes.com26.12.61[online]

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9406E1DC153DEF32A25755C2A9649D946091D6CF&p

artner=Rotten%20Tomatoes(Accessedon2/1/12)

Lovell,W.(2011)TheInnocents.In:cinemasight.com24.4.11[online]

http://www.cinemasight.com/review-the-innocents-1961/(Accessedon2/1/12)

Biodrowski,S.(2008)TheInnocents.In:cinefantastiqueonline.com27.4.08[online]

http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2008/04/film-dvd-review-the-innocents-1961/(Accessedon

2/1/12)

ListofIllustrations

Fig.1.TheInnocentsFilmPosterFrom:TheInnocentsDirectedby:JackClayton.[filmposter]UK:

TwentiethCenturyFox