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| The Innocents | 
 enlarge | Director: Jack Clayton
Actors: Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins, Michael Redgrave, Martin Stephens
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $6.87
You Save: $8.11 (54%)
New (49) Used (19) from $4.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  132 reviews
Sales Rank: 17107
Format: Closed-captioned, Black & White, Dvd-video, Anamorphic, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 100
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD2230296D
UPC: 024543202950
EAN: 0024543202950
ASIN: B0009X75EC
Theatrical Release Date: 1961
Release Date: September 6, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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| Customer Reviews:
 "The Innocents" is a convincing ghost story. October 17, 1999
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Is "The Innocents" a ghost story or a psychological drama? It depends on the viewer. A logically minded person will conclude that the governess is psychotic and the morbid history of the house and the children created the hauntings within her mind. However, imaginative viewers will conclude the obvious: the children are literally possessed by the deceased governess and her sadistic lover. There are contradictory clues within the movie that point to both solutions. For instance, if the children were not possessed how did Flora know that Miles was coming home? However, if the children were possessed why was the governess the only one to see or hear any evidence of the apparitions? Much of the reason "The Innocents" is such an effective suspense film is because of its ambiguity. This is much more effective than newer horror films such as "The Haunting" (1999) in which the ghosts literally tear down the house. "The Haunting" wasn't frightening at all. Successful movies about the supernatural know what to show and what to leave to your imagination. "The Innocents" is a convincing ghost story, because all reports or sightings of ghosts end with one of two possible explanations. Either there was a ghost or there wasn't, and it's up to each one of us to decide.
 Fear Itself August 20, 2000
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I cannot say enough about this MASTERPIECE! I first saw it when I was a child and remember hiding in my mother's apron. For years I was literally terrified to go into a room at night with a window not covered by curtains or blinds for fear of what might be lurking just beyond the thin glass. Where do I begin with my praise? Deborah Kerr and the other actors? This is acting of a caliber I don't think we recognize anymore. Talk about the difficulties of reaching for and maintaining a tone. Here's a period piece that far outshines any modern movie for sheer disquieting terror. The screenplay? Brilliant. Every line of dialogue is the right line, not just some line. It's what great screenwriting is all about (Oh yeah, thanks a lot, Henry James.) Freddie Francis' astonishing black & white cinematography--this may be the best photographed movie I've ever seen. The depiction of the ghosts--or ARE they--has never, never been duplicated in its simplicity and artistic integrity. What about Jack Clayton's direction? For as much reknown as he received, Clayton was a quiet genius, easily as good as Kubrick. I hope the two of them are in heaven talking film and having the time of their afterlives. Don't hesitate to get this work of art. It's one of the very best films ever made.
At last ! July 28, 2005
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Can this really finally becoming out on DVD ? A haunting weird film which remains in your mind for ever. I bet the one image most people remember is the fleeting glimpse of the ghost of Miss Jessel amongst the reeds by the lake. The film was shot apparently in the manor house and park of Sheffield Park Gardens in Sussex, United Kingdom, site ( together with Horsted Keynes ) of the famed Bluebell Railway ! Closer scrutiny of the film reveals this indeed to be true but never had this oft photographed site been filmed in such a haunting way ! A must for any serious collector of cinematic milestones on dvd !
supremely-effective ghost thriller December 19, 2005
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
THE INNOCENTS is based on Henry James' classic gothic novella "The Turn of the Screw". The story recounts one Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr), a young governess who has just been offered her first big job, as teacher and companion to two young children at a country estate. Their mysterious Uncle (Michael Redgrave) makes the offer too good to resist and Miss Giddens excitedly travels to Bly House, to start her new job.
At first everything seems too good to be true; Flora (Pamela Franklin) and Miles (Martin Stephens) are wonderful children, displaying a level of maturity and temperament which belies their age, and Mrs Grose, (Megs Jenkins) the housekeeper, is a wise and friendly aid. But life at Bly House takes a sinister turn. Miss Giddens begins to see haunting images and ghosts. The children also begin to act strangely: Flora becomes distant and Miles begins to flirt with Miss Giddens, at one point kissing her forcefully on the mouth. Everything seems to hark back to the previous governess Miss Jessel (Clytie Jessop), who died under mysterious circumstances, and the strange relationship she had with the deceased former squier Alan Quint (Peter Wyngarde). Miss Giddens becomes convinced that the children have been a party to this evil, and attempts to save them - and herself - from the same fate.
If one wanted a Freudian analysis, one could say that the seductive Alan appeared to help the repressed Miss Giddens confront her long-buried sexual urges, but you can glean whatever you wish from the ambiguous material. The performances from the entire company are superb. I agree that the performance of Martin Stephens is amazing (and it must have been difficult for him to have played the confronting kissing scene with Kerr). The scenes between Stephens and Deborah Kerr are eerie and full of tension. Likewise, young Pamela Franklin (who would later make acclaimed appearances in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and "The Legend of Hell House") makes the role of Flora one that the audience completely falls in love with. Deborah Kerr, attired in a beautiful wardrobe of Victorian hoopskirt creations by Motley, delivers one of her greatest performances, wonderfully-plotted and realised as Miss Giddens slowly becomes transformed by paranoia.
The new DVD edition from Fox presents the DVD in it's original CinemaScope ratio, capturing the moody and innovative photography by Freddie Francis (a fullscreen version is featured on the flipside). Extra features are limited to the trailer, as well as trailers for other thrillers from Fox: "The Legend of Hell House", "Phantom of the Paradise" and "The Cabinet of Caligari".
The Turn of the Screw April 7, 2000
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This film is without doubt one of the greatest ghost story and book adaptations ever filmed. Henry James' classic short story is given a superb rendering here, with Deborah Kerr in her best role, and a star-making turn by a young Pamela Franklin. Never before (with the possible exception of 1963's "The Haunting") has a film unfolded its suspense with such subtlety! So engrossing is this film that you'll likely feel the accompanying chill as the ghosts make their presence known! The lighting and cinematography of this film is excellent, shot in gorgeous black and white. The appearances of the ghosts and the final scene are two of the most memorable and frightening scenes ever filmed. If you are a fan of true "horror," you must add this film and "The Haunting" to your collection.
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