Like THE HAUNTING, this is a slow-moving and subtle film which manages to evoke a true sense of fear with the viewer. Easily the definitive version of Henry James' novel THE TURN OF THE SCREW, this is an intelligent, gripping horror film which gives us time to get to know the principal characters before dropping them in at the deep end. Indeed, the first half an hour is quite hard to sit through as nothing particularly happens, and the characters are merely introduced, but things soon become unbearably spooky and surprisingly dark before the downbeat conclusion. This is frightening, adult cinema, and not a film for those with nervous dispositions.
Unlike THE HAUNTING, we do actually get to see the ghosts here - albeit briefly. They take the form of normal-looking people, not bloody or gory, standing silently, watching. These are scary apparitions, and I think ghosts in films are more effective when they don't actually do much except stand around and look scary - there's something understated about them which adds to their creepiness, as if they are like statues (for another great example of these silent spectres, check out ENDLESS NIGHT, which has a really frightening moment towards the end).
The acting is excellent, especially from Deborah Kerr as the haunted governess who is not afraid to believe in the spirit world and remains refreshingly open-minded; I for one am sick of principal characters disbelieving ghosts and having to be convinced in films. Kerr gets to display a range of emotions here; love, compassion, fear and disgust, making her performance really good in my eye. However, the acting of Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin surpass even Kerr's performance - Stephens and Franklin being a pair of very creepy kids. On the outside they're polite and respectable, but you just know that there's a dark and deadly secret waiting to burst out at any moment. Franklin descends into incoherent screaming at the end of the film, while Stephens you may recognise (with blond hair this time) from his equally menacing role in VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED. Megs Jenkins and Michael Redgrave also do quite well with their underdeveloped housemaid and 'Uncle' characters respectively.
Freddie Francis was on hand to perform some nice crisp photography, and it shows, as the film is beautifully filmed. It also isn't afraid to leave some loose ends and also have a surprisingly tragic finale - one which is totally unexpected. This is an unnerving, classy haunting film which easily achieves what it sets out to do.
Unlike THE HAUNTING, we do actually get to see the ghosts here - albeit briefly. They take the form of normal-looking people, not bloody or gory, standing silently, watching. These are scary apparitions, and I think ghosts in films are more effective when they don't actually do much except stand around and look scary - there's something understated about them which adds to their creepiness, as if they are like statues (for another great example of these silent spectres, check out ENDLESS NIGHT, which has a really frightening moment towards the end).
The acting is excellent, especially from Deborah Kerr as the haunted governess who is not afraid to believe in the spirit world and remains refreshingly open-minded; I for one am sick of principal characters disbelieving ghosts and having to be convinced in films. Kerr gets to display a range of emotions here; love, compassion, fear and disgust, making her performance really good in my eye. However, the acting of Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin surpass even Kerr's performance - Stephens and Franklin being a pair of very creepy kids. On the outside they're polite and respectable, but you just know that there's a dark and deadly secret waiting to burst out at any moment. Franklin descends into incoherent screaming at the end of the film, while Stephens you may recognise (with blond hair this time) from his equally menacing role in VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED. Megs Jenkins and Michael Redgrave also do quite well with their underdeveloped housemaid and 'Uncle' characters respectively.
Freddie Francis was on hand to perform some nice crisp photography, and it shows, as the film is beautifully filmed. It also isn't afraid to leave some loose ends and also have a surprisingly tragic finale - one which is totally unexpected. This is an unnerving, classy haunting film which easily achieves what it sets out to do.