The Innocents - Deborah Kerr

Directed by Jack Clayton
UK 1961

"The best ghost movie I've ever seen" - Pauline Kael

Jack Clayton's celebrated screen adaptation of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw (1898) is a brilliant exercise in psychological horror. Impressionable and repressed governess Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) agrees to tutor two orphaned children, Miles and Flora. On arrival at Bly House, she becomes convinced that the children are possessed by the perverse spirits of former governess Miss Jessel and her Heathcliffe-like lover Quint (Peter Wyngarde), who both met with mysterious deaths.

The film's sinister atmosphere is carefully created - not through shock tactics, but through its cinematography, soundtrack, and decor: Freddie Francis' beautiful CinemaScope photography, with its eerily indistinct long shots and mysterious manifestations at the edges of the frame; an evocative and spooky soundtrack; and the grand yet decaying Bly House.

Deborah Kerr gives the performance of her career and makes The Innocents an intensely unsettling experience. Are the ghosts the products of Miss Giddens' fevered imagination and emotional immaturity, or a displacement of her shock at the sexually precocious behaviour of ten-year-old Miles? Is she the protector or the corrupter?

Now widely considered to be one of the greatest of all ghost stories on film, The Innocents continues to inspire today's 'haunted house' movies, most notably The Others (Alejandro Amenábar, 2001).

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Theatrical Release: December 25th, 1961

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DVD Comparison:

20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL

(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)

DVD Box Cover		NOTE: the above cover is correct - the one on Amazon.UK is presently incorrect (actually its the region 1 cover)
Distribution	20th Century Fox Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC	BFI Video Region 2- PAL
Runtime	1:39:51	1:35:51 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.32 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.469 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Fox
Bitrate: BFI
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0), DUB: Spanish (Dolby Digital Mono)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English, Spanish, None	English (for both feature and commentary), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Theatrical trailer • Fox Flix • "If you like this film you may want to buy..." DVD Release Date: September 6th, 2005 Keep Case Chapters: 28	Release Information: Studio: BFI Video Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Commentary with Professor Christopher Frayling • Original trailer for The Innocents • The Bespoke Overcoat (Jack Clayton, 1955, 33 mins) - Jack Clayton's first film as director - an Oscar and BAFTA award-winning short starring Alfie Bass and David Kossoff • Stills gallery including original costume designs, publicity posters, press books and production pictures • Booklet including film notes by Jeremy Dyson (The League of Gentlemen) DVD Release Date: December 10th, 2006 Three-tiered digipak inside cardboard box Chapters: 14

Comments:

ADDITION: BFI - December 06' : Although it may not be as obviously noticeable from the screen captures - the BFI is easily the superior transfer. It is smoother, sharper and has less artifacts. It is pristine.

Professor Christopher Frayling gives a stupendous commentary (with optional subtitles) where he discusses everything from the films flower imagery to Capote's strong input on the screenplay. He is fully prepared and I can't imagine anyone knowing more about the film than this man. Excellent listening. There is also an introduction by the man, plus a 30 minute short by Jack Clayton entitled The Bespoke Overcoat, a stills gallery and a beautifully bound booklet. The packaging is also magnificent - this is a wonderful DVD set and I will be considering it in the DVD of the Year voting.

***

The FOX: A beautifully shot film only enhances this DVD image - which is still strong in its own right. Good grays and shadow detail, plus we love the scope. It has some haziness at times but nothing untoward. No worthy extras, but a decent price and a great film for the money. We recommend!

Gary W. Tooze

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(20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)

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