The Innocents (1961)

The Innocents (1961)

Notes: 11/30/10

Creepy. Disturbing imagery

Gets stranger as it goes

Deborah Kerr does a pretty great job.

The sound effects are chilling.

The cinematography is really terrific. Sense of depth in the frame.

So well shot. Some really beautiful shots throughout.

Review: B+

The film's trailer describes it as 'a new and adult motion picture experience.' I'd say the word that sums it up best is 'creepy.' The pacing of the film is rather slow, though Michael Redgrave has one memorable scene that sets this ghost story in motion. The film commands the viewer to surrender to the very mature beauty of Deborah Kerr. The film cannot succeed without her performance and she carries it gracefully. There are a few scenes that may meander a bit (I'm not really a fan of freaky children), but the ghost story elements are so well-directed that it's easy to forget the parts that don't work. The distubing imagery and chilling sound effects really take over in the last half and create a pretty frightening film experience. A major asset is the terrific cinematography by Freddie Francis. There are some beautiful shots in this film and the sense of depth within each frame really adds to enjoyment.