| Overall Grade: |
A |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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| Visuals: |
A+ |
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A True Horror Movie.
by Yahoo! Movies User (movies profile)
Jun 23, 2007
The Innocents is a truly frightening film that manages to scare through perfectly constructed atmosphere, suspense and a few subtle glimpses of ghosts. This gem was made way back in 1961 and is based on a short story written by Henry James over a century ago. A true horror fan will tell you that this is one of the best, if not the best ghost story ever filmed.Viewed today (on vhs or cable television, mind you, I don't think the DVD is even available yet), it is just as scary and tense as it was back then, I'm sure. I wasn't even born when the movie was released. A film buff showed this picture to me when I was young and it made an impression on me and changed the way that I viewed horror. A good horror film doesn't need gooey special effects or frightening, violent CG images.A good dose of atmosphere, timing and paranoia are ingredients that work just fine. One of the most frightening things about this movie is that no explanation is given after the shocking climax. Was it all just paranoid delusions that were plaguing Deborah Kerr's governess or were there really evil spirits trying to infiltrate the children? I don't know for sure and even after reading the story (which wasn't easy, the pre-1900 dialogue was quite different from how it is now)I still can't say. And that is precisely what is so good about the Innocents. Nothing is for sure. Are we watching a true ghost story unfold or are we watching a woman's psyche being turned inside out. To truly appreciate this film, you will need patience and an honest desire to watch and see.If you don't like old, black and white films then this isn't for you. In other words if you're not a true movie buff then don't even bother because you probably won't appreciate it. A shame becuase this is one of the scariest, truly scariest films ever made. |
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