INNOCENTS

THE INNOCENTS (1961): This darkly adept translation of Henry James classic novel, The Turn of the Screw, stars Deborah Kerr as the fragile first-time governess to a pair of orphaned children who may or may not be possessed by the spirits of an isolated country estate. Director Jack Clayton and cinematographer Freddie Francis paint some of the most beautiful shadows in screen history, while Truman Capote’s script keeps Kerr on the edge of insanity. On the surface, it’s a film of billowing curtains and half-seen phantoms. But Kerr’s descent into a Freudian nightmare of sexual repression is scandalously frightening even by today’s standards. An obvious inspiration on Nicole Kidman’s The Others, it might just be the ultimate ghost story for adults. Both the full screen and correct widescreen version are included along with a vintage trailer.