Jack Clayton's THE INNOCENTS has been described as an "ambigious" ghost story where the spirits are essentially outgrowths of the governess' sexual frustration. I must admit, I always subscribed to that theory myself...until I watched the film again last night.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
This time, I paid close attention to all the details. Miss Giddens (great performance from Deborah Kerr) is portrayed as an older, somewhat sheltered spinster (she's the daughter of a minister, and though obviously in early early 40's, this is her first position), and she certainly seems to have more than a passing interest in "the Uncle" (Michael Redgrave). He, however, sees Miss Giddens as a means to an end and makes it abundantly clear he wants nothing whatsoever to do with the children except provide someone to care for and watch over them. So, Miss Giddens, as their governess, has complete authority once she arrives at Bly house to look after little Miles and Flora.
That's when the weirdness happens. Miss Giddens asks the driver to drop her off halfway to the house, so she can tour the sweeping grounds. While strolling about, she--as well as we--hear someone clearly calling "Flora! Flora!" It sounds very much like Miles' voice, who we don't meet until later. Miss Giddens asks Flora who was calling her, and she says no one. But that night, Flora states that Miles is coming home soon, a comment poo-pooed by the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose (Megs Jenkins). "Master Miles is away at school," she says, "and it's not holiday." Yet, within days, Miss Giddens receives notice that Miles is indeed coming home, having been expelled from school. How did Flora know this? Or was it just the jibber-jabber of an excitable child (Flora appears to be no more than 8 or 9 years old)?
When Miles (approximately 10) finally appears, Miss Giddens is surprised by his rather mature way. This is no mere boy, obviously. At one point, Miles and Flora engage Miss Giddens in a game of hide and seek. They hide in the attic, and as Miss Giddens rushes down the hallway searching for them, she sees a woman cross near an alcove--a woman dressed all in black.
In the attic, Miss Giddens finds a music box that plays the same melancholy tune Flora is always humming. She also finds a small portrait of a strong looking man. He's dressed nicely, his face is clean-shaven.
Later, Miss Giddens hides from the children downstairs. Behind her, in the garden, a face suddenly drifts out of the darkness toward the window (this is one of the cinema's greatest shock scenes, in my humble opinion). His hair is touseled, he's dressed in what appear to be old clothes, and he'd sporting a good case of five o'clock shadow. Miss Giddens is horrified, as are we. But she's not so horrified that she doesn't rush out to confront whoever was standing in the garden. Of course, he's no longer there. She then tells Mrs. Grose what she saw, and the older woman identifies the person as "Peter Quint," a stable hand who died in a tragic accident a year earlier.
Miss Giddens again sees the "woman in black," standing in the middle of the lake. It's later revealed by Mrs. Grose that Miss Jessel, who was the childrens' governess and Quint's lover, committed suicide upon his death by drowning herself in the estate's lake.
Every review I've ever read about The Innocents states that the ghosts are figments of Miss Gidden's sexually frustrated imagination. If this is the case, why would Miss Jessel's "ghost" appear to Miss Giddens in the lake--BEFORE Miss Giddens even knew of the suicide? Or the manner of suicide? And if Miss Giddens imagined the Quint specter after seeing his photograph, why did was the ghost dressed like a stable hand, complete with scruff? He didn't look that way in the picture, and Miss Giddens didn't know until later that he'd been the stable hand.
So, what do you think? Were the ghosts real? Or was the entire thing cooked up by Miss Giddens to somehow bring herself closer to the Uncle?
Rod
SPOILERS AHEAD!
This time, I paid close attention to all the details. Miss Giddens (great performance from Deborah Kerr) is portrayed as an older, somewhat sheltered spinster (she's the daughter of a minister, and though obviously in early early 40's, this is her first position), and she certainly seems to have more than a passing interest in "the Uncle" (Michael Redgrave). He, however, sees Miss Giddens as a means to an end and makes it abundantly clear he wants nothing whatsoever to do with the children except provide someone to care for and watch over them. So, Miss Giddens, as their governess, has complete authority once she arrives at Bly house to look after little Miles and Flora.
That's when the weirdness happens. Miss Giddens asks the driver to drop her off halfway to the house, so she can tour the sweeping grounds. While strolling about, she--as well as we--hear someone clearly calling "Flora! Flora!" It sounds very much like Miles' voice, who we don't meet until later. Miss Giddens asks Flora who was calling her, and she says no one. But that night, Flora states that Miles is coming home soon, a comment poo-pooed by the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose (Megs Jenkins). "Master Miles is away at school," she says, "and it's not holiday." Yet, within days, Miss Giddens receives notice that Miles is indeed coming home, having been expelled from school. How did Flora know this? Or was it just the jibber-jabber of an excitable child (Flora appears to be no more than 8 or 9 years old)?
When Miles (approximately 10) finally appears, Miss Giddens is surprised by his rather mature way. This is no mere boy, obviously. At one point, Miles and Flora engage Miss Giddens in a game of hide and seek. They hide in the attic, and as Miss Giddens rushes down the hallway searching for them, she sees a woman cross near an alcove--a woman dressed all in black.
In the attic, Miss Giddens finds a music box that plays the same melancholy tune Flora is always humming. She also finds a small portrait of a strong looking man. He's dressed nicely, his face is clean-shaven.
Later, Miss Giddens hides from the children downstairs. Behind her, in the garden, a face suddenly drifts out of the darkness toward the window (this is one of the cinema's greatest shock scenes, in my humble opinion). His hair is touseled, he's dressed in what appear to be old clothes, and he'd sporting a good case of five o'clock shadow. Miss Giddens is horrified, as are we. But she's not so horrified that she doesn't rush out to confront whoever was standing in the garden. Of course, he's no longer there. She then tells Mrs. Grose what she saw, and the older woman identifies the person as "Peter Quint," a stable hand who died in a tragic accident a year earlier.
Miss Giddens again sees the "woman in black," standing in the middle of the lake. It's later revealed by Mrs. Grose that Miss Jessel, who was the childrens' governess and Quint's lover, committed suicide upon his death by drowning herself in the estate's lake.
Every review I've ever read about The Innocents states that the ghosts are figments of Miss Gidden's sexually frustrated imagination. If this is the case, why would Miss Jessel's "ghost" appear to Miss Giddens in the lake--BEFORE Miss Giddens even knew of the suicide? Or the manner of suicide? And if Miss Giddens imagined the Quint specter after seeing his photograph, why did was the ghost dressed like a stable hand, complete with scruff? He didn't look that way in the picture, and Miss Giddens didn't know until later that he'd been the stable hand.
So, what do you think? Were the ghosts real? Or was the entire thing cooked up by Miss Giddens to somehow bring herself closer to the Uncle?
Rod
