In watching the innocents, there is a kind of perpetual doubletake, akin to miss giddenss doubts, whereby sometimes we. The innocents 1961 so, my username and the title and background image of this blog all pay homage to the fabulous 1961 adaptation of henry james novella the turn of the screw, starring deborah kerr the blonde holding the candelabra as miss giddens, the governess who becomes convinced that her young charges are. Based on the 1898 novella the turn of the screw by the american novelist henry james, the screenplay was adapted by william archibald and truman capote, who used archibalds own stage playalso titled the innocents as a primary. Technically, the film is nothing short of exquisite. Anne fontaines forceful, albeit uncomplicated, film about the rape of polish catholic nuns by soviet soldiers at the end of the second world war. Jun 30, 2016 the innocents is a challenging film to watch as a woman and as a woman religious. Mathilde is a french red cross doctor working on a mission to help the french. Living at the movies with dana spiottas innocents and others. Perhaps there is guilt at what he had done while a part of the group, the innocents he may have killed. Maynial took inspiration from the experiences of his aunt.
A powerful fable of rape and rebirth in a polish convent a french feminist hero finds a. The innocents les innocentes critics consensus the innocents isnt always easy to watch, but its nuanced exploration of complex themes and its refreshing perspective are well worth the effort. Sep 17, 2017 the innocents was the second feature by producer, ad, and allround film set junkie jack clayton, whose directorial career was marked by few projects and enormous choosiness as he leapt from genre to genre his previous film was the frank romantic drama room at the top, and he made no better choice in that capacity than bringing along room. Set in a polish convent near the end of wwii, this powerful exploration of a.
In keeping with the spirit of the novella and the generic conventions of the psychological thriller, the film never definitively answers the. The innocents opens in a benedictine convent in poland in 1945, shortly after the event known, not without bitter irony, as the liberation of poland by the soviet army. The film s symbolism is never subtle, but that doesnt make it any less effective. Today sees the release of the new film from anne fontaine, the celebrated director behind coco before chanel and gemma bovery. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the innocents near you. I saw that the nanny had done some sort of curse on her, but after the mother, laura buried the doll, it lost me. Nov 11, 2016 today sees the release of the new film from anne fontaine, the celebrated director behind coco before chanel and gemma bovery. The suddenness of the finale leaves plenty of questions open, and. That is just one of many reasons why the innocents 2016 stands out in the war film genre. The innocents tells a story of trauma, grace national. In warsaw, december 1945, a nun known as sister teresa approaches a young french female student doctor, mathilde. Based on the novella the turn of the screw by the american novelist henry james, the screenplay was adapted by william archibald and truman capote, who used archibalds own stage playalso titled the innocents as a primary source text. The innocents 2016 stream and watch online moviefone.
I saw this film the first time only a few years ago. World war ii has just ended and red cross nurse mathilde is wrapping up her work when a panicked nun arrives to beckon her back to the convent, where she finds a shocking scene. Its so nice to see a movie about women from a womans perspective, in womens voices. Anne fontaines spiritually and emotionally complex the innocents. The team behind the film did a reasonable job of incorporating a supernatural concept into a 18th centuryset drama at no point did these two elements clash and cause one or the other to feel out of place within the. There is also tension about obedience, as the nuns must navigate a literal interpretation of the monastic rule with the. Turns out, its coming from an extremely pregnant, young nun whos on the verge. True story i watched the innocents again right around the time that we were looking for a day care facility for our daughter a very unwise move. But i didnt really understand the ending all that much. As the nuns lift their voices in song, giving praise to god, a voice is heard making a rather different. These two openmouth kisses, definitely not part of henry jamess 1898 the turn of the screw, brought shock to my face while watching the movie. Thus, while western fans agree that john ford is an exemplary director of westerns, if you praise john carpenter to a david cronenberg fan you could be asking for a fight. The innocents is a welcome relief from the usual antichurch movies hollywood churns out.
I was surprised that it is not more frequently discussed in horror circles because it is such a strange, atmospheric and thoughtful film. Ultimately, the innocents represents filmmaking of a bygone era, the. The innocents has an unforgettable musical theme like the music box in burnt offerings and the piano themes in curtains, the changeling and the girl in a swing. It is a film about a polish benedictine monastery at the. As anne fontaines newest film arrives in the uk, we sit down with. Can anyone explain the ending of the movie first born. It is a film about a polish benedictine monastery at the end of the second world war. The true story behind haunting new film the innocents another. Oct 28, 2010 besides being a visual stunner, its use of sound is absolutely extraordinary and remains influential to this day the innocents is even sampled in the cursed tape from 2002s the ring.
In the frighteners, a conman has ghosts as partners in an exorcism scam he runs. Serene, austere benedictine nuns sing sweetly in the quiet stillness of morninguntil a piercing scream echoes through the stone hallways, sending a chill. The film takes on the horror of this war crime as only cinema can, contrasting the ugly with beauty, the guilty and the innocent in a fine balance between the humanity of art and the inhumanity of people. In the french context, the innocents is also a film about a national hero, played by a rising star. The innocents is pitchperfect in just about every way. Movie scenes that terrified actors in real life duration. The true story behind haunting new film the innocents. Dheepan is first seen covering a pile of burning bodies with palm leaves, but it is some time before it is revealed he fought with the tamil tigers. The innocents is set in december 1945, six months after the end of the european war, in a poland occupied by russian troops. Jul 07, 2016 based loosely on real events, the innocents tells a tale of haunting moral choices and the calculus of attempting to understand gods plan even in the face of unimaginably horrid events. Her thesis project involved watching orson welless city lights 20 times over three days. The 1961 british film the innocents which is either a horror film about ghosts or a psychological tragedy about female repression in the late victorian period stands astride 20th century film history with one foot planted firmly in arch classicism, the other in the jarring modern styles that were only just coalescing around the world. That it also delves into the meaning of faith shouldnt put off viewers who have no. The suddenness of the finale leaves plenty of questions open, and room for the doubt that starts to creep in throughout the.
Faith and fear in a story of innocents inspired by real events, the innocents visits a convent in 1945 where a doctor finds herself unexpectedly treating pregnant nuns. However, the performances, writing, direction, and cinematography are superb. I saw that movie today and i have say it was quite good. The result is a soulful essay about atrocities committed against a group of nuns during the second world war, portrayed as a. The innocents strikingly tells of what befell a convent. It is fiction but is based upon real events that for years formed part of a conspiracy of silence. Creepily atmospheric, the innocents is a stylishly crafted, chilling british ghost tale with deborah kerr at her finest. The innocents, a british film directed by jack clayton, based on the turn of the screw by henry james and on archibalds play. Based on the 1898 novella the turn of the screw by the american novelist henry james, the screenplay was adapted by william archibald and truman capote, who used archibalds own stage playalso titled the innocentsas a primary. From the early, eerie, unquestionably haunting images of a young nun traipsing through a barren, snowcovered polish countryside going who knows where, to a moment of communal redemption. In the innocents, a holy hell is redeemed the boston globe.
The innocents is a very emotional and draining film for much of its running time, yet it is a film that all people of christian and catholic faith should see. The performances are good, though in typical 1950sstyle melodramatic form. The innocents is a very emotional and draining movie for much of its running time. Rent the innocents 2016 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Deeply, profoundly movie, and in places almost impossible to watch. Her nephew helped develop the movie, using her notes.
But the innocents contains all of the best elements of a ghost movie and none of the idiocies. Karine, pascal bonitzer, anne fontaine and alice vial, after an original idea by philippe maynial. The innocents tells a story of trauma, grace national catholic. In the innocents, not even nuns are spared war horrors. Set in the aftermath of world war ii, the quietly powerful drama the innocents shows women of faith working side by side with nonbelievers to bring light to a dark, horrifying world. The innocents begins at the end of world war ii in poland, december 1945. Jun 30, 2016 faith and fear in a story of innocents inspired by real events, the innocents visits a convent in 1945 where a doctor finds herself unexpectedly treating pregnant nuns. Later in the film, the talons of the group reach out for him in france. The innocents, a florid blackandwhite adaptation of james gothic ghost story, mostly treats the hauntings on a vast country estate at face value. French director anne fontaine and a team of writers have brought to life this sensitive story of the.
Undoubtedly, the innocents is a movie that rewards repeat viewing. The films symbolism is never subtle, but that doesnt make it any less effective. The innocents is a very wellmade film, with many subtle touches. The innocents and the secret it reveals catholic world report. In keeping with the spirit of the novella and the generic conventions of the psychological thriller, the film never definitively answers the question of whether the ghosts are real. Mathilde is a french red cross doctor working on a mission to help the french survivors of the german camps.
The innocents shines a light on an episode shrouded in. The innocents is a 1961 british psychological horror film directed and produced by jack clayton, and starring deborah kerr, michael redgrave, and megs jenkins. The innocents wants to ask whether and how its possible to go on believing in god after being not just violated but, in a sense, mocked by the permanent evidence of lost chastity that a baby entails. The innocents is a fascinating and unusual ghost story filled with complex emotions and themes. It begins quietly, in a benedictine convent during one of the. Much of anne fontaines blistering film the innocents is set within the walls of a polish convent in december 1945, just after the end of world war ii.
The performances are pitchperfect, the cinematography by freddie francis is lush and gorgeous, and somehow everything in the film feels essential to the proceedings. The innocents is a challenging film to watch as a woman and as a woman religious. It tells the story of a sheltered woman who is put in sole charge of two orphans because their only living relative is too selfish to care for them, or even to see them. The foreign correspondents explaining america to the world. Jul 31, 2008 can anyone explain the ending of the movie first born. Based loosely on real events, the innocents tells a tale of haunting moral choices and the calculus of attempting to understand gods plan even in the face of unimaginably horrid events. I watched director anne fontaines gemma bovery postwwii drama the innocents les innocents is a state of perpetual awe. The sisters have no chaplain so there is no mass or spiritual guidance except their praying the hours. In the polish drama the innocents, the end of world war ii doesnt bring peace. Jul 01, 2016 much of anne fontaines blistering film the innocents is set within the walls of a polish convent in december 1945, just after the end of world war ii. Aside from the mother superior, who harbors a horrible secret, the movie shows the nuns in a thoroughly sympathetic and positive light. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to factbased news and analysis. The autopsy of jane doe 2016 ending explained duration.
This film has extreme depth in character and story textures. The innocents, a new francopolishbelgian production, comes to the screens this weekend. The innocents isnt always easy to watch, but its nuanced exploration of complex. Director clayton deserves big ups for not pushing too strongly one way or the other and allowing the viewer to choose their own path and decipher the images. The innocents and the secret it reveals catholic world. A version of this article appears in print on july 1, 2016, section c, page 5 of the new. Fans of classic super natural tales would be most satisfied with this movie. The innocents ends just as the turn of the screw doesabruptly and without explanations, either about the climactic event, or about what led miss giddens to such desperate measures.
While she works in poland, she is asked for help by a nun. They explained that they had met philippe maynial, the nephew of. Then the film gently surprises us at the end in ways that are credible, hopeful and remarkably heroic. Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, tv series and more. Furthermore, horror movies are personal in a way that film noir or musicals, etc. Jun 20, 2016 at the beginning of dana spiottas innocents and others, meadow mori receives her high school senior prize. Even well meaning ghosts do not necessarily act in the best interests of living humans. The innocents sweeps you away and takes the audience on a journey that is rarely explored in cinema. Warm kisses from the governess in the 1961 film the innocents, directed by jack clayton, the two openmouth kisses given to little miles martin stephens from the governess, miss giddens deborah kerr had to bring shock waves through the audience. The innocents is a good movie, and dare i say, a great period film. The problem, as in most of peter jacksons movies, is that over involvement with unreality zombies in dead alive, the fourth world in heavenly creatures leads to a badly.