The Innocents: How To Create Ambiguity | Film Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 11 окт 2024
- 'The Innocents', Jack Clayton's 1961 adaption of Henry James' novella 'The Turn of The Screw', is not only one of the great horror films, it is one of the greatest of all films.
And key to its success is how expertly the film exploits its key theme of 'ambiguity'. But this begs the question, what exactly is ambiguity, and more importantly, how do you create it?
It's also the 10th anniversary of cinematographer Freddie Francis' death this week, so this is for him. Vale.
No Spoilers. For educational purposes only. Fair use.
Mark Kermode on The Innocents:
• Mark Kermode reviews C...
BFI Classics DVD/Blu-Ray re-release Introduction by Sir Prof. Christopher Frayling
• The Innocents (1961) I...
'On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director' by Alexander Mackendrick -
www.amazon.com...
'The Ambiguities of Henry James' by Edmund Wilson -
cohenhandouts....
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I just saw this film last night after hearing Ari Aster reference it as an influence on Hereditary and I was completely captivated by it. I don’t understand why people feel ambiguity is an enemy to be feared. All the best films contain ambiguity, without it films feel dumbed down.
Absolute masterpiece, straight 10 on my book. Jack Clayton and Stanley Kubrick are among the few directors who made a genre movie, who really had a clear understanding of how to use ambiguity and let the audience's imagination fill in all that is left unexplained.
great job. this is one of my favorite films of all time. I love subtle movies that leave a lot of decisions up to the viewer.
Thanks for the kind words. It's such a great film, and so under seen.
I agree, "The Shining" and "Picnic at Hanging Rock" are two other great examples of movies that leave a lot unexplained and only for the better.
Henry James himself said this was intended to be a ghost story. The film was ambiguous, not so much the novella. Consider the time in which the film was made.
I will always see iit as a ghost story, one of the best ever written, and I feel the film captured the atmosphere of the book. The housekeeper herself was frightened, just in denial. The fact that no one else could see the ghosts -besides the children, who were secretive - added to the horror of it all, and the sense of isolation the governess felt.
One of the most under appreciated masterpieces. Great video 👍
This video made me want to watch the film again and I've seen it twice in the span of 3 months oh my god?! Masterpiece indeed.
Great to see such effort taken in understanding why certain films are great. Keep it up, mate!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love so much your analysis, thank you! Can't wait to see all of your videos. Compliments and greetings from Italy.
Just finished watching the film (1st time). Your analysis was very insightful, and laid out wonderfully. Thank you for making this.
I have loved "The Innocents" ever since I saw it on TCM one time I had to go out and find it. I think I got it on VHS and couldn't even find it on DVD. It's not even available for streaming anywhere and it's such a good movie. It was made in 1961 but shot in Black and White to make it more dramatic, to emphasize the light and the dark. It is an amazing example of cinematography.
Perfect cast and gorgeous soundtrack and location suites movie
Saw this film when I was 12. Great screenplay by Truman Capote and excellent performance by Deborah Kerr. Clayton made “A” list film of a ghost story. Or maybe not. ☺️. Very good review!
I saw this at release as a boy of 7 or 8. I knew it was exceptional and special even with my limited awareness of great film.
In the book Miss Gibbens is a young woman of 20, sheltered too long and new in the world. Somehow, Deborah Kerr, playing her at 40, made it more mysterious. Why would a beautiful woman who "loved children more than anything" and clearly fancied men, not be a married mother of grown-up children by 40 in the 19th century? There is clearly a reason.
Was her heart broken? Was she caring for sick parents? Had she already had children that she lost? Can she not have children? was she in an asylum?
I'm quite sure that the uncle, a "confirmed bachelor" is gay, but this is lost on the naive Miss Gibbens.
Excellent point. She says it is her “first position“ . What had she been doing for the past decades? How had it effected her mind?
@@MFLimited She was also very evasive when the kids asked her about her home. Strange
The film "The Innocents" was released in 1961 but 7 years earlier, Benjamin Britten's chamber opera "The Turn of the Screw" had been premiered in London, with a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, retaining the title of Henry James's original novella. The characters and storyline are very similar to the film and this idea of ambiguity is very much to the fore: the governess's feelings for the uncle, the nature of the corruption of Miles by Quint (when he was alive), the nature of Miles's misdeeds at school which led to his never explained expulsion and his return to Bly and the hint of an unhealthy, inappropriate relationship developing between him and the governess.
The opera was premiered in Venice and performed over the next four years in London, Canada and New York as well as being recorded commercially.
There had also been a Broadway play in 1950.
The story itself seems to have originated from Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury, who had narrated it to James (or something similar) in 1895, three years before the novella appeared. I believe the ambiguities are all there in the novella.
Oh God! This is the scariest film I have ever experienced, it took me years honestly to be able to watch it right through. I BELIEVE and always have that the ghosts are real❤
One of the greatest movies of all time I seen it this being my 5th time and I still get the frights.. I love Debra Kerr she is so underrated but IN all her movies she's believable and still very relevant ..She is also in my favorite movie From Here To Eternity. I love her as she was a risk taker and in 1960 and for that era a controversial movie actress thank you for putting out this movie ♥
I saw it the first time many years ago when I was about 7, and the image of Miss Jessel dressed in black standing there among the weeds in plain daylight, still haunts my dreams to this day. Terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time.
Either Miss Gidden IS Insane. OR...... She's not. OR.... MAYBE, it's, BOTH. Miss Giddens IS insane, And, there REALLY ARE, ghosts in the house.
This film was amazing, can't stop thinking about what did and didn't happen I understand the ambiguity, but want to now anyone's opinion on why the child dies at the end ? As this would help me in my understanding of what the director was thinking. Thankyou
A part of me wonders if the governess did it out of delusions, but it is likely the force of the possession being removed caused stress on the heart
Just stumbled across this after finishing bly manor and then looking into previous adaptions. I just watched the trailer and then your video came on.
The Descent is another great horror that leaves you wondering if the monsters were real at all. Or if they were all in the protagonists head and she'd gone nuts.
A few years later the descent 2 happens and completely ruined this ending.
Great analysis
Thanks for that. Glad you enjoyed it!
This reminds me of 'The Turning of the Screw'
Kay Smith That’s because it is. It’s an adaptation of James’ story.
Amazing film.
If you like this movie, you should look into "The Journey" 1959 with Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner.
Thank you, Heidi!
now i havent read the original novella and havent seen the movie in a while (im here because netflix reminded me of it with the new series "the haunting of bly manor")- i also dont know how much this actually relates to this particular video, so sorry haha.
but from what i remember, it very much felt like a movie about trauma. it opens and ends on the main character praying, she says she had to be silent in her childhood home because her father was writing sermons, and there's even a line where she says something about her father telling her to help people "even if it hurts them". this all leads me to feel like her father and his religion had a big part to play in her readily convincing herself of these two ghosts, and of the children being possessed- maybe by "helping even if it hurts them" her father may have been a religious figure who believed in performing exorcisms, so she was predisposed to this thinking. i also believe a lot of the behavior of the children- miles making things up to frighten other children and tricking people, flora's mental breakdown when confronted about her last governess- comes from the trauma of their two closest parental figures having a torrid affair/relationship and then dying/committing suicide (not to mention the fact that their ACTUAL legal caregiver, the uncle, doesn't give a single thought to them, and miles absolutely knows this. this is backed up by the fact that miles accuses flora of looking for attention, which very well may be him projecting about what he himself did that got him expelled from school, even if it was accurate).
(she also doesn't actually see the FACE of the male ghost until she's seen the photo of him. before that, she only sees a male figure, with the movie very obviously trying to get across that the sun is making it very hard for her to actually see, which very well COULD have been miles. but to add ambiguity to that, why does she specifically see the woman's ghost the first time in the place she drowned herself, before she even knew the woman drowned herself? hmmmm!!)
a truly mesmerizing and disturbing film where the supernatural is but a veneer to a deeper level of sadism and child abuse very david lynch with "twin peaks" and "fire walk with me" australian film "the picnic at hanging rock" and the best haunting minor melody theme music ever.
Well done!
I hope the popularity of the Haunting of Bly Manor will bring some more attention to this amazing film
After the film's release and just mediocre response, Francois Truffaut came up to Jack Clayton in a restaurant to say "This is the most magnificent English film made since Hitchcock went to America."
Pretty clever, pretty creepy
Love this film
You should be making more videos. But I guess, the unique perspective you put forth in each of your videos does require you to ponder over the material for a long time. What would you say about 'Rosemary's Baby' with respect to the ambiguity that is maintained up until the climax?
I'd definitely like to more consistent and regular with uploading videos, but it can be hard to balance the time required with other life commitments.
I'm not sure what I'd say about 'Rosemary's Baby' - I sure do love that film; if I were to cover it, I'd probably come at it from the angle of space and geography, and the blurring of the physical space of the apartment and Rosemary's psychological space.
Deborah Kerr was so good in this. So was Redgrave. Edmund Wilson was very influential in the interpretation of the story as being really a psychological horror story about the governess, who is the only one who sees the ghosts. This version does not really play that theme in the extreme as later ones did, like the Patsy Kensit one,
Perfect movie...almost lovely book
What about the tangible evidence? For instance, the tear left behind on the desk by the sobbing Miss Jessel? Imagination on Miss Gidden's part? Apparently not.
Good point. That's the only time the audience sees Miss Jessel before Miss Giddens does - every other time, we see her react, then the film cuts to her POV. However, in that instance I'm not sure if that means it's tangible evidence. Miss Giddens is completely on her own in that scene, so we don't know that the whole thing just isn't an hallucination.
Apparently the inclusion of the tear was later regretted by at least one of the directors. Regardless, it's a great movie and I certainly don't want to nit-pick (wink).
What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me
Turn around quick, and start to run
Find out I'm the chosen one - Oh no!
Big black shape with eyes of fire
Telling people their desire
Satan's sitting there, he's smiling
Watch those flames get higher and higher
Oh no, no, please God help me!
Child cries out for his mother
Mother's screaming in the fire
Satan points at me again
Opens the door to push me in
Oh No!
This is the end my friend
Satan's coming 'round the bend
people running 'cause they're scared
You people better go and beware!
No! No! Please! No!
I like this kind of reviews, intelligent and informative. But, please, next time do it indoors. I was struggling to understand you. Your mike seem to be bumping into something and there are other noises. I enjoyed watching it though. The Innocents is one of my favorite films.
I totally agree. It's a lesson learned. Thanks sticking with it.
@@TakeMeToYourCinema I understood every word you said, and thought your outdoor location added depth to your analysis.
Hi! I am doing my thesis about the ambiguity of another film director, and while searching everything I could online, I found your amazing video! It would be really useful for me if you could tell me your name so I can put that I used your material as part of my study :) thanks!!
Paulina Dana Hi Paulina, my name is Luke Ramsden. I'm glad you found the video useful. Which director is your thesis on?
Hi Luke! My thesis is about Satoshi Kon's work, he was a director of animation of Japan, specifically I talk about his two first movies: Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress :)
Oh cool. I know of Kon, but haven't actually seen any of his work. Where would you recommend I start?
I would watch it in order, so start with Perfect Blue, then Millennium Actress, then Tokyo Godfathers and finally Paprika ;)
Does The Innocents have a remake or something like taht? Bcause I have the idea I saw this movie but it was different. Like in the scene where she says to the little girl about the woman standing in the river, I remember that scene but the "ghost" had a black veil...
It's pretty influential. The film 'The Others' is heavily indebted to the style of 'The Innocents'. There is also a film called 'In a Dark Place', which is contemporary retelling the original James novella. I've not seen either, so I'm not sure if either of these films could the one you're thinking of.
What's the name of the song in the beginning?
Nick Galemore - By Night
So refreshingly unHollywood.
Love your channel and hope it gets more and more popular. But something troubles me in this video that I read between the lines: do you dislike The Shining?
It would be sad for me if you do because in so many ways I'm completely in tune with what I gather to be your perspective of what makes great cinema. But I'm a huge devotee of The Shining...
Hey, thanks for the support. No, I don't hate The Shining at all. I think its a masterpiece of production design and of conception and execution, but I do think its a tad overrated - especially in relation to certain other Kubrick films (Barry Lyndon, anyone?).
I think the film is fun and interesting, but I don't think it can really be described as either subtle or ambiguous - I think the story is deliberately open-ended, but I don't think that's the same as being ambiguous. And Nicholson's performance is very large, right from the beginning, so there's no doubt as to his sanity - that was the point I was getting at, not any particular criticism of the performance, which is fun.
In the end, I chose The Shining because, as a (more famous) haunted house movie, it makes for an apt comparison with The Innocents.
Thanks.
Cool I love Barry Lyndon too but the only Kubrick films that I feel are probably overrated are A clockwork Orange, which I love stylistically but leaves me increasingly emptier on repeat viewings and I find Kubrick's politicising less coolly analytical than in other films and more judgemental and contemptuous, and Dr Strangelove which I can't really say anything negative about it but it just doesn't work on as many levels as his other films and therefore doesn't for me hold up much to repeat viewings.
I think FMJ is underrated like Barry because its second half gets slagged off loads in comparison to the first half which just seems to have reached the level of groupthink as I think it works beautifully as a counterpoint of his study of the military unit at a structural level.
As for The Shining it's always been a personal favourite ever since I saw it first as a 14-year old and it remains so even now after all the great films I've now seen. I think Nicholson's performance actually works superbly because my interpretation has been that Kubrick was emphasising how his over-sized ego and insecurities make him care more about personal success as a writer than caring for his family. Thus as a performance the character is a sneering, narcissistic bully when put in isolation from the outside world which serves as a release from the reality that he has failed in his goals and does not have the talent he thinks he has. Kubrick makes you emphasise more with Danny and Wendy because they live under the thumb of Jack and the all the forces of the past which are portrayed as being racist, misogynistic and entitled. This holds attraction for Jack whose ego won't allow his failure to be down to himself and would rather scapegoat his own family. Casting Nicholson, a legendary lothario who would have hated the idea of being tied down in marriage, in the role is great because his megastar charisma is deeply unsettling when compared to the timidity and ordinariness of the other two actors. In a weird way Nicholson is the sort of success that Jack Torrance would love to be. I guess I do agree about things like the guy in the dog outfit being more opaque than ambiguous but I feel having these random unexplained aspects to the house's history of violence highlights once again the tragic insignificance of many human lives especially egotists like Jack that makes them become violent and nihilistic because it offers release from the indifference of the universe. I could write much more about the film and what I love about it, but basically I'm saying that assessing the film's success on those terms about ambiguity involving the ghosts is not really the point as I think Kubrick was making a very particular statement and not just having fun at the expense of subtlety.
Many talk about this film and whether the ghosts were real or imagined. But to me the answer is pretty clear; if you just read the story The turn of the screw...James never once mentions that the ghosts or spirits ; are perhaps just imaginations of the governess..it is never even suggested , that is the case at all. And if you read the final page , James makes it perfectly clear ; I believe, that the ghosts,evil spirits were real.
When I watch a movie I want an interesting plot. This movie was kind of dull in my opinion.
lol