This is one of the most disappointing M.R James adaptations I have seen and yet its held in such high regard by so many. Michael Hordern is fantastic (as ever) and he had me in hysterics as the eccentric, muttering, professor in this film. I dont imagine that this was intentional on the part of Jonathan Miller but hysterical laughter is the only emotional response that this film managed to elicit from me. Miller attempts to do what numerous other film makers have done with the old "are ghosts all in the mind" theme but not only does he give away the answer early on in the film he also manages to suck practically all the atmosphere and dread from the story. I will concede that it does have one or two uneasy moments, but I long for somebody, anybody to remake this as a 'proper' ghost story to do James' fantastic tale justice. But hey, if you you find bits of torn up material chasing you along a beach incredibley slowly terrifying, who am I to argue?
Reviews
6 Reviews
The Innocents
(1961)
Gonna go against the grain...
29 February 2004
I was really disappointed with this film. Im a big fan of supernatural horror particularly The Haunting, The Woman in Black etc but I really cant muster that much enthusiasm for The Innocents as a 'horror' film. The aforementioned films have momemnts that are purely terrifying and send shivers down the spine. In my opinion The Innocents just lacked something in this department. Any of the 'scary' moments ended up being wasted, almost incidental to the film. Perhaps its because this is such a familiar story to me and I expected more from it. Dont get me wrong, I liked this film BUT it really isnt scary. I have definitely seen better adaptations of this story.
Heart Stopping Horror!
23 January 2004
I cannot stress just how terrifying the sight of these 2 ghoul children is!! Its one of those fantastic scenes that lingers in the mind long after the film is over. Its a pretty faithful adaptation of the short story to boot. This is definitely worth tracking down.
Worthy adaptation
23 January 2004
One of the best in the Ghost Stories for Christmas adaptations (that should be revived!). Its best to watch this more than once as some of its subtlety can otherwise be missed. I wouldnt say it was the most terrifying thing Ive ever seen but it has its moments (didnt i close that door?) and there is a great sense of unease and dread from the outset.
Lost opportunity?
23 January 2004
Slightly disappointing adaptation of the MR James story. In my opinion it lacks the uneasy atmosphere of many of the other Ghost Stories for Christmas and much more could have been done to build up a sense of dread and horror. Having said that it is worth watching and is a decent way to spend a winters afternoon.
Frightened? You will be.
17 November 2003
Quite simply one of the most amazingly creepy and genuinely hackle-raising supernatural horror films ever made. Not particularly faithful to the original MR James short story but a blinding adaptation nonetheless! Contains a number of very good scares and on the whole avoids going for the obvious. Its one of the few films whose impact doesnt lessen with each viewing. I guarantee that this film will cause at least one sleepless night!
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