The innocents

Starred Review. Billed as an "adult ghost story," Clayton's (Room at the Top) adaptation of Henry James's 1898 novel The Turn of the Screw stars a superlative Deborah Kerr as an emotionally delicate governess in charge of two children who may (or may not) be possessed by the dead. The beauty of the story line, coscripted by Truman Capote, lies in its tantalizing ambiguity concerning how much is real versus what exists only in the mind of Kerr's intriguing character-the sexually repressed daughter of a small-town vicar who's desperately trying to "save" her charges. Lushly atmospheric in its creative use of wide-screen cinematography, editing, and sound design, the film painstakingly re-creates its Victorian-era environs in a milieu of gothic portent that haunts long after its final shot. Restored to its original black-and-white glory, this 1961 classic is as much (or more) psychological thriller as ghost tale. VERDICT Bonus production team interviews and scholarly commentary enhance the appreciation for a picture whose reputation has only grown over the years. While most suitable for supernatural-film buffs, this must-have transcends genre appeal. [See Trailers, LJ 8/14.]-Jeff T. Dick, Davenport, IA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.