@
Miss Vicky
The Innocents
SPOILERS
or. . . are there?
What a beautifully shot and composited dark tale with an intriguing ambiguity to it.
Which, I have to say, having some prior knowledge of it actually increased my enjoyment and gave me a secondary perspective of things as they unfold.
Which begins right at the opening credits with her folded hands, her tormented expressions and her praying how she wishes to protect the children, not destroy them.
Hinting at what is left for us to ponder in an ambiguous ending.
IS the manor haunted and the children possessed by lecherous, debased ghosts of the recent dead?
Or is our Governess simply imagining it all?
It's an excellent premise as we see through the newly appointed Governess' perception. And by that perception it truly is easy to believe a very solid YES to the children having some sort of evil influence. They are like Lucifer's cherubs. Their sweetness seeming to have some kind of diabolical aftertaste. So that we easily believe the Governess has stumbled upon something unholy beneath the beautiful surface of it all.
I wonder how much Truman Capote (one of the screenplay writers) added to some of that lurking belief of something dark beneath the appearance of sweet and, thereby, pull it off so splendidly.
Having this play out like a Horror film only to end on a more psychological turn of events is the real gem of this finely filmed Victorian tale.
And, yes, knowing the twist before hand, for me, added to my enjoyment of it all. In fact, I'm pretty sure knowing the secret of the trick being performed made a far more enjoyable watch for me.
Thank you, @
Siddon for nominating this.