As a Meetup organizer for film lovers, I am often asked "What are your favorite movies?" For me, I juggle between three titles depending on my mood: 1. "North by Northwest" (which everyone knows), 2. "Brief Encounter" (which some people know) and "The Innocents" (which no one knows).
It was with great delight that I discovered "The Innocents" is being screened in a brand-new 4K restoration by the CIA.
The film is based on Henry James' 1898 novella "The Turn of the Screw." Since it's publication readers have argued over it's ambiguity: are the ghosts in this story real? Or are they hallucinations manifested by the governess on the brink of madness?
While other classic novels of the 1800's received numerous film adaptations throughout the 1900's ("A Christmas Carol," "Dracula," "Robin Hood," etc.) it took until 1961 for a version of this classic novella to reach the screen, primarily because the novel was considered unfilmable.
In Victorian England a young governess (Deborah Kerr) is hired by a wealthy Londoner (Michael Redgrave) to tutor his young niece and nephew at his country estate Bly Manor. At first all seems as normal as can be. The estate is beautiful and her charges angelic. But slowly she begins to believe that the ghosts of the former governess and valet, both of whom recently died mysteriously on the grounds, are trying to reunite in the afterlife by possessing the children. Throughout the story we have to keep asking ourselves: is the camera seeing what the governess is actually seeing? Is the camera seeing what she thinks she's seeing? Or, since the film is told in flashback, is the camera seeing what she wishes she had seen?
Since the story is more internalized and consists primarily of a cast of six, director Jack Clayton wanted to film the story in the standard 1.66 aspect ratio of the time. However, 20th Century Fox demanded that the film be shot in widescreen CinemaScope. This resulted in cinematographer Freddie Francis developing the "Francis Filter" which resulted in the edges of the frame occasionally becoming blurred causing the viewer to focus more on the center of the screen. Although Francis won two Oscars for his cinematography: "Sons and Lovers" (1960) and "Glory" (1989), "The Innocents" is the film he was most proud of. It frequently shows up on short lists of the most beautifully shot black and white widescreen films of all time. I am so excited to view this unique film on the Big Screen at the CIA.
We will gather in the lobby where Ron will be holding a "Meetup" sign between 4:30 and 4:45. The theater is open seating and attendees may choose to sit individually or as a group. Afterwards we will walk across the street to Panera Bread for our post-screening discussion.
There is free parking behind the Cinematheque.
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