Based on the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, Village of the Damned is the story of a British village where its women give birth to children who are mysterious and have powers. Directed by Wolf Rilla and screenplay by Rilla, Stirling Silliphant, and Ronald Kinnoch, the film is a look into a home that is unhinged by mysterious children who want to take over. Starring George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Martin Stephens, and Michael Gwynn. Village of the Damned is a mesmerizing and eerie film from Wolf Rilla.
Set in a small British village, the film revolves its villagers who suddenly fall asleep for hours and then wake up not knowing what had happened as some of the women in the village have become pregnant as the children they would give birth to are very mysterious. It’s a film that plays into a community that is baffled by this mysterious event as well as be disturbed by this group of white-haired children who are much smarter than normal children and can read minds. The film’s screenplay starts off with this typical normal day in the village of Midwich where everyone is just doing what they do until they all suddenly faint and fall asleep for some mysterious reason.
Leading the investigation is Alan Bernard (Michael Gwynn) who is a military officer that was talking to Professor Gordon Zellaby (George Sanders) when the event happened as he wonders what had happened and how his wife Anthea (Barbara Shelley) and the other women in the village became pregnant. A few years go by after the pregnancy and birth is where things become really strange as the kids grow up faster than the other children as well as exhibit certain powers and ask big questions.
Wolf Rilla’s direction is largely straightforward for much of the film in terms of the compositions and its approach to suspense by not delving into the horror and drama immediately in the film except in the opening sequence. There are a few moments of minor suspense early on but much of it is dramatic as Rilla’s compositions in the medium shots and close-up play into the characters coping with what happen and this new situation they’re in. By the film’s second half where the children have arrived and have these strange powers, it does become a more suspenseful feature where Zellaby tries to understand what is going on. There are some wide shots in the film as it relates to the number of children who have these powers in Rilla needing to get all of them in the shot.
There are also these scary moments where the power of these children where their eyes would lit up as it would play into something drastic as it harkens to the dangers of what happens with society if it’s under the control of people who bring fear as it harkens to the times of the Cold War in the 1960s. All of which would play into Zellaby needing to confront these children as well as what they’re planning to do with society. Overall, Rilla crafts a chilling yet haunting film about a group of children terrorizing a village.
Cinematographer Geoffrey Faithfull does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography as it help play into the film’s evocative look and tone for much of the daytime exteriors as well as some chilling scenes set at night. Editor Gordon Hales does excellent work with the editing as it help play into the suspense and drama with some rhythmic cuts including a few stylish cuts for some of the intense moments of the film. Art director Ivan King does fantastic work with the film’s sets from the look of the homes where the characters live and work at to the look of the house where the children would go to in their attempt to start their own colony. Sound recordist Cyril Swern does terrific work with the sound in creating something that feels natural but also unsettling for some of the dramatic suspenseful moments. The film’s music by Ron Goodwin is superb for its low-key yet eerie orchestral score that play into the drama and suspense.
The casting by Irene Howard is amazing as it feature some notable small roles from Jenny Laird and Sarah Long in their respective roles as a mother-daughter duo who both become pregnant, Richard Warner as a man who is angry over his wife’s pregnancy as he returns home from the sea, John Phillips as General Leighton who wants to destroy the town believing it is dangerous because of the children, and Laurence Naismith as Dr. Williers who would examine the women and notice something odd about the children before and after they’re born. Michael Gwynn is superb as Alan Bernard as a military officer friend of Professor Zellaby who is trying to understand what is going on as he would have a confrontation with the children only to nearly be killed by them.
Martin Stephens is fantastic as Anthea’s son David as one of the children who has these strange powers as he is the leader of sorts of these kids who is very intelligent and cunning in his determination for power. Barbara Shelley is excellent as Anthea as the woman who would give birth to David as she copes with his powers as she becomes unsure of what she’s given birth to as well as the chaos he’s caused. Finally, there’s George Sanders in a brilliant performance as Professor Gordon Zellaby as a man trying to make sense of everything as well as engage in conversation with his son and the other children where he realizes that something about them isn’t right.
Village of the Damned is an incredible film from Wolf Rilla. Featuring a great cast, eerie visuals, and a gripping story on a community unraveled by evil and mysterious children. It’s a film that explore what happens when something mysterious and unexplained can lead to chaos and put the lives of a community at risk. In the end, Village of the Damned is a sensational film from Wolf Rilla.
Related: Village of the Damned (1995 film)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Innocents is the story of a troubled governess who watches over two children who are supposedly possessed as she believes the house is haunted. Directed by Jack Clayton and screenplay by William Archibald and Truman Capote with additional dialogue from Jack Mortimer, the film is a Gothic horror story set in a home that might be haunted. Starring Deborah Kerr, Michael Redgrave, Megs Jenkins, Peter Wyngarde, Martin Stephens, Pamela Franklin, Isla Cameron, and Clytie Jessop. The Innocents is an intoxicating yet eerie film from Jack Clayton.
The film follows a woman who is given the job to be the governess for a man’s niece and nephew as her job is to care for them while he’s away on business as she becomes disturbed by their odd behavior as she believes the home they live in is haunted. It’s a film that explores a woman dealing with her situation as she tries to get to know as well as befriend these two kids living in this mansion which also house a few staff members include a housekeeper who probably knows more than she lets on. The film’s screenplay explores life at this beautiful and serene home that seems to be tranquil but there is also something off about the house once Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) has arrived into the home. In meeting the young girl Flora (Pamela Franklin) and the housekeeper Mrs. Grose (Megs Jenkins), Miss Giddens seems to have gotten herself a job that will make her happy and more.
Yet, that all changes when Flora’s brother Miles (Martin Stephens) arrives after having been kicked out at school where things start off a little odd and then becomes more troubling due to Miles’ personality as someone who acts very mature and say a lot of mature things. Miss Giddens would then see mysterious people at the home thinking they’re alive as it is believed to be previous inhabitants in the home including the children’s previous governess. Miss Giddens would learn more about those previous inhabitants as she believes they are possessing the children as she wants to know what these inhabitants want.
Jack Clayton’s direction is definitely stylish for many of the visuals that he creates as it help sets a mood into this massive estate and land which is a character in the film. Shot partially on location at a mansion in Sheffield Park on Sussex with much of it shot on Shepperton Studios in Britain. Clayton would use some wide shots to establish some of the locations but also use the wide shots for some unique compositions that play into some of the dramatic tension that looms throughout the film. Especially in the way he would frame his actors for a shot where there’s an extreme close-up of one character in the foreground and a medium shot of another character in the background. There are also some unique compositions in some of the medium and wide shots that would play into some of the things Miss Giddens would see during the course of the film as she wonders if it’s real or not. There are also sequences that are surreal as it relates to what Miss Giddens is dreaming about as it would also include moments that are very extreme as it relates to Miss Giddens’ relationship with Miles. While there’s scenes that are straightforward, it is only to build up the suspense as it would lead to this chilling climax as it relates to the previous inhabitants of the home. Overall, Clayton crafts an evocative yet haunting film about a governess dealing with children who could be possessed by ghosts.
Cinematographer Freddie Francis does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography to help create moods with its usage of lighting, shades, and shadows to play into the suspense and horror as well as the usage of candle lights for a few scenes set at night. Editor James Clark does excellent work with the editing with its approach to rhythms to build up the suspense and drama as well as the usage of superimposed dissolves to play up the dramatic suspense in a few scenes. Art director Wilfred Shingleton does amazing work with the look of the rooms inside the house as well as some of the things found in the mysterious attic as well as folly near the lake at the estate.
Costume designer Sophie Devine, under the Motley pseudonym, does fantastic work with the look of the costumes as it plays into the film’s setting around the 19th Century with the dresses that Miss Giddens look to the clothes that the children wear. The sound work of Daphne Oram, with sound recordists Buster Ambler and John Cox, is incredible for the mixture of sounds in some scenes that add to the sense of terror as it is widely considered to be the early ideas of sound design as it’s one of the film’s major highlights. The film’s music by Georges Auric is superb for its orchestral score that is only used sparingly as it pops up on certain parts to help set the mood for the suspense and horror.
The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Isla Cameron as the housemaid Anna, Clytie Jessop as the ghost of the previous governess in Miss Jessel, Peter Wyngarde as a mysterious ghost who seems to be haunting and possessing Miles, and Michael Redgrave in a terrific small role as Miles and Flora’s uncle who hires Miss Giddens to be the children’s new governess. Pamela Franklin is wonderful as Flora as a young girl who is full of life and energy though she is also odd for the fact that she sings a song from a music box as she has no idea where she knows the song. Martin Stephens is excellent as Miles as a young boy who is kicked out of school as he’s also full of wonderment but there’s also something about him that is dark as he would say things that would disturb Miss Giddens.
Megs Jenkins is fantastic as Mrs. Grose as the housekeeper who is trying to understand what Miss Giddens is seeing as she also knows about the history of the house while aware that something isn’t right. Finally, there’s Deborah Kerr in a phenomenal performance as Miss Giddens as a governess who is hired to watch over the children of a rich man as she copes with the environment she’s in as well as the troubling behavior of the children as it’s one of Kerr’s finest performances.
The Innocents is a spectacular film from Jack Clayton that features a tremendous performance from Deborah Kerr. Along with its gorgeous visuals, eerie music soundtrack and sound design, and a haunting story set in a haunted house. The film is definitely a horror film that is more about mood rather than cheap scares to create suspense as well as show what atmosphere can do to create scares. In the end, The Innocents is a sensational film from Jack Clayton.
© thevoid99 2017
