The Haunting
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Movie Reviews of The Haunting
Movie Review: The Scream Of The Crop
Summary: 5 Stars
Brilliantly directed by the late, great Robert Wise, 'The Haunting' is definitely a film that deserves its reputation as a classic -- perhaps THE classic -- of the genre.
Along with Kubrick's 'The Shining', Jack Clayton's 'The Innocents', Peter Medak's 'The Changeling', and John Hough's 'The Legend Of Hell House', this is one of the very finest examples of what Stephen King refers to as stories about the archetypal "Bad Place". (Having written 'The Shining' HE oughtta know!) And, believe me, Hill House is one of the baddest places around!
Masterfully edited, shot in gorgeous wide-screen black and white, and utilizing infrared filters in a remarkable way to bring out the toweringly poisonous "personality" of Hill House, Wise managed to create one of the most skin-crawlingly disturbing atmospheres imaginable.
Along with the films' characters, the viewer soon feels that they are also "bottled up" inside the monstrous mansion like so many insects waiting for a spider to pounce.
And pounce the house does, although often in surprisingly subtle ways that rely much more on the imagination of the viewer and less on graphic special effects.
Seldom has the use of sound played such an unnerving role in the creation of fear and dread as it does here (although 'The Exorcist' comes to mind in this regard as well, with its well-deserved Oscar for Best Sound). Sometimes a high-pitched woman's laugh echoing down a corridor or a man's deep, muffled voice murmuring indistinctly behind a wall in the dead of night -- especially when NO man or woman should BE there -- can be far creepier than all the gore and prosthetics that Hollywood can throw at you.
And this is not to denigrate the use of expert make-up or effects when expertly USED in the right way and to the right ends. But there is sure something to be said for being able to get maximum impact with the minimum of visuals on display, and this is something that 'The Haunting' does in spades.
It also manages to improve -- via Nelson Gidding's superlative screenplay -- upon Shirley Jackson's celebrated and gorgeously written source novel 'The Haunting Of Hill House'. Upon reading it several years ago, I was surprised by a number of elements that struck me as rather clumsy, obvious or melodramatically cliché compared to the far subtler and/or more original handling of the equivalent moments in the film. And one only needs to skim the Amazon customer reviews for both this film and its utterly unnecessary color remake to get a strong idea of which version is generally felt to be more effective and frightening.
I must also make special mention of the unforgettably unsettling musical score by Humphrey Searle and the magnificently moody cinematography by Davis Boulton which help bring Hill House to hideous life as a character all its own. And I suspect that the virtuoso editing, which I've mentioned before, has, perhaps less to do with the credited editor, Ernest Walter, than it does with the man who edited 'Citizen Kane' -- i.e. a certain Mr. Robert Wise!
But this is not to ignore the all-important human factor either, with classic performances by its marvelous ensemble of actors, each sheer perfection in their roles. And even though she has only a few minutes of total screen time, you won't soon forget THE single creepiest housekeeper in the history of cinema (including Mrs. Danvers in 'Rebecca'!). And if her signature "in the night... in the dark" refrain doesn't make your blood run just a bit colder then you're a bolder soul than I!
In fact, I suppose this is a good time for a singular and, perhaps, surprising confession: namely that this is THE one film that, to this day, I am truly uncomfortable watching alone at night. And this is coming from a dude who has seen, without notable problems or discomfort, just about everything the horror genre has to offer. And yet THIS one STILL manages to get under my skin in a way that I find difficult to shake and that disturbs me in a not particularly enjoyable way.
A friend of mine once made me turn off the film halfway through simply because she found the atmosphere just too dreadfully disturbing. So at least I KNOW I'm not alone in this reaction.
And while visual shocks don't play THE major role in this particular cinematic haunting, that's NOT to say that there aren't a couple memorable visual scares to be found -- two involving doors, and two involving walls. But no spoilers here: ya gotta see the film!
I'll just end this by saying that, much as I adore Kubrick's amazingly menacing Overlook Hotel, and as much spooky mayhem as The Belasco House (in 'Legend Of Hell House') dredges up, it's Robert Wise's malevolently forbidding Hill House that you could NOT pay me a million bucks to spend a single night alone in! And, believe me, I could USE that money!
A FINAL NOTE OF INTEREST: My wife and I, on vacation in the U.K. (where she's from), DID actually spend a delightfully memorable afternoon in and all around the imposing yet beautiful Ettington Hall which became the hideously uninviting Hill House in Wise's film. And guess what? The place IS actually haunted -- or so the legend states -- by the spirits of two children who drowned in a river on the property, and by a woman who threw herself from one of the tower windows. Be that as it may, the atmosphere of the old edifice in person is infinitely more pleasant and charming than in the film. And, indeed, it's almost hard to connect the diseased looking malevolence of the massive, cathedral-like pile in the movie with the smaller seeming and much prettier mansion one sees with one's own eyes. But here's a hint: COLOR makes a BIG difference! (Bob -- you were Wise, indeed, to shoot in good ol' B&W!)
AND A FINAL NOTE OF WARNING: If you MUST watch this film alone, take my advice and DON'T watch it "In the night... In the dark"!
Movie Review: Stay Behind that Door Eleanor!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
It might entice you folks to know that many Seer moons ago, before your beloved Metamorpho purchased his castle, there was another property I was considering. It was Hill House, a huge Victorian era house that was nestled in the countryside of New England. Aside from the fact that no one would go near the place (a selling feature to me since I had so many over zealous admirers out there that thought nothing of finding ways to seek out my advice. You do remember how they climbed up my buiding to try and meet me at my high rise Manhattan apartment on the 21st floor, don't you?). Not only that, but the place was going cheap. Real cheap.
So, after visiting the house with my guides in tow and a shifty realtor, I decided it wasn't for me. Marshy complained there was no powder room if she came to visit. Guido complained that no woman would dare visit the place and he had a reputation to protect. Chance complained about the lack of mirrors with which to practice his grimaces. And I was leary because it had only 1 bathroom and 86 rooms. Somehow, I thought, that might be a problem. Also, I couldn't bear to keep keeping my pets in the Mythical Pet Motel. Fans kept trying to break into the place for their autographs as well, and they were not happy.
Anyway. I didn't know they made a movie about the place until years later. When I saw this people, I knew that, yet again, the innate wisdom of a beloved Seer is the best hedge against certain disaster!
However, the movie is based on a novel by Shirley Jackson called "The Haunting of Hill House". It goes into a bit of history which I will share with you. Seems this guy in the 19th century, a Hugh Crane, built the house with the idea of sharing it with a new wife. Unfortunately, his wife never made it when, for no reason at all, the horses that drove her carriage got "spooked" and the poor woman got crushed against a tree. Very sad. But, Hugh Crane, being the industrious industrialist, was not to be daunted. No. He married again but his second wife suffered the same fate when, inexpicably, she fell down a long staircase. I think you may now be getting the idea that this is not exactly your typical circus funhouse. So, put those clown wigs away. Especially those orange yarn ones!
Hugh had a young child named Abigail, and, after he went away and passed away (yes! Him too!), she stayed in the house doing nothing but growing old and sleeping in the Nursery. Of course, she had caretakers throughout the years. But the last one, boy she was a negligent thing! She was more interested in a farmhand than doing her job. So Abigail, when banging the wall for help, died in her bed. Don't you worry folks, Abigail has a way of getting even.
So, anyway, the house eventually got as bad a reputation as the caretaker - maybe worse! So, bringing you fine folks up to date, a Paranormal Professor, Dr. Markway, asks the current owner, Mrs. Sanderson, for permission to conduct experiments in the house. She grants his request with one proviso, that he take along her card shark nephew Luke. He hopes to inherit the house one day, sell it, and cash in big. Hah! Fat chance.
But really, this story centers on Eleanor. Poor, middle-aged spinster Eleanor who devoted her life to caring for her sick mother. Unfortunately, the one time her mother needed her, she was not there, and the woman died. Are you getting a connection here? Anyway, she begs her horrible in-laws for a vacation, and is soon off as one of the only two people to take Dr. Markway up on his experiment. The other one, Theo, is a woman with E.S.P. abilities who unnerves Eleanor time and time again. Eleanor, upon arriving at Hill House, gets a feeling that the house is alive and watching her. She wants to run away, yet something inside makes her feel that this is the chance she's been waiting for. A chance for what we ponder? But only she and the house know for sure.
Now, despite you wanting to know more at this point, I have to stop or else the college students out there will use my review as Cliff Notes, and we just can't have that.
Suffice to say, this movie is one of the best psychological terror films on the market. Filmed in glorious black and white, you are treated to expert film technique to provide feelings of dread within the viewer. The bleak, ominous construction of the exterior of the house and the ornate, strange furniture and fixtures within the house (i.e., the decaying circular metal staircase; the face on the doorknocker and doorknobs). Since this movie was made well before digital technology, the special effects are minimalist. Thus, the real strength of this movie is how your own imagination takes over and qualifies your own fear of the unknown. It is mood and atmosphere which propels this movie into a class all it's own. It is not only what you see, but what you don't see which makes it so effective.
I saw this movie a long time ago. Suffice to say, there is something about it which has stayed with me ever since. I would be remiss if I didn't take note of the acting here. All the actors are so well suited for their roles. But, the stand out for me is the superb Julie Harris. She portrays the outsider aura of Eleanor to perfection. She runs the gamut of meekness, shyness, anger, doubt, self-assuredness, and finally a kind of madness that very few actresses are capable of. She becomes Eleanor, and she is astounding to watch.
So, in closing, this selection should be high on your list of terror/ thriller films. It hits upon the fear within all of us, and forces us to confront it, or remain in fear. Now, I am so glad I didn't purchase the house. No. Not for the reasons I've given you so far. But for them raising taxes so high. I would have to double my lecture schedule to afford it, and, in that case, I would never be home! ;)
At the local bar, my old haunt -------- Metamorpho
Movie Review: Among the greats
Summary: 5 Stars
This has to be my favourite haunted house movie of all time. The abysmal 1999 remake only made the craftwork and subtelty of this 1963 classic even more apparent. The story seems simple enough, but it has many intricate undercurrents. Basically, a doctor with an interest in haunted houses recruits a group of people to join him in staying at Hill House - a place with the most notorious reputation for supernatural activity he has ever discovered . The small group arrive at the house with the intent of monitoring any unusual phenomena, but the events that take place affect them in ways far beyond their expectations.
The pleasure that comes from watching the film is two-fold. Firstly and most obviously, the scary thrills as the group is assailed by various ghostly manifestations are tremendously well implemented. But secondly, the more subtle effects on the minds of the four main characters is equally as skillfully woven into the proceedings, and the viewer can clearly see the ways that all four of them handle the situation, with their friendships and allegiances to each other being severely tested, culminating in some emotionally charged arguments, and one particularly tragic final outcome.
The central cast handle their characters very well, The stunning Claire Bloom brings the stylish psychic Theo effortlessly to life, and both Russ Tamblyn and Richard Johnson also acquit themsleves well. But as in the novel, it is the character of Eleanor who really carries the action of the film, and Julie Harris makes a memorable impression as this disturbed and vunerable woman. The character sketch starts with her lonely home life being pictured in the early scenes, and the film then charts her initial delight in arriving at the house and meeting people who actually take an interest in her, then her unfolding bewilderment as Hill House seemingly singles her out for attention, followed by a whole range of emotions as she struggles to understand why fate seems to have brought her to the place. The other three characters often seem at a loss to understand Eleanor, and watching them all on screen closely, you can pick out various significant signs and habits, see their distrust starting to grow, and finally watch them accusing each other of either making things up or even faking some of the supernatural events that are happening. You also have to listen closely, as several scenes have characters speaking very quickly and over the top of each other, especially during arguments, which is a realistic depiction and one that is rarely attempted in the movies, but it is pulled off superbly here.
But the beauty of this film's power is that all the supernatural activity actually happens off screen, by which I mean that 90% of the scares are produced entirely on the soundtrack. The scenes in which episodes of the "haunting" are actually happening are superbly played out, and more than make up for the lack of any visible phantoms. Instead of ghosts, director Robert Wise makes you watch creaking and bulging doors, flock wallpaper that looks like it's taking on the shape of a face, and door handles that may or may not be turning ever so slowly...exactly the type of things that scare us when our minds play tricks on us late at night. The other dynamic element of the film is Hill House itself. Thanks to the superb art direction and sumptuous wide-screen photography, the exterior shots show it as one of the most menacing and eerie "haunted mansions" ever seen in the cinema. Equally effective is the interior design ,with every room and angle dripping with threatening looking statues and creepy ornamentation. The house itself is really the fifth star of the movie.
To get the most out of the experience, I would advise any potential viewer to put aside expectations of "The Haunting" as being a horror movie, and approach it instead as a psychological drama. It's actually a very thought provoking film that rewards your full attention so it's not one for fans of flashy action or in-your-face effects. It's also recommended for an adult audience simply because of the sheer subtlety of it, but being quite talky in places and long on mood between actual events, to my mind makes the action set pieces even more potent. Scenes like Eleanor climbing the dangerous spiral staircase, or the most famous sequence of the film, in which Eleanor and Theo are terrorised in bed by an unseen "something" making a racket in the corridor outside, are gripping and memorable, and probably work all the better after the time taken to establish the various dynamics of the four lead characters. There is so much between the lines in the script, I can't address many of the subtler issues, but having read the book as well, it's easy to read the events of the film on more than just one level, and it succeeds as both a very frightening haunted house thriller, and as a psychological character study. Definitely worth buying, because anyone prepared to put in the effort will find they reap rich rewards from watching this one more than just the once. The DVD also comes with a commentary from all four cast members, the director and screenwriter - something of a coup there! Although Claire Bloom and Julie Harris only speak once each, and Richard Johnson fills up most of the running time with his theatrical anecdotes, it's still a welcome addition.
Movie Review: An Adaptation Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
Few movies adapted from novels are as good as the original book. Even fewer are *better* than the original book. I feel that THE HAUNTING, adapted in 1963 by master director Robert Wise (also known for THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL in 1951, THE SOUND OF MUSIC in 1965, and WEST SIDE STORY in 1961), is one of those rare movies in the latter category.
That's not to say that Shirley Jackson's original novel, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, is anything but groundbreaking. In fact her novel in 1959 launched the haunted house sub-genre as we know it today. Are you familiar with the theme in which a group of people spend the night in a haunted building in order to experience the paranormal? Shirley Jackson came up with that, and it's been re-used in many ways.
But the novel is primarily a study on the character of Eleanor, and spends a great deal of time exploring her brooding and depressed thoughts. The haunted house is not the focal point of the novel, but the stage on which her psychosis would play itself out. When Eleanor heard strange sounds, Jackson felt compelled to explore her character's reactions rather than frighten the reader with them.
The movie, however, bled the story for its horror potential. It did not abandon Eleanor's thoughts, we hear them in her narration throughout. But Robert Wise took advantage of the implicit horror that is brought about when you hear an unexplainable sound in a house that you "know" is empty. He magnified the tension exponentially, using sound and camera angles to frighten you.
THE HAUNTING is one of the finest examples of minimalist horror.
Minimalist horror is storytelling that creates fear with minimal direction. You will not see a single ghost in the entire movie. You will only imagine ghosts because you can hear them. Hauntings are also evidenced by doors. Doors play an important role in the movie. They open and close by themselves, their knobs jiggle, and in one powerful scene a shut door swells in and out as if something gigantic must be pressing against the other side. One suspects that the use of doors in THE HAUNTING symbolizes "the other side" of reality. Metaphor or not, a menacing and unexplainable sound on the other side of a closed, unlocked door is a powerful source of anxiety. But we never get to see what's behind it. That's what makes it minimalist.
You will rarely hear music when there are hauntings about, because this would work against its goal. (Compare this movie with the embarrassing 1999 re-adaptation directed by Jan de Bont and you'll see what I mean. In the awful 1999 treatment, the music and sound effects just wouldn't stop, and the audience couldn't sort out what the characters were really hearing.)
A modern horror movie overuses sound effects and music because the director thinks it will bring more anxiety. Most of the time it's actually distracting. The directors don't seem to trust the imagination of the audience. One trick of the trade is to strike a loud sound when something dashes by the camera. John Carpenter probably started that trend with HALLOWEEN) (1978), and he's one of the few directors who can work it really effectively. Fear brought about by a sudden, loud sound has been used countless times since THE EXORCIST (1973), but few directors are daring enough to repeat the subtle, minimalist formula of THE HAUNTING.
However, there are two more recent and effective examples of minimalist ghost stories, which I also recommend. THE SIXTH SENSE (1999) directed by M. Night Shyamalan (himself well known as a minimalist director), and THE OTHERS (2001) directed by Alejandro Amenábar.
Eleanor was played by Julie Harris, with whom I had the pleasure of working on THE FIRST OF MAY, and she told me that shooting THE HAUNTING was not a happy experience for her. In fact she felt as alone and depressed as her character, and did not consort with the other actors much. She was able to bring this to her role, and helped to create one of the greatest horror movies of all time.
Movie Review: The T. Rex of Haunted House Movies
Summary: 5 Stars
"Hill House had stood for ninety years and might stand for ninety more...Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone," a voice intones as credits appear, or 'manifest' as it were, over the towering image of a rather, large, dark and ominous mansion. Thus begins our stay and journey into the mysterious and ominous halls and rooms of Hill House a House, adapted from the chilling novel by Shirley Jackson.
We follow four visitors, led by an urbane but enthusiastic scientist as he's looking into finding solid evidence for the existence of the supernatural. Hill House seems to be the perfect locaction for such evidence to be sought. Seemingly born bad, the mansion has a troubled history with stories of all who lived there and died there usually in a violent fashion.
The make-up of the characters is full of variety as each have their own ambitions in the story: First, Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson), the eager scientist who has organized the investigation. One made up mostly of people he feels, due to their possibly metaphysical nature could hold some key to making touch with the supernatural. One of his picks: Theodora, or Theo (Claire Bloom), a lesbian who is possibly psychic and can intuit others' emotions (the lesbianism is very subtly played for its time). To Luke (Russ Tamblyn), the nephew to the house's current owners and a rich, smart alec type, who seeks to simply inherit the mansion and finally Eleanor Vance or Nell, who's very neurotic, extremely sensitive and therefore possibly most open to the supernatural (she had an experience involving poltergeist activity when she was younger), which would be most beneficial for the Doctor.
The film, unlike some similar recent genre efforts, relies almost totally upon the imagination of the viewer to achieve its frights and chills. And, it delivers exceptionally in that department. Director Robert Wise, once a protege of legendary producer, Val Lewton, renowned for his output of subtle and atmospheric horror classics, here draws from his master's style and to good effect. The possible entities inhabiting Hill House are never really seen but their presence is strongly evoked through sound and the moody cinemetography. The key to the film's success is in its suggestive power and use of fright inducing sound. In fact, it is mainly in its foreboding use of sound as well as the gorgeously atmospheric black and white cinematography along with the actors' strong and believable performances that propels the movie into classic status over others in the ghost and haunted house film genre.
Some examples of how well the film succeeds with sound include the constant pounding Eleanor and Theo hear on their door during their first night at the house. And, that bizarre almost distant, but mocking laughter emanating from beyond the door; that's quite enough to send shivers down the spine of even the most hardened (and seasoned) horror viewer. And, for one sequence detailing a late night excursion of terror for two of the House's visitors, Theo and Nell, its up to you to decide who (or what) was holding Eleanor's hand. These are but some of the suggestive touches to plant in the viewer's mind possibly eerie and unearthly doings. Writer H. P. Lovecraft said the true test in judging the success of a horror story was whether it made the viewer (feel a sense of having touched a piece of,) what he felt was mankind's deepest fear; that of the unknown.
The center of the film is Eleanor, excellently played by Julie Harris, who's a deeply troubled and neurotic character. Running away from a stifling past due troubled family issues, she now seems to be the center of the house's attentions. What screen writer Nelson Giddy plays most expertly with is whether unknown forces truly are reaching out to Eleanor, or is it really her unstable mind that is racing away in the huge mansion? Along with the cinematography, the camera direction should also be noted, and many shots are set up to give an off-balance effect. The camera is placed at increasingly odd angles and levels which instills a sense of dizziness and disorientation in the audience that mirrors the same feelings the characters experience within the increasingly spooky mansion. The camera angles and shots also give the mansion its ominous personality and suggestive of mysterious things going on the characters react to. Again, the film plays beautifully with the mystyeriousness of whether it is indeed some dark force within the house or is a lot of it in the characters' troubled minds. That is, thankfully, never fully resolved and leaves it to the audience to decide for themselves. No matter what, as Dr. Markway states, "Hill House is haunted." Maybe by ghosts, but definitely it haunts the psyches of those who enter there.