Before The Haunting Of Bly Manor There Was The British Horror Film The Innocents – Forbes

Victoria Pedretti as Dani Clayton in Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor'

Netflixs new series The Haunting of Bly Manor from The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan and producer Trevor Macy, jumped to the top of Netflixs chart in the U.K. one day after its release. If youre into ghost stories, this gothic tale will feel like a warm blanket to wrap around you.

The story is based on a Henry James 1898 novella, The Turn of Screw, but The Haunting of Bly Manor takes much of its inspiration from a 1961 British film, The Innocents, arguably one of the scariest psychological horror films.

The Haunting of Bly Manor series updates Jamess story to the 1980s and tells the story of a young American nanny (Victoria Pedretti), who has recently moved to England. Answering an ad in a newspaper, Dani Clayton is hired to care for two orphaned children, Miles and Flora (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Amelie Bea Smith), by their uncle, Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas).

Danni thus moves to Bly Manor in the English countryside where she meets the familys chef cook Owen (Rahul Kohli), groundskeeper Jamie (Amelia Eve), housekeeper Mrs Hannah Grose (TNia Miller) and the two children. There is however something strange about the manor and its inhabitants. The series delves into the past of the manor and of Dani Clayton, and uncovers stories of love and loss.

The series has so far divided critics. Some praise it, others feel Flanagan has removed all ambiguity instilled in Jamess novella. James in fact never makes it clear in The Turn of Screw whether the ghosts are really there, or if they are all the products of a deranged mind. The 1961 film, The Innocents, also received similar praise and criticism upon its release. Critic Pauline Kael, for example, hailed it the best ghost movie, whereas others criticized the films lack of ambiguity.

Both the series and the film thus appear to some to lack the ambiguity of the novella. I would argue that both still retain a hint of ambiguity. However, the two take very different routes.

Deborah Kerr as Miss Giddens and Peter Wyngarde as Peter Quint in 'The Innocents' directed by Jack ... [+] Clayton, 1961. (Photo credit: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

The Innocents was directed by Jack Clayton, with a screenplay by William Archibald, which was reworked by author Truman Capote and John Mortimer. The film starred Deborah Kerr, who played the governess, named Miss Giddens. The film is told entirely through the governess perspective, with a rather amazing dream sequence. There are religious and inappropriate sexual undertones to the story that suggests the protagonists own repressed sexuality and religious upbringing.

What remains most memorable about Claytons film is Freddy Franciss cinematography and Georges Aurics soundtrack. The film uses shadows, candlelight through pitch black corridors, oblique angles and images superimposed on top of each other to convey the eeriness of the story. Even during day sequences, Francis overexposed the images to create an atmosphere of unease. Georges Aurics music adds to the overall creepiness of the story, especially the recurring O Willow Waly song he composed which was written by English screenwriter Paul Dehn. But moments of utter silence also stand out in the film, emphasizing very effectively the moments when Miss Giddens is truly frightened.

T'Nia Miller as Mrs Grose, Amelia Bea Smith as Flora, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Miles in ... [+] Netflix's 'The Haunting of Bly Manor'

Flanagans The Haunting of Bly Manor offers a subtle nod to the cult film by naming the American nanny after Clayton. The nod shows that the series was clearly inspired by Claytons film, modernizing its underlying themes. The series begins with a character saying the lyrics of the O Willow Waly song, and its music, mainly whistled by Flora and Miles, recurs throughout the episodes. By the end of the series, it becomes clear that the song forms the basis of Flanagans adaptation of Jamess tale.

The story is no longer about repressed sexuality or the protagonists idea of indecency. The Haunting of Bly Manor is a heartbreaking ghost story, that explores love and loss, and suggests the invisibility of mental illnesses and psychological trauma.

The series thus expands the story further providing more backstories to all the different characters, making it feel less claustrophobic than the film. There are some incredible moments in Flanagans version, see in particular the episode that tells the story of housekeeper Mrs Grose, performed so brilliantly by TNia Miller.

The Haunting of Bly Manor is a very entertaining ghost series that takes into account one very influential film in the history of the horror genre.

The Haunting of Bly Manor is now on Netflix.

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Before The Haunting Of Bly Manor There Was The British Horror Film The Innocents - Forbes