The Turn of The Screw: Why Film Never Does it Justice?

I noticed that this year another adaption of Henry James’ “A Trun of the Scew” is due to be realeased and upon reading the synopsis of the movie I am dissapointed to see that it seems they have missed the mark again. Once more it seems as if the story is going to be told as a simple ghost story. While I know many classify the book as a ghost story James really does give the book much more of a psychological bend than it often gets credit for. I would love to see film makers give it the ambuguity that the story deserves instead of force feeding the paranormal explination. The Turn of the Screw is in fact not a cut and dry ghost story. I read into it at least three different possible scenarios.

1. This is the obvious and most popular view that it is simply a ghost story.

2. The twins of whom the governess is in charge of are malevent. They set out to manipulate and trick their new governess into believing there is something sinsiter and otherwordly going on until she is driven crazy by the fear they instill within her. I admit this is my personal favorite scenerio.

3. The governess a young woman isolated from everything she kknows, placed in a strange house and put in charge of two children who are a bit of handful begins to break down under the stress and pressure. Rather than a ghost story it is the story of a young woman’s esculating mental breakdown.

Probably the fact that it has alternative explanations has helped it to last. It seems to possess an inspirational force that will guarantee its longevity and will keep James known by a wider reading spectrum than he would have without it.

I agree that the ambiguity of the story may be what helps keep it alive and keep it intriguing but what bothers me is the fact that there is a tendency to solely focus on the ghost story aspect of the story and overlook what are perhaps some of the more subtle possibilities.

I would love to see someone make this story into a good psychological thriller instead of just fixating on the paranormal aspect.

More attention should be brought to all this story has to offer beyond just what seem like the most obvious possibility.

The cinema audiences may be judged by film makers to want that. I find it strange that in an increasingly irreligious and atheistic west there seems to be a never-ending appetite for films and writings with the weirdest of supernatural content. If those who make versions of The Turn of the Screw tend towards the ghostly then they are probably just feeding a desire that they have identified. It's probably a self-perpetuating cycle.

I understood the book as about a young woman who goes psychotic and starts seeing things. The jury must have thought so if I understood the ending correctly.

Have you seen The Innocents with Deborah Kerr as the governess? It's pretty good.

The Innocents


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeusvKr7dnA


This video explains that, indeed, the power of the movie is in its purposeful ambiguity. Directorial technique adds to the aestheticism and mystery. The movie does not appear to portray the book as a mere ghost story. Instead, I believe it captures and emphasizes the tormented psychology of the characters and their milieu. It is dark. The scenery while spacious gives the feeling that one is trapped or even entombed.

Over the years there has been so much controversy over the author's true intent. Was it merely a ghost story or was it a psychological thriller? I have just read it and lean more towards the latter opinion. I do believe the director of this movie felt and projected it that way.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeusvKr7dnA