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The Haunting Reviewed by Bruce Cantwell "An evil old house, the kind that some call haunted, is like an undiscovered country waiting to be explored." |
| Good ghost stories always begin by setting a mood and the opening sequence of "The Haunting" does so with a vengeance. Dr. John Marquay's (Richard Johnson) recounting of the history of Hill House is a macabre sequence of accidental death, murder and suicide to rival any in the history of cinema. Robert Wise's 1963 adaptation of Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" is as chilling a film as there is. The film's tagline is very much to the point. "You may not believe in ghosts but you can't deny terror." |
| Dr. John Marquay does much to make the audience's belief or disbelief in ghosts irrelevant. Some people are frightened by things they cannot explain. The Hill House experiment is an exploration of that fear. Julie Harris (Evelyn Lance), who spent her entire adult life caring for her sickly mother, finds herself unhappily lodging with her sister's family when she's invited to participate in Marquay's experiment. A poltergeist experience during her childhood qualifies her. |
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| Greeted at Hill House by the unhospitable grounds keeper Mr. Dudley (Valentine Dyall) it takes all the pluck she can muster to get past the gate. Once she does, housekeeper, Mrs. Dudley (Rosalie Crutchley), has all the charm of "Rebecca's" Mrs. Danvers. "I don't stay after I've set out the dinner. Not after it begins to get dark. I leave before the dark comes. We live over in town, miles away, so there won't be anyone around if you need help. No one lives any nearer than town. No one will come any nearer than that. In the night. In the dark." When psychic Theo (Claire Bloom), another participant, comes on the scene, she's quite a relief to Eleanor. She and Eleanor form an unusual dynamic. Theo's very friendly when they're alone and coldly distant in mixed company. |
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The chills in "The Haunting" aren't created through special effects. They are conjured through imaginative camera work (David Boulton), sound, and the reactions of two magnificent actresses. Theo describes the way the house plays tricks on its inhabitants."Haven't you noticed how nothing in this house seems to move until you look away and then you just catch something out of the corner of your eye?" Since "The Haunting," I have seen numerous films that have momentarily shocked me but none have been so successful at sustaining a mood and running a chill up my spine. "The Haunting" is not about horrific events. It explores what occurs when our imagination runs away with us. We humans are remarkably adaptable to any scary situation we can face head on. The unknown is the last frontier. It is the unknown that makes "The Haunting" an unforgettably haunting experience.
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