Henry James' The Turn of the Screw
by Ben Bolt (II)
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DVD details
Actor: Colin Firth, Grace Robinson, Jodhi May, Joe Sowerbutts, Pam FerrisDirector: Ben Bolt (II)
Brand: PBS
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-04-13
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: PBS
DVD Reviews of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw
DVD Review: Two Views of James' Elegent Chiller in one hit.
Summary: 4 Stars
In this new Masterpiece Theatre spin on James'classic bone-chiller Ben Bolt depicts an elegent but updated reinterpretation of the book . Unlike versions before it, we have a choice of interpretaion of events.
Other versions have underlined the analogy of the single metallic turn of the screw within resisting but eventually accepting softer material(analogous of the outward relationship between a young governess and her charges).
You eventually realise that Bolt might be presenting another dimension for us to unravel this evidently infamous mystery. The story is presented thus: just whom has taken charge of the care of two upper-middle class orphans; their very material new governess the attractively humane and proper "Miss" or possibly more ethereal antagonists from the recent past? Do we really have a choice in this matter? And if we do should we vote for the obvious?
In Mr Bolt's production the answer to the mystery may be more shocking even than the evil desires of malevolent phantoms. We may enevitably ask ourselves,what side of Miss's bodice, within or without, so to speak, is propelling the awful inevitability of what happens?
Does Miss really see phantoms of the recently fallen and self destroyed evil, local protagonists or are they merely a product of her own semi-repressed sexual infatuation with her employer or someone in her past? Here you may note the young Governess' slight fetish with her employer's wardrobe cupboard.
Is the large, chatty housekeeper's growing fear for the children developed from her agreement with the young carer's constantly expressed misgivings or is she becoming terrified of the young lady's own obsessions and their effect on her charges?
Is Miles, the dapper little boy under her care, a roguish but vulnerable young charmer recently and tragically orphaned of both parents or a manipulative future monster-in-the-making presently apprenticed to an evil phantom?
Finally, Bolt's tribute to the author is made clear by his even handed approach. For me he seems to find it difficult to discount either understanding except to realise that such a genuine genius as James is somewhat more a pioneer of the then new psychological side of the literary than a recreator of the literary methods and archetypes from his own cultural past. Inevitably a fiercely partisan view of either take on the story is, I think, useless. This production is both humble and majestic and is a signature effort by the director and all listed in the credits. The best "Turn of the Screw" I have seen.
Description of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw
A naive, young governess (May) is hired by a charming bachelor (Firth) to look after his two young children in a grand mansion in rural England. She is determined to make the most of her situation, despite the Master's strange stipulation that she never contact him. Her first impressions are all good?the house is beautiful, the housekeeper (Ferris) is friendly, the children are lovely and the job is a perfect delight. But then, she sees the ghosts of the former valet, Peter Quint and a previous governess, Miss Jessel, and everything changes. The young governess is convinced that the children can see the ghosts, that they can communicate with them, and and that their very souls are in danger. She feels she alone can save them from a horrifying fate.Jodhi May (A World Apart), Pam Ferris (Matilda) and Colin Firth (Pride and Prejudice, Shakespeare in Love) star in this chilling adaptation of Henry James' gripping horror story, The Turn of the Screw.
Special DVD features include: link to the Masterpiece TheatreWeb site; scene selections; and closed captions.
On one DVD5 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: 4 x 3 full frame.
Henry James's classic ghost story of psychological suspense provides the basis for this Masterpiece Theatre presentation. Jodhi May, with her warm and open demeanor, is perfectly cast as "Miss," the generically named governess at a grand British estate. Her charges are two seemingly angelic little orphans. Miss can't believe her good fortune at landing such a delightful job. "Am I dreaming?" she asks kindly, corpulent housekeeper Mrs. Grose (Pam Ferris). But dream turns to nightmare as the house's spectral inhabitants reveal themselves to her. Miss becomes obsessed with protecting her precious "little creatures" from the vile phantasms. The movie is satisfyingly spooky and makes us jump in all the right places. The children, Flora (Grace Robinson) and Miles (Joe Sowerbutts), are genuinely creepy. "When I'm bad, Miss, I really am extremely bad," asserts little Miles, and we believe him. This provocative adaptation of The Turn of the Screw breathes new life into James's morbid Victorian obsession with sexuality and morality. --Laura Mirsky
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