The Haunting of Helen Walker

My friends have a difficult time stifling their giggles when I mention a quality film version of Henry James's classic "Turn of the Screw" starring Valerie Bertinelli, but she does quite a good job in the title role (a character altered just slightly from the novella to account for her American origins in a British cast and setting) of an altogether excellent film.

Those who have seen the earlier screen treatment of this story, _The Innocents_ (with Deborah Kerr in the Bertinelli role) will enjoy this version for similar reasons, foremost among them the excellent screenplay and eerie atmosphere. The 1995 film adds effective ghostly special effects (chilling but never overdone) to heighten the spookiness, a lush location setting, and increased emphasis on the disturbingly sexual nature of the hauntings. The children may not be as sympathetic as they should be--it's difficult to believe that their natural, unpossessed state is cherubic innocence--but the young actors are convincingly creepy and sly when under the spirits' influence. Altogether the cast is wonderful, with the incomparable Diana Rigg especially effective as the housekeeper who unwillingly comes to recognize that the new governess is _not_ just imagining things. Bertinelli's devotion, fear, and ultimate determination are completely believable, and the final showdown with the evil Peter Quint is haunting indeed--it will take your breath away. This film deserves a place in every ghost story lover's video collection.

This film doesn't deserve a "10," but for only one reason. The ending is absurd and meaningless. Valerie Bertinelli's, and her director's, brilliant feminist interpretation of Henry James' misogynist story deserved a denouement. Without spoiling the five seconds or so of film that pass for an ending, it can be said those five seconds undo all the freshness of the movie. The Haunting of Helen Walker has three adult female characters: governess, estate manager (played by Diana Rigg), and housekeeper, none of whom hate one another, distrust one another, or-a typical Jamesian conceit-tolerate one another. Helen's increasing identification with children clearly victims of abuse and neglect doesn't cause the manager, for example, to demand her dismissal. Helen's American-ness isn't regarded as a mild form of illness. And unlike The Turn of the Screw, which questions a lonely protagonist's sanity, The Haunting of Helen Walker shows how a real governess living in isolated splendor might react when she is forsaken by two very rich children's sadistic uncle. I review older, generally unknown, sometimes ridiculed, films when I see they don't deserve the scores they receive on IMDB. The Haunting of Helen Walker inexplicably turns Walker into a victim at the end without letting us know how much time has passed, the circumstances of her losing her mind, or whether the other child who can be saved is saved. But that is the writer's (or writers') fault, not Bertinelli's or Rigg's. I don't think I've ever seen another production where Valerie Bertinelli's acting talent is put to better use.

Bit of a yawn I'm afraid, but then Deborah Kerr's, "THE INNOCENTS"is a hard act to follow. That has the advantage of being shot in stunning black and white for starters which I think creates an eerie, unsettling atmosphere throughout which this colour version fails to do. Yes I may have jumped at one point but at no time was there anything to send a real chill down my spine. The subtle, ghostly appearances in "THE INNOCENTS" were much more effective in achieving that in my opinion. I wish I could be more positive in my review of "The Haunting of Helen Walker" as it started well and engaged me. I was really hoping for something a bit special. I cannot fault the acting and overall production, but it just simply looked too glossy and lacked atmosphere for my liking, but at least I saw it through to the end.

This was worse than a Harlequin romance novel: the only good part was the old castle and the surrounding landscape. Hammy, overdone rehash of every 2 bit ghostly/old manse film that's ever been done. It provided rain, lightning, dim corridors, haunting music, candles blowing out, spectral beings, and on and on and on all the way to the 'creepy' finale. Valerie should have stayed home and let Eddie bring home the bacon.

Is it just me or is this almost a scene-for-scene remake of The Innocents? I know that they're both based on the same story. But dialog is similar, scenes are similar. Only thing that's not similar is that The Innocents is a high-class, beautifully shot, well-acted production. I found this one to be cheap and poorly played. Valerie Bertinelli doesn't really belong in period pieces. She doesn't have a period look. She doesn't have a period voice. Diana Rigg, however, is pretty great (as usual). She always turns in amazing performances and her Mrs. Gross is no exception. Everyone else though is lackluster and kind of boring. And, adding to the pile, it really drags. It just kind of lays there like a dead fish.