The Haunting (1963) by John Sylva Rating: A
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Robert Wise directs this clever thriller based on the classic novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. The Haunting terrifies you with its intense, powerful sound and simple visual effects, creating a truly horrifying experience. The line from the 1996 film "Scream" best sums up my feelings with the line, "I'm shakin' in my boots," as The Haunting scared me to the point where I was in a standstill.
Hill House, the eerie environment of The Haunting is unbelievable, vast staircases that seem to be be endless, towering walls with windows, that seem to be, and might actually be, starting at you, and an exterior that should have earned The Haunting an Academy Award for Cinematography. The atmosphere of The Haunting sends chills down my spine, depicting Hill House a human being, having windows for eyes, walls for its skin.
Hill House was born bad, as it brought death to many that inhabited it, throughout its history. Dr. John Markway isn't one terrified of the legend, but fascinated by it. Planning to conduct an experiment to prove the existence of the supernatural, Dr. Markway chooses Hill House as the environment for his studies. Dr. Markway has three individuals involved in his experiment, who have all encountered the supernatural at a time. The study will consist of Eleanor, (Julie Harris) the most sincere of the group, a paranoid woman who believes that Hill House will complete her life, the arrogant Theodora, (Claire Bloom) and the wise - cracking Luke. (Russ Tamblyn) Upon the arrival of the four characters, it is safe to say, all hell breaks loose.
The characters of The Haunting are memorable, well developed, as the actors portraying them give flawless performances. The relationships between characters, particularly the Theodora/Eleanor relationship help strengthen the characters, as the viewer can relate to their feelings, due to wonderful acting by Claire Bloom and Julie Harris.
Hill House targets Eleanor, sending personal messages to her, to the point of insanity. Theodora in particular doesn't respect Eleanor's thoughts, creating tension among the two, who share a room. Julie Harris perfects her role, acting brilliantly as Hill House centers on her, but the screenplay written by Nelson Gidding has Eleanor hearing voices constantly, which become obnoxious, as they are overused.
The Haunting is one of the most memorable films I've seen, capturing the terror that Hill House brings to these four people, simply, but quite effectively, using a moving, tense score, and the eerie atmosphere. The film moves out a slow, intense pace, without violence, but concentrating on the terror the four feel while inhabiting Hill House.
The Haunting's foggy resolution is disappointing, leaving many gaps open, such as what is haunting Hill House, and what becomes of Hill House . The film's brief running time of 112 minutes could have been stretched into 212 minutes, and could have still been satisfactory, explaining more about the birth of Hill House, the hauntings of Hill House, and the future of Hill House.
Director Wise (The Sound of Music) creates the film which opens up the door for the "haunted house" genre of horror, with many copycat films following it, such as The Amityville Horror. (1979) The Haunting, much like Psycho, messes with the viewer's mind, turning the fear of ghosts, and cheap motels, into a fun film which I can't get enough of.
The Haunting overwhelms me, as I find it hard to picture a 1963, black and white, Rated G movie to be as terrifying as it is. I recommend this film to any movie lover, as The Haunting stands as one of the few horror films that give me goosebumps, and create an insomniac out of me, as I had trouble sleeping upon the night of my viewing the classic film, The Haunting.
The Bottom Line- A clever thriller, overlooked thriller, which stands as one of the most terrifying films to date.
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