The Innocents (1961 film) - Wikiquote (2024)

The Innocents is a 1961 film about a young governess for two children who becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.

Directed by Jack Clayton. Written by William Archibald, based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

Apparitions? Evils? Corruptions? (taglines)

• All I want to do is save the children, not destroy them. More than anything, I love children. More than anything. They need affection. Love. Someone who will belong to them, and to whom they will belong.

• I'm a bachelor but not I might add a lonely one. I spend a great deal of time abroad and as for my London life, well, it amuses me, but it's not the sort of amusement that one could suitably share with children. In brief Miss Giddens, I'm a very selfish fellow, and the last man alive to be saddled so suddenly and so awkwardly with two orphaned infants. It's most unfortunate, as I have no room for them mentally or emotionally. Does that seem quite heartless?

• I'm not a mind reader, my dear. I've told you that before. But I do sense things.

• It's a bit sad, though, when people don't have time for you.

• Oh, look, a lovely spider: it's eating a butterfly.

The Uncle: Miss Giddens, may I ask you a somewhat personal question? Do you have an imagination?

Miss Giddens: Oh! [chuckles] Oh, yes, I can answer that. Yes.

The Uncle: Good. Truth is very seldom understood by any but imaginative persons... and I want to be quite truthful.

Miss Giddens: The children... have they had a governess before?

The Uncle: Yes, unfortunately. Not that there was anything wrong with Miss Jessel. She was an excellent governess and a most respectable woman. The children quite liked her especially little Flora. Oh, which reminds me: Be careful not to broach that subject to Flora unless she broaches it to you first which I doubt will happen. She was so fond of Miss Jessel and it did come as an appalling shock.

Miss Giddens: I'm not certain that I understand you, sir.

The Uncle: She died.

Miss Giddens: [referring to Miss Jessel] Flora saw her, too.

Mrs. Grose: Did she tell you so?

Miss Giddens: No, of course not. She lied to me. Well, it amounted to a lie.

Mrs. Grose: Oh, now, miss, I've never known either of the children to tell lies. Why would they?

Miss Giddens: Why? Because they are both playing, or being made to play some monstrous game. I can't pretend to understand what its purpose is. I only know that it is happening. Something secretive and whispery and indecent. I tell you, believe me, the children are in dreadful peril.

Mrs. Grose: [referring to Peter Quint and Miss Jessel's abusive relationship] A person ought to keep quiet about it.

Miss Giddens: You must tell me.

Mrs. Grose: Oh, miss, there's things I've seen I... I'm ashamed to say.

Miss Giddens: Go on.

Mrs. Grose: Rooms... used by daylight... as though they were dark woods.

Miss Giddens: They didn't care that you saw them? And the children?

Mrs. Grose: I can't say, miss. I... I don't know what the children saw. But they used to follow Quint and Miss Jessel, trailing along behind, hand in hand, whispering. There was too much whispering in this house, miss.

Miss Giddens: Oh, yes, I can imagine. Yes, I can imagine what sort of things they whispered about. Quint, Miles. I can hear them together.

Mrs. Grose: But there was nothing wrong in Master Miles wanting to be with Quint. Quint taught him to ride and took him walking. The poor lad needed someone to...

Miss Giddens: To corrupt him?

Mrs. Grose: But Master Miles is a good boy, miss. There's nothing wicked in him.

Miss Giddens: Unless he's deceiving us. Unless they're both deceiving us. The innocents.

Mrs. Grose: Innocents they are, miss. It's not fair. You have no right to accuse them of...

Miss Giddens: Oh, forgive me, Mrs. Grose. I'm not accusing. I'm just trying to put it together, to understand. Tell me, were the children happy?

Mrs. Grose: Oh, they seemed to be. The same as now. But sometimes I used to wonder if they really cared for them, those two... or if they weren't just using them.

Miss Giddens: Using them?

Mrs. Grose: Yes, of course they were... and still are.

Miss Giddens: And where, my pet, is Miss Jessel? Where is she, Flora?

Mrs. Grose: Miss Giddens!

Miss Giddens: Where is she? You know you can see her!

Mrs. Grose: Miss!

Miss Giddens: Look, Flora! Look! There! You know you can see her!

Flora: I can't! I can't!

Miss Giddens: Admit it! She's there! You know you can see her!

Flora: I can't! I can't!

Miss Giddens: But look, she's there!

Flora: Help me, I'm frightened!

Mrs. Grose: Please, miss.

Miss Giddens: But you can see her! You must!

Mrs. Grose: Hush! Hush, dear, hush! She isn't there. How could she be? She's dead and buried. Hush, Flora.

Flora: I can't see anything! I've never seen anything! You're cruel! You're wicked! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!

Miss Giddens: Flora!

Flora: Take me away from her! She's cruel! Take me away! Please take me away! Don't look at her! Don't look at her! She frightens me so!

Miss Giddens: We must try to learn what it is these horrors want. Think, Mrs. Grose. The answer must lie in the past. Were Quint and Miss Jessel in love? They were in love, weren't they?

Mrs. Grose: Love? Oh, I suppose that's what she called it. But it was more like a sickness. A fever that leaves the body burned out and dry. There was no cruelty she wouldn't suffer. If he struck her - oh, yes, and I've seen him knock her to the floor - she'd look at him as though she wanted the weight of his hand. No pride, no shame. Crawl to him on her hands and knees, she would. And him laughing at her. Such a savage laugh he had. Oh, it hurts me to remember. Bad she was, but no woman could have suffered more.

Miles: Where are the servants?

Miss Giddens: They've gone home.

Miles: Oh. Did you send them, or did they take fright and run away?

Miss Giddens: What do you mean?

Miles: Well, you're afraid and perhaps you made them so.

• Apparitions? Evils? Corruptions?
• Do they ever return to possess the Living?
• A strange new experience in shock.
• You'll Get the Shock of Your Life!

• Deborah Kerr — Miss Giddens
• Michael Redgrave — The Uncle
• Peter Wyngarde — Peter Quint
• Megs Jenkins — Mrs. Grose
• Martin Stephens — Miles
• Pamela Franklin — Flora
• Clytie Jessop — Miss Jessel
• Isla Cameron — Anna

• The Innocents quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• The Innocents at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Innocents at Allmovie