The Turn of the Screw (2009)

Over the Christmas period the good old BBC didn’t let us down by releasing not one but two new adaptations, I eagerly set my Sky+ to record The Turn of the Screw and The Day of the Triffids. I have actually read both of these books so was very intrigued to see what the BBC did with them. I originally read Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw for an adaptation module at University, it was mid winter so I had cuddled up in a blanket to read and surfaced from the book to find it had gone dark…like I wasn’t already super creeped out. After having read the book for my module we went on to watch two adaptations, one was a musical adaptation for the stage the other was a older film adaptation which if I remember correctly was the 1961 The Innocents starring the wonderful Deborah Kerr. This new version from the BBC had a little known actress Michelle Dockery playing the starring role of Ann the new young governess, Michelle would be best remembered for her role in the two part finale of the last season of Waking the Dead. Sue Johnston a regular on Waking the Dead also joined Michelle as she played the other key role of Mrs. Grose a servant within the household that the young governess takes as her confidante. The Turn of the Screw was written in 1897 and although the year/time this story takes place is never actually said, as a reader I presumed it was actually based about this time if not an earlier period of time. This new adaptation has made the brave move to set the story in the 1920s so not long after WWI which allows for the interesting twist that there are only women left at the country house when Ann arrives, the servant men having been conscripted and killed.

Dr. Fisher is a young psychiatric doctor in an institute for women, under his care is a young woman Ann, Dr.Fisher is keen for Ann to confide her story to him so that he can help her escape the heavy charges the Police have against her. Ann eventually recalls the tale of her last job as a governess at a remote and beautiful country estate Bly, her charges are the angelic Flora and Miles. The siblings have been orphaned and placed as the wards of their uncle, a handsome bachelor who would rather live the high life in London, so instead passes them on to the young governess. On Ann’s arrival at Bly everything appears perfect but the peace is soon broken by a letter from Miles’ school stating that he is to be sent home and won’t be welcome again. Miles arrives home and appears as sweet as his sister so Ann’s worries completely diminsh as she believes the school must be mistaken. The downward spiral begins when Ann spots first a man on one of her walks and the same man again looking through a window at her. It turns out the man is Peter Quint a former worker in the house…but hes dead. He is not the only ghost Ann sees later she encounters Miss Jessel the children’s former governess, the apparent lover of Quint, Ann fears that the two together corrupted the children and that they still are even in death. The sightings become more frequent building the tension up until the final tragic act that lands Ann in the institute. Dr.Fisher is left to figure the puzzle, he is a man of science can he really believe this woman saw ghosts, or instead is she really just mad.

This adaptation had such a good premise but it didn’t work for me. I must say first that Michelle Dockery’s performance as Ann was wonderful, she had the balance of naive youth and authoritive power just right, in front of the servants she tried her best to keep her cool and her pride would not allow her to contact the master. However you could see the strain on her face and when only Grose and us the audience were about she succumbed to her youthful emotions. Superb performance… unfortunately the whole production wasn’t to this standard. The acting through out was generally all good, it was actually the spine chilling element or lack of that let the entire piece down.

The decision to set the story telling section in the asylum I think was the first mistake, straight away your giving the idea that Ann is mad, so are you as open to ghosts, I don’t think so. Plus Grose and the other servants are all very negative towards Ann when she mentions that she saw the dead Quint, again re-inforcing the idea that Ann is just mad. Henry James’ novella kept the options wide open to the reader, all the way through you were second guessing if what the governess saw was real or not. The only creepy element in this adaptation was the children really, especially Miles who on returning home was already acting peculiar and was not the picture of angelicness he was made out to be…if I was Ann I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.

Do I recommend this? Not strongly but it does have many redeeming features such as the costume, set and many of the cast performances are excellent. What ruined it for me is it felt more like a story of insanity than a ghost story which is what the book is more about. Give it go though, see what you think. Oh well I atleast still have The Day of the Triffids to watch.

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