The Haunting (1963)

 The Haunting (1963)

How have I gone this long without seeing this film before?  I saw the remake of The Haunting in 1999 in the theater when it was released, I remember hearing that it was a remake, but not having actually seen the original film, nor had I read the book.   This is a film that ranks high on many top horror film lists, it was the inspiration for Stephen King's 2002 miniseries Rose Red, and one that has been highly influential on the horror genre, even though it wasn't well received when it was first released, not even breaking even in the box office, though it has gone to be an important cult classic.   

The Haunting was released in 1963 and directed by Robert Wise.  The film had a screenplay written by Nelson Gidding, based on the 1959 novel The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.  The film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and filmed in England.  The film was a box office loss though, grossing only $1.02 million against a $1.05 million budget, and was also received mixed to negative reviews from the critics.   Some critics praised it for being truly terrifying, while others panned it for being boring and uneventful.  The film has however gone on to be a huge influence on the horror genre, and has been listed on many top horror films, as well as being simply one of the greatest haunted house films of all time.   The Haunting would later go on to be remade in 1999, and then again in 2018 it was reimagined as for a Netflix series called The Haunting Of Hill House, and also served as the inspiration for Stephen King's Rose Red, which he originally intended to be a remake of The Haunting, but changed the name and many details of the story after the remake of The Haunting came out in 1999.  

The Haunting stars Julie Harris as Eleanor "Nell" Lance, Claire Bloom as Theodora "Theo", Russ Tamblyn as Luke, and Richard Johnson as Dr. John Markway.  The film was amazingly cast, especially with Julie Harris as Eleanor, she plays the character so well that it is convincing that she is being driven mad by the house, and the fear and the emotions of her character are so real feeling.   Part of it is that Harris was experiencing depression as she felt a disconnect from the rest of the actors, and that they weren't taking their roles as serious as she was.   Claire Bloom as the more exotic Theo, is absolutely amazing, her character is a lesbian, and the way she plays the jealousy that her character feels when Eleanore starts falling for the doctor is also very authentic feeling.  I love that the filmmakers were not subtle at all in her being a lesbian, where in Shirley Jackson's original novel, her being a lesbian was more subtle.   Though the sensors at the time wouldn't allow her and Harris' character to actually have any physical contact that could be construed as intimate.  It is still impressive that in 1963 that an openly lesbian character could be portrayed in film as they did here. 

I agree with the modern critics who highly praise this film as being one of the greatest horror films of all-time.   The film works on a lot of levels, the most effective elements of the film are the great acting especially on the part of Julie Harris, also the filmmakers used some amazing camera shots and techniques that helped to create the disorienting feeling of the film.  When the girls were in their room and they heard the banging coming from the hallway, I could actually feel the fear that they were feeling, it looked and felt authentic.   This to me is a far more horrifying film than the remake, which had the luxury of modern special effects, I feel like the effects used in this film were superior and that the film actually holds up a better looking and superior film in almost every aspect.   The only issue I really had with this film is that the DVD copy that mine had, has some serious sound issues, where the sound faded in and out really bad and made watching the film a process of constantly adjusting the volume, and putting on subtitles.   Other than that flaw of the DVD that I have, this is an amazing film, and I absolutely loved it.  If I were to remake my list of favourite horror films, I think that this one might get a spot for the 1960s.   This to me is one of the greatest haunted house films ever made, and though I enjoyed the remake, as well as the Haunting Of Hill House series, and Stephen King's Rose Red, I do think that this is the best film version of the story.  If you have not yet seen this film I highly recommend checking it out, this is a must-see film that should be a part of every horror film collectors library.