The Haunting

For being a horror movie made in 1963, The Haunting was a truly disturbing film. It tells about a haunted house, Hill House, that was said to have been "born evil." Everyone who had ever come in contact with the house had supposedly been killed by it's evil power. One woman passed in a carriage accident, a man died after briefly living in the house, and another woman passed away from an illness. While all of these things seem like coincidences, many people truly believed that the house was the cause of all the deaths. These beliefs inspired a young man to take a team of people into Hill House to explore the possibility of supernatural phenomenon. Upon arriving, the guests experience many strange activities and consequently are faced with the terror of an untimely death.

Obviously there is no blood or gore in this film. Like other horror films of this time, The Haunting relies more on an atmospheric terror than on visuals or the "shock factor." However, there was plenty of disturbing images that created a truly creepy and tense film. There are sequences of loud banging noises where the women are hiding in their rooms trying to stay quiet so the spirit doesn't know where they are. Julie Harris, who plays the main character Eleanor, and Claire Bloom, who played Eleanor's friend/roommate Theo, both do incredible jobs portraying true fear and terror. Their faces during many of the scenes created the mood of suspense and fear that is so essential to creating an atmospheric horror film. But not only does Harris portray fear amazingly, she also portrays insanity beautifully. Her character, Eleanor seems to slowly be going insane, however, because of Harris' acting skills it's hard to tell what is only in her mind and what is truly happening within Hill House.

The plot is also surprisingly original and interesting. Many scenes in the movie, including one where two women fall asleep holding hands and wake up holding hands, but not with each other and another where the door in the house is actually breathing, were shocking to see in a movie from that time period. The Haunting is a truly superior horror film. The script was written to keep the audience engaged and interested, the plot was shocking and original (especially for 1963) and the acting was superb! I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who has an interest in horror films because not only is it beautifully done, but it has a surprise ending that will give today's "twist" ending a run for their money!

-H