I have only seen this movie once before and that was about when the movie came out. Before watching it again, I could only remember two things: one scene with the little girl and the fact that the family was ghosts. I remember thinking the movie was a good movie, but as I watched it again, I barely remembered anything else other than those two things.
First thing I want to mention is the scene with the little girl. This was the scene in which she is in the white gown, sitting on the floor and playing with the puppet. Then her mother walks in to find the hand and face is that of an old woman. This scene stuck with me because I think for me it was one of the creepier scenes. I guess movies with children tend to creep me out…she looked like an old woman, but the voice was that of the little girl. “Are you mad?! I am your daughter.” Plus, the accent added a little for me.
The other thing – the fact that the family was ghosts – I could remember because it was the big twist…I suppose. Although I knew that they were ghosts, I didn’t recall how exactly it ended. I must say that I really did like the ending. How it was revealed that they were ghosts was great. “Sometimes the world of the living gets mixed up with the world of the dead.” The film combined the worlds together perfectly in a way that made sense, yet also seemed believable.
More on the role of the ghost in this movie. I liked how if it was the first time someone viewed the film, you felt as though Nicole Kidman’s character, Grace, and her children were living and truly being intruded by people(s) unknown. I enjoyed how a focus was put on the connection of the living and dead and even the children kept asking about where different people go when they die. Even with this focus, it wasn’t an obvious point to think that they actually were ghosts who didn’t understand that they were dead. The film made you think it at times, but also went back and forth between the family and the servants. Who was really dead? It was a surprise to find out that they all were, just trying to keep the house as their own.
Since we mentioned the “argument” of books/writers versus films, I wanted to mention some of the things that I believe helped with the movie. I know we mentioned sounds in the discussion on the forum and I want to discuss this for a minute. I must say that the sounds of the music helped me get into it. Since I sort of knew the big twist, everything that happened throughout it was kind of bleh for me. The music helped me a little. I found the music fantastic. I thought that it helped portray the atmosphere of the film, but also the feelings of Grace and what was really happening. I remember her standing by the gate when her husband “left,” and she hears her children scream because the curtains were gone. Anyway, I just liked the music in general, but I thought it did assist with the mood. I also think the sounds of the whispers were great. I found the whispering to be SO creepy, yet so wonderful. When Grace was in the room by herself near the beginning, then she starts ripping off the white coverings on items in the room, and also when the kids are hiding in the wardrobe near the end. I found the whispering to be great (and also helped with that whole melding of the living world with the dead world).
Overall, I liked the movie. I think I like the actual story of it more after watching it again because I knew certain things that I didn’t before, so I appreciated it better.
First thing I want to mention is the scene with the little girl. This was the scene in which she is in the white gown, sitting on the floor and playing with the puppet. Then her mother walks in to find the hand and face is that of an old woman. This scene stuck with me because I think for me it was one of the creepier scenes. I guess movies with children tend to creep me out…she looked like an old woman, but the voice was that of the little girl. “Are you mad?! I am your daughter.” Plus, the accent added a little for me.
The other thing – the fact that the family was ghosts – I could remember because it was the big twist…I suppose. Although I knew that they were ghosts, I didn’t recall how exactly it ended. I must say that I really did like the ending. How it was revealed that they were ghosts was great. “Sometimes the world of the living gets mixed up with the world of the dead.” The film combined the worlds together perfectly in a way that made sense, yet also seemed believable.
More on the role of the ghost in this movie. I liked how if it was the first time someone viewed the film, you felt as though Nicole Kidman’s character, Grace, and her children were living and truly being intruded by people(s) unknown. I enjoyed how a focus was put on the connection of the living and dead and even the children kept asking about where different people go when they die. Even with this focus, it wasn’t an obvious point to think that they actually were ghosts who didn’t understand that they were dead. The film made you think it at times, but also went back and forth between the family and the servants. Who was really dead? It was a surprise to find out that they all were, just trying to keep the house as their own.
Since we mentioned the “argument” of books/writers versus films, I wanted to mention some of the things that I believe helped with the movie. I know we mentioned sounds in the discussion on the forum and I want to discuss this for a minute. I must say that the sounds of the music helped me get into it. Since I sort of knew the big twist, everything that happened throughout it was kind of bleh for me. The music helped me a little. I found the music fantastic. I thought that it helped portray the atmosphere of the film, but also the feelings of Grace and what was really happening. I remember her standing by the gate when her husband “left,” and she hears her children scream because the curtains were gone. Anyway, I just liked the music in general, but I thought it did assist with the mood. I also think the sounds of the whispers were great. I found the whispering to be SO creepy, yet so wonderful. When Grace was in the room by herself near the beginning, then she starts ripping off the white coverings on items in the room, and also when the kids are hiding in the wardrobe near the end. I found the whispering to be great (and also helped with that whole melding of the living world with the dead world).
Overall, I liked the movie. I think I like the actual story of it more after watching it again because I knew certain things that I didn’t before, so I appreciated it better.
OH and one more thing that I wanted to mention that I enjoyed was the fact that the kids kept saying that ghosts wore white cloths. I particularly enjoyed this when the girl discovered the gravestones and yelled at her brother to run, and he kept telling her that they weren't wearing white cloths. I liked this because it showed you the way that kids think about ghosts, but it also added to the creepiness when they found out that their servants were ghosts and not actual living, breathing people.
3 comments:
I watched that movie a LONG time ago and I remember it like it was yesterday.
It fascinated me and left a real print on me <3
I totally agree about the creepy sounds - good stuff! Probably my favorite part concerning that is when Grace is in that room where the "ghosts" supposedly went. Right before she starts yanking those white coverings off the items, you hear that abrupt, loud moan, almost like an inhalation of breath. So creepy! When you think about it, maybe it was even Grace reacting in fear. I don't even know, and I think that makes it even creepier for me lol.
Nice post. I really like how you point out the film's framework, being that connection between the living and the dead and then tying it into Grace and the children's religious studies.
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