Time slips away too quickly lately. Holiday
socializing rears its attractive head. I have a number of writing projects all
demanding my attention simultaneously. And with good intentions, I have a pile
of notes and ideas for future blog posts and a stack of movies collecting
dust on top of my DVD player to be reviewed.
Which brings me back around to where I was a some weeks back
– ready to burn through a stack of classic ghost stories on DVD. The Japanese influence on the ghost story in
American cinema over the past ten years is on the wane, if the success of
Hammer’s The Woman in Black and its
in-development follow up is any indication. In researching ghost stories on
film, I’m finding it is not a well represented branch of the horror genre. While these
types of stories work best in oral and written form, I don’t think they will
ever truly go out of style. Our modern idea of the ghost story has its origin in pre-Christian eras when man told tales of ancestor worship around the fire while shadows flickered on the cave walls.
Peter Medak’s 1980 film, The
Changeling, is a fine example of a ghost story (and horror film) that did
not become a victim of its time. In an era when R rated horror was the norm, The Changeling is blessedly free of
blood, sex, and four letter words, choosing instead to present its story the
old fashioned way – but implication alone.
The script by Russell Hunter and William Gray (allegedly
based on Hunter’s personal experiences) follows the classic pattern that Gothic
novelist Barbara Michaels handled so well throughout the 1970s – that of a
desperate spirit reaching across the years for understanding and vengeance.
I’ve often said that this type of haunting works best when
the main character is at a vulnerable crossroad in life. Here we have composer John
Russell grieving the sudden, tragic death of his wife and child, who becomes a
barometer for spiritual manifestations when he moves into an old mansion in Seattle . Straight away,
Russell (believably portrayed by George C. Scott) sets to work composing a new
symphony based upon a musical motif that surfaces in his subconscious soon
after moving into the house. The ghostly manifestations are a sly, slow build
up. At first, Russell, being a practical man, is unable to understand the significance
of slightly off-kilter events in the house, until the ghost literally makes
itself known by throwing rocks at Russell in the yard. Russell soon uncovers a
secret attic room where he finds a music box which plays the same melody, note
for note, that formed the structural basis of his symphony.
From this point on, Russell becomes more in tune with the
sprit in the house and the story turns into a sort of supernatural detective
story. I won’t divulge the intricacies of the plot any further, but feel
compelled to point out that the séance scene in The Changeling is one of the most convincing and spine tingling I
have ever seen on film.
The Changeling has long been a cult favorite among friends
of mine who enjoy good old fashioned supernatural thrillers. The DVD has never
gone out of print, and is easily had from Amazon and other retailers for a
reasonable price. Ghost stories are an enjoyable past time on cold, dark nights
during the northern hemisphere’s wintry season. Treat yourself to something old… and don’t forget to turn off the lights.
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