Otra vuelta de tuerca (Turn of the Screw)

Original post date: 24 May 1987
Rating: ✭✭✰✰

Yes, this is Spain’s version of the famous Henry James ghost story. The director is Eloy de la Iglesia, a gay filmmaker whose movies usually feature teenage boys who find excuses to take off their shirts (and sometimes more). This is no exception. The movie follows the original story pretty faithfully with one important change: the governess has been changed to a young male seminarian. James’ story was ambiguous in that you weren’t sure if the children were really possessed by ghosts or if the governess was just cracking up. There was also a hint of some sort of attraction between the governess and young Miles. The introduction of repressive Spanish Catholicism and a male protagonist adds a third level of ambiguity. The seminarian finds himself attracted to Miles (here called Mikel) and it drives him to flagellate himself (which he had a tendency to do anyway). The boy comes off less as a possessed little monster than as a victim of religious and moral repression. Creepy on several levels.

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