This recent production
of Britten’s terrifying masterpiece,
The Turn of the Screw, a BBC
Wales Production released by Opus Arte,
has received many excellent reviews.
Whilst I wholeheartedly admire the musical
aspect, I have some misgivings about
the dramatic production of this work.
First of all, I must
make clear that the singing is flawless,
and the orchestral accompaniment is
sympathetic and accomplished – Hickox
directs an aptly sinister City of London
Sinfonia with great aplomb. The acting,
too, is of the highest standard, especially
when one considers that theses are actually
singers, not trained actors. On the
whole, then, this is an excellent performance
from all involved and cannot be faulted
from a musical perspective.
To the perceived deficiencies,
then ... Although a slight sense of
unease hangs over the proceedings and
the setting of the isolated house with
its extensive woods, and dismal, swampy
lake is aptly mysterious, I do not feel
that this production conveys the air
of menace that it both could and, perhaps,
should. After the Governess’s initial
apprehensions, for example, all is sweetness
and light until the first appearance
of Quint, and the atmosphere of foreboding
that should overshadow the entire opera
is largely absent, particularly in the
opening scenes.
This lack of a ghostly
quality looming over the whole work
is exacerbated by the reality of the
phantoms. Were one unfamiliar with the
work, one would not in a million years
guess that Quint or Miss Jessel were
ghosts before their supernatural status
was revealed. Far from being insubstantial,
ethereal spirits, the earthiness of
these creatures are taken to almost
ridiculous extremes – when Quint discovers
the Governess’s letter, he races up
to Miles’ bedroom, shakes Miles violently
awake, drags him out of bed and hurls
him towards the door. But if he is thus
able to physically manipulate the real
world, why doesn’t he take the letter
himself, we wonder? Clearly it is only
on account of the fact that he is a
ghost and is therefore unable to touch
and hold matter that he gets Miles to
retrieve the letter in the story. Similarly,
the interaction between Miss Jessel
and the Governess is far too physical.
This is no ghost scene, no spectral
encounter. Rather, there is absolutely
no distinction between the dead and
living characters whatsoever, as a sweaty,
corporeal Miss Jessel gropes unappealingly
and unnecessarily at the Governess,
completely devoid of any hint of other-worldliness.
If the ghosts fail
to strike fear and terror into us because
they come across as psychotic humans
rather than spirits, neither are the
children "freaky" enough.
Miles and Flora are haunted children
who have been dragged into a dark and
eerie realm, corrupted and perverted.
I feel they should somehow be more disturbed
and unnerving, and less "ordinary".
I do like the fact
that this is a very introspective rendition
of an introspective work, although I
am not convinced about the way that
the neurotic doubts of the Governess
are internalised. Clearly on the stage
these innermost thoughts would be sung
aloud but here with the benefit of film,
the director has chosen to separate
the singing from the actor and so the
words are heard only to the accompaniment
of looks of concern while lips remain
sealed. This is a good, and effective
trick, yet I am uncomfortable with the
repercussions this has for the remainder
of the singing. In an opera we can suspend
belief while characters bawl at each
other across the stage, but on film
it comes across as curious to have the
ability to withhold some of the physical
singing from the audience yet then only
a little later have the characters effectively
bawling at each other across the screen
– it calls into question the realism
of the production and affects that so
delicate balance of belief suspense.
On the whole, I did
not feel that this production was quite
chilling or dark enough, mostly because
the ghosts were so un-wraith-like. The
atmosphere of the opera is oppressive
but not quite sinister enough, and although
beautifully filmed, the whole setting
is extremely bland and samey, almost
claustrophobically so. Singing, acting
and production are of the highest standard,
and it is merely personal taste and
the desire for a darker, more disquieting
and supernatural version that has me
hesitate to wholeheartedly recommend
this.
Em Marshall
see also review
by Colin Clarke