THE HAUNTING

A group of researchers in the occult settle into an old Victorian house in New England believed to be haunted by ghosts. The group is quite diverse: two female mediums, an elderly spinster (an excellent Julie Harris) and a young woman with personality issues (Claire Bloom); an anthropologist specializing in parapsychology (Richard Johnson) and his wife (Lois Maxwell). The group is completed by the alleged heir of the house (Russ Tamblyn). The ghost haunting the house is that of the old owner. The anthropologist tries to give a scientific explanation to what is happening, but he cannot ignore certain disturbing phenomena: sudden screams of terror, creaks, whispers from beyond the grave... One of the best films ever made on the theme of "cursed houses": suspense and dark atmospheres created without the aid of any special effects (except for the scene of a door swelling), all skillfully directed by a specialist in the genre like Wise and impeccably performed. Without neglecting the visual dimension (corridors, doors, stairs), Wise focuses on the soundtrack, on voices and noises through which the cursed house takes possession of its visitors and scares the viewers. It is the film that Hollywood wanted to "eat" with a multimillion-dollar remake, "The Haunting" by J. De Bont, much less successful than the original. Not very well known in Italy, absolutely worth rediscovering. It would deserve half a point more.