Otra vuelta de tuerca

A young ex Jesuita priest seminarist , Pedro Mari Sánchez , is assigned by a count , Luis Iriondo , to take care of two loner kiddies , Cristina Goyanes and Asier . But their souls are possessed by a dark and unimaginable evil in the luxurious mansion . Meanwhile , there appears weird ghosts as the previous gardener and his lover, the former governess whom he thinks are corrupting the innocent kids .

Yet an other rendition as a young teacher struggling with sex obsession , ghosts and the two children in his care . Eloy De la Iglesia does well in this thrilling flick correctly adapted from the Henry James story . Main actor Pedro Mari Sanchez gives a decent acting as the too-impressionable ex Jesuita who left his habits and believes the gardener influence on the young children was thought to be malevolent ; in addition , Queta Claver is excellent as the housekeeper . In this retelling is changed some aspects , such as the main starring results to be a man , the religion is Catholic no Anglican and settings being in Euskadi . It packs an atmospheric and colorful cinematography by Juan Gelpi . And an evocative and appropriate musical score by Luis Iriondo who also plays a a count , and including some Basque songs . Here filmmaker Eloy Iglesia gives an unexpected academic and acceptable version , abandoning his ordinary provocation . While his previous films were more extremely explicit and provoking , here Eloy chooses an adequate suggestion . This is his strangest film by an unusual director.

This vintage novel ¨Turn of a Screw¨ has been adapted several times , these are the followings : 1974 by Dan Curtis with Lynn Redgrave , Eva Griffith . 1989 by Graeme Clifford with Amy Irving , David Hemmings . 1992 by Rusty Lemorande with Patsy Kensit , Julián Sands , Stephen Audran . 1999 by Ben Bolt with Colin Firth , Jodhi May , Pan Ferris . Other recounting , 1999 , titled ¨Presence of Mind¨ by Anthony Aloy with Sadie Frost , Lauren Bacall , Harvey Keitel . And a prequel titled ¨Los Últimos Juegos Prohibidos¨ or ¨The Nightcomers¨ by Michael Winner with Marlon Brando , Stephanie Beacham , Harry Andrews . And , of course , the best and immortal rendition turned to be ¨The innocents¨ by Jack Clayton with Deborah Kerr , Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklyn .

This film is an adaptation of the novella of the same name by Henry James.

First and foremost, I fail to comprehend why this film is listed under the "Queer" category on various platforms. The only character in the film that could be remotely considered queer is the Priest, whose homosexuality is evident from the outset. Besides him, we have Asier Hernández, a 13-year-old playing a character of the same age, and Cristina Goyanes, an 8-year-old portraying a character of the same age.

This novella has already been adapted into a film that etched its place in cinematic history, "The Innocents" (1961), with a screenplay by Truman Capote, a queer individual. However, in Jack Clayton's film, much like in Henry James's novella, there's always an air of ambiguity, leaving the viewer wondering, "Is it really so, or am I mistaken?"

In contrast, Eloy de la Iglesia's film features a 13-year-old boy who constantly flaunts himself and an 8-year-old girl parading around in revealing nightgowns. The Priest, a man in his 30s, becomes aroused by the 13-year-old boy and then rushes to seek forgiveness from his God. Where is the queer narrative in this depiction? Am I missing something?

With a runtime of two hours, the film, apart from a couple of pleasing shots, fails to effectively convey a story that's already well-known. It also falls short of delivering the same impactful narrative as the 1961 adaptation, where Deborah Kerr's performance in the final scene shocked audiences and continues to trigger viewers even today, despite being made during the peak of conservatism, both socially and cinematically.

In conclusion, "Otra Vuelta de Tuerca" (1985) is a misguided adaptation that misses the mark in capturing the essence of Henry James's novella. Its attempts at provocation and shock value feel gratuitous and exploitative, overshadowing any potential for meaningful exploration of the story's themes.

PS; I view the consistent categorisation of films with paedophilia and incest themes under LGBT and Queer tags as a form of black propaganda, and this film has only reinforced that belief.