Review of The Changeling (1980) by Zarinah H — 11 Jul 2009

My first memory of "The Changeling" was back when I was in my early teens, and I remember being terrified by it then. Over the years, I've watched it numerous times, and though it still remains a classic ghost story, my feelings of terror upon first watching it have since been replaced by a profound sense of sadness for the ghost in the story.

"The Changeling" stars George C. Scott as John Russell, a well-known composer who has recently lost his beloved wife and young daughter in a tragic accident. In an attempt to get away from it all, and get a measure of peace and quiet, John leases an historic mansion, the Carmichael House with the aid of realtor Claire Norman [Trish Van Devere]. The pain and grief experienced by John acts as a sort of catalyst that unleashes the sad ghost living in the house, an entity that is also consumed by pain, but more palpably, anger at the circumstances that resulted in his death many years earlier.

John finds himself unable to be at rest until he solves the mystery surrounding the haunting of Carmichael House, an undertaking that takes him back to the past, as he discovers some very dark secrets within the walls of Carmichael House, one that has far-reaching implications.

This is truly a classic ghost story, and highly atmospheric. It is not too often that one gets to experience a dark, Gothic ghost story in the traditional sense. There is no gore in here and the lack of special effects does not detract from the storytelling - in fact, it is the credible acting by Scott and Van Devere that holds this movie together, coupled with the strong plot.

I love classic ghost/haunting stories, and count "The Changeling" as one of my all-time favorites. The others that I like are "The Haunting", "Burnt Offerings", "The Sentinel", "Audrey Rose", "The Lady in White", "Ghost Story", "The Legacy", and many more.