Review of The Haunting (1963) by Marcus K — 12 Mar 2017

In my opinion this is a good, yet not a great film. I can't help but notice that director Robert Wise tried to pick up some of Hitchcock's techniques to create suspense, i.e. the editing or the use of double exposure.

However, the result came not even close to the standards of the grand master, whose films can still cause chills among a 21st century audience (while "The Haunting" is more likely to cause giggles).

Screenwriter Nelson Gidding sharpened the characters, something which led to a lack of complexity (as well as a lack of plausibility) in comparison to the original novel. However, Julie Harris's portrayel of Eleanor Lance is outstanding and by all means the most capturing part of the film, which makes it - despite all its flaws - still worth to be watched.