Horror films have become caricature’s over the years. They contain characters, situations, and elements you’ve seen before. The exceptions have been THE SIXTH SENSE and SCREAM. THE SIXTH SENSE cleverly turned the ghost genre on it’s head and SCREAM mocked the slasher genre while still providing some good thrills. However, there is only one film when it comes to the haunted house genre.
Peter Medak’s THE CHANGELING is everything a horror film should be. It’s suspenseful, well acted, contains an intelligent plot, and uses no special effects or gore to obtain it’s objective. It generates real fear.
George C. Scott plays John Russell. He’s a man trying to endure the tragic loss of his wife and daughter. He rents a mysterious, old house from the Historical Society where he can compose out of. He’s an accomplished piano player and takes a job teaching piano at a University. He’s got quite the reputation as the size of the class is monstrous.
Soon, things begin to get strange. Every morning there are loud, banging noises from upstairs in the house. These noises lead to a bedroom where a child’s wheelchair is found and an old music box that plays an identical song to the one Russell’s been composing. It gets even more terrifying from there as Russell investigates the history of the house with the help of Claire, a beautiful member of the Historical Society, played by Trish Van Devere. Scott and Van Devere have a natural chemistry and it may be due to the fact that they were really married.
Russell finds out some surprising secrets after a terrifying Seance. The secrets lead him to Senator Joseph Carmichel, played by the great Melvyn Douglas. Carmichel tries to keep everything quiet but the dead have a way of tormenting the living and keeping old secrets alive.
A great horror film can derive fear from even the simplest things. In this film a child’s ball rolling down the stairs will make your hair stand up on end. There’s also a piano striking a chord without a player, and a glass flying off a table and shattering during a Seance. This film is filled with those simple things and a whole lot more.
Today’s films are filled with quick cuts, computer generated effects, and loud scores. This film achieves it’s objective in a much more subtle fashion. It’s characters are real people and not just reactors. It’s story is intelligent and well told. Finally, it’s effect is chilling and stays with you long after the experience, the mark of a truly great horror film.
