A review published in '' Time '' magazine praised Kerr 's performance and the film 's " dangerous , intelligent darkness " , but criticized the screenplay , suggesting that Archibald and Capote 's script " unhappily press es hard , much harder than James did , for the psychiatric interpretation . They have obviously failed to perceive that in suggesting a normal , everyday basis for supernatural phenomena , they must inevitably relieve the spectator of his nameless horror of what might happen . But is n't horror , when all 's said and done , the one important experience this tale is intended to communicate ? " In a '' Variety '' review , the film was deemed a " high-quality spine-chilling drama " . In the summer 1962 issue of '' Film Quarterly '' , Pauline Kael called the film " the best ghost movie I have ever seen " , praising Stephens ' performance as well as Capote 's adaptation of the source material . Boyd Martin of '' The Courier-Journal '' praised the film as a " spooky chiller ... the hypnotic influence is there , and audiences will , I suspect , feel what the governess feels . " The film was nominated for two BAFTA Awards , including Best British Film and Best Film . For his direction , Clayton was awarded the National Board of Review Award for Best Director . William Archibald and Truman Capote won a 1962 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay . The film was entered into the 1962 Cannes Film Festival
1962 Cannes Film Festival
1962 Cannes Film Festival
The Innocents (1961 film)