The Nightcomers (1971), produced and directed by Michael Winner.
What happened before the new governess arrived in The Turn of the Screw? Or, if you prefer the film version, in The Innocents (1961). The gardener and former governess are dead and we are given to believe that they had a corrupting effect on the children, who saw things they shouldn't have. Exactly what were these people up to?
Now we can see the whole sordid truth. Irish rogue Quint had a taste for bondage and degradation and posh Miss Jessel just couldn't tell him "no". The children are indeed watching and have to try it for themselves. Thankfully, with clothes on and no actual sex that we know of. It's all rather perverse. The director cleared it with the British censor first, but it turned out that all the censor wanted was to meet Marlon Brando.
Stephanie Beacham provides buxom, submissive expanses of skin. Brando was said to be pretty rough in the sex scenes, doing what he wanted, which was quite a bit. He must have been in a Last Tango mood around then. As porn it is both soft and raw, if that makes any sense.
How does it all work as a film? More as an oddity than as a valuable work in itself. In recent conversation we wondered if The Night of the Following Day (1968) weren't Brando's most obscure film. This one ought to be in the running.
Jerry Fielding's classical score is lovely but much too grand for this project. I hear "Down By Sally Gardens"; if I had the soundtrack I'd listen for other folk themes.
Available on DVD. The director provides a tell-all commentary track:
The little girl was actually 19, dressed to look younger. At the end of shooting Brando said "Nice ass. Wish I'd noticed it sooner."
Brando had been rejected for The Godfather (1972) when he made this. None of his previous 11 films had made money, so he was not exactly box office gold.
Winner did not find Brando difficult to work with: always punctual, generous, professional. Sometimes strange and childish, and a big practical joker.
He also got on with other actors judged temperamental: Orson Welles, Robert Mitchum, Burt Lancaster, Faye Dunaway.
He found camera and lighting men who could work quickly, doing 30 set-ups a day rather than the usual 5 or 6. I suspect the actors appreciated that, being able to get on with the film rather than waiting around.
Too many Brando stories to repeat. He had a permanent girlfriend with him on the shoot and also a constant stream of other flames passing through. How did he manage that? "You have to have the right smile".
He wanted to be really drunk when telling a drunken story to the children, so they shot that scene at the end. Definitely plastered, but perfect.