The Children’s Hour (1961) Movie Review & Film Summary
The Children’s Hour (1961) is a powerful and thought-provoking film that explores the devastating consequences of lies and rumors. Directed by William Wyler and based on the play of the same name by Lillian Hellman, the movie boasts a talented cast and a gripping storyline.
Starring Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, and James Garner, the film delves into themes of friendship, betrayal, and the destructive power of societal prejudice. Set in an all-girls boarding school, the story revolves around two best friends, Karen and Martha, who are accused of engaging in a forbidden relationship by a malicious student named Mary. As the rumors spread like wildfire throughout the school, Karen and Martha’s reputations were tarnished, and their lives were turned upside down.
The film skillfully portrays the emotional turmoil and isolation experienced by the two protagonists as they struggle to prove their innocence and salvage their friendship in the face of overwhelming adversity. With stellar performances and a thought-provoking narrative, “The Children’s Hour” serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive power of gossip and the importance of standing up against injustice.
Of course, this is a boring piece of work. In some parts of the world anyway. No gay woman hangs herself these days because she’s got a crush on a straight friend; she just goes out, gets drunk, and gets picked up.
No guy goes through the torments of hell when his girlfriend is rumored to be bisexual; today, it’s a status symbol. No teacher is socially ostracized because… hang on. Maybe it’s not so passe after all. William Wyler, a director with a nigh-untouchable gift for sustaining dramatic interplay within the cinema space, returned to this material after having filmed a bowdlerized version in the ’30s as These Three. After a shaky start, especially in some of Shirley MacLaine’s clunky line deliveries, The Children’s Hour becomes one of the more revelatory viewings I’ve had in recent months.
One of the contradictions of great drama is that it wrings every ounce of entertainment out of watching people be miserable, and this certainly provides one. Though it’s considered a founding text of modern queer cinema, in truth it fits neatly into the dramatic mold of its era, like The Crucible, which, as opposed to classical tragedy, where mankind proved impotent before Fate, this breed of tragedy is essentially about society destroying individuals, usually for one reason that actually covers up another.
It’s especially pleasurable to see two actors usually allowed to coast on their looks and charm, James Garner and Audrey Hepburn, aka Miss Clothes-Horse of the Year 1953–1967, work for a living. Hepburn’s performance equals her other finest work (in The Nun’s Story), proving she was at her best playing interior characters; her subtle but vivid facial expressiveness suits such roles. And Garner is surprisingly moving. MacLaine is the histrionic weak link. The story builds with compulsive power to a brutal finish.
