Clayton diagnosed : rendering objectivity in the innocents and our mother’s house.

Abstract

This paper focuses on the works of Jack Clayton, a prominent British director whose films gained little critical reception. In analysing The Innocents and Our Mother's House, arguably his best and worst films respectively, this paper seeks to uncover what made Clayton such a controversial directorial figure in the turbulent swinging sixties era of British society. From his groundbreaking use of “dissolves” to his exploration of childhood innocence, faith and spirituality and the tension between dream and reality, Clayton’s films leave everything to the imagination.