“The Children’s Hour”(1961) is an emotionally compelling and monumental drama, well ahead of its time when it was released. It is a movie that sticks with you long after it ends.
Directed by William Wyler, the film is based on the play of the same name written by Lillian Hellman in 1934. It is about how a terribly spoiled child’s one lie leads to destruction.
Martha Dobie (Shirley MacLaine) and Karen Wright (Audrey Hepburn) are close friends and run a school for girls together. Things are going great until one day, Mary Tilford (Karen Balkin), a spoiled little girl, decides to use misunderstood snippets heard from her friends to spread rumours that her two teachers, Martha and Karen, are lovers.
The film skillfully delves into the societal attitudes of the time, addressing issues of homophobia and the destructive impact of false accusations. Tensions are built expertly throughout the film, and the viewer can feel that the stakes are high, which makes it a teeth-grinding and thought-provoking experience.
Throughout the movie, we follow Mary as she taunts and bullies her classmates, specifically Rosalie (Veronica Cartwright). One day, she pretends she is sick but is caught and punished by Karen and Dr Joe Carden (James Garner)—who are engaged to be married. Mary is unhappy with the consequences and runs away to her grandmother, Mrs. Tillfoid (Fay Bainter).
A special mention goes out to Balkin’s impeccable acting as she navigates all those events, and in that decisive moment where Mary decides to silently whisper the misinformation, even if the audience is oblivious to what is being said, it makes us fear for what is to come for both Martha and Karen. That’s the staple of an outstanding performance paired with impeccable directing.
Furthermore, the compelling interactions between Martha and Karen highlight the brilliance of Hepburn’s and MacLean’s layered performances. Throughout their exchanges, encapsulated in every look and bit of dialogue—even with other characters—the inevitable truth within the gossip is shown to the viewer most naturally and genuinely possible.
“The Children’s Hour” is set in the early 20th century, a period when societal attitudes towards homosexuality were more conservative and less accepting. While all four films explore the genre of forbidden queer love, “The Children’s Hour” focuses on deception, the destructive power of false accusations, and spreading rumours within a closed and judgemental society. This deception and its consequences are a distinctive feature not as prominently explored in the other films.
A single word can destroy a life. A treacherous sentence might be simple to say, but is near impossible to take back once it has been put out there. As children or teenagers, at an age where our thoughts and our brains are still greatly malleable, it’s even easier to believe the words or our fellow classmates. They can also easily seep into the minds of others, convincing and making them eat every single word up. We human beings are blessed with the gift of speech, but that gift can also become a dangerous weapon when used with malicious intent.
Willam Wyler does a fantastic job directing this tale of lies and hidden truths, and showing this reality. He primarily plays with depth and volumes in the framing of scenes and between shots to show how the main characters grow apart. At first, they are small and far away in the same room, but as their feelings intensify, they become closer. Alternatively, a character may be positioned closer to the camera to eavesdrop on a person in the background while partially obscured by a door’s shadow. This allows the character to remain undetectable to their target in the film, but visible to the audience, successfully making us live the full experience with them.
The message about the damaging effects of believing rumors, lies, and gossip is quite apparent, but it hides the reality that this distaste for queerness is the root of everything. Because people’s prevalent beliefs are formed from a history of toxic masculinity, rape culture, and sexism, they view the queer community as monsters and believe it will hurt their children. They hate queerness because that is how the bourgeoisie functions. We cannot deny Mrs Tillfoid’s class did not play a huge role in her influence as well as her inclination to uphold traditional ideas about sexuality.
Ultimately, that destructive force follows its predictable path for a 1961 lesbian drama based on a 1934 play about the same themes. The facts, not the rumours, cause the damage, and the moment of truth is the most impeccable in the movie.
It is to note that in the documentary “The Celluloid Closet,” MacLaine mentions she and Hepburn never discussed the sexuality of their characters. And maybe that is the reason their performance subtly tells so much about it.
In the end, Martha and Karen suffer greatly, but only one confesses the truth. I must admit it is a bit confusing where Wyler wants our compassion to fall. Given how the last act unfolds, it is reasonable for viewers who identify as straight to infer that one or both were straight.
But let me make it clear: you are wrong.
This movie depicts how these women’s lives are in danger because the public believes they are lesbians. An excellent lifestyle to be accepted by society was/is a heterosexual lifestyle. It implies that there is no place for gay women in their world, and as Mary’s decision to start the rumor comes into full effect, Martha and Karen finally face the truth within themselves.
“The Children’s Hour” is a poignant exploration of intolerance’s consequences and reputation’s fragility. It challenges the audience to reflect on the impact of gossip and the importance of questioning societal norms to stay true to oneself. While the film is a product of its time, with certain elements reflecting social attitudes of the early 1960s, its central themes remain relevant as ever today.
