The Changeling (not the Angelina Jolie child abduction movie) is a really well-crafted ghost story from the early '80s, starring General Patton himself, George C. Scott. Now, his acting period was a little before my time, but I've seen him in things here or there, and the guy is just such a badass. I mean, in Patton, he was the most famous war general that ever lived. In The Exorcist III (surprisingly, really good) he was a hard-boiled detective. In this, he's a kind-hearted composer and pianist... ? And even though he acts like the sweetest old guy in the world, he's still just got this undercurrent, this aura of take-no-shit badassery. According to lore, the night he won the Oscar for Patton, he was absent from the award show because he was sitting at home watching a hockey game. So, that's how this old-timer was. He'd go in, get the job done, then go home and relax without a second thought. No time for theatrics or show-boating. They don't make them like this anymore.So, what does all this have to do with The Changeling? Not a whole not actually; I just don't have a ton to say about the movie itself. It's a slow-burn ghost-story, centered more around the mystery of why this giant old house is haunted in the first place. Scott plays a composer that recently lost his wife and daughter in an auto accident, so he moves out of his apartment and starts renting a house closer to where he is working at a prestigious music school. It starts off slow- wait- scratch that. I don't want to give it a negative connotation. It's deliberately-paced, giving the movie time to build suspense and establish the creepy atmosphere of the old house. Scott is obviously torn up over the loss of his family too, but he doesn't spend his days moping around. He gets up, goes to work, has drinks with colleagues, and only occasionally slips into uncontrollable sobbing while he's alone in his bed. But with good reason. Luckily, he doesn't get a chance to wallow in sadness for too long, because he starts hearing strange noises around the house.
It doesn't take too long before he's discovered that, yes, there is in fact a ghost haunting this building. This is kind of a nice refreshing plot development. Other movies might've had him constantly second-guess the weird occurrences, trying to make him think he's going crazy, or that he's imagining it altogether. Nope. It's a ghost story. Let's get to the ghosts. Plus, he's a squared-away guy. John Patton doesn't go crazy. So, he goes through the motions of investigating the house's history, invites a medium over for a seance, the usual Saturday night routine. Once they discover what the ghost wants, he goes on a mission to help put the spirit's, uh, spirit at ease. I'm sure he started the quest to bring closure to this restless soul, but I'm guessing some of it was just so the ghost would stop banging around on the pipes so Scott could get a good cry going.
On his journey, the spirit takes him to an old, buried well, which hides the ghosts remains. It's actually pretty similar to The Ring, although this ghost isn't such a vengeful bitch. Rather than spreading it's suffering across the world, The Changeling's ghost is pretty reasonable. It seems like it just wants justice for the wrong done to it almost a hundred years ago. Also, the ghostly activity is pretty subtle. Not a whole lot of jump scares. Just lots of little things. Whispers on a tape recorder. Piano keys moving by themselves. The occasional chase scene by an haunted wheelchair. No big.It's interesting that the ghost picked Scott out because it sensed his own loss, the recent death of his wife and child. Makes sense. And there's a little moment; powerful, but almost a blink and you'll miss it scene where Scott is having dinner with some friends when their children run in. He looks at the young daughter, kind of longingly, forcing a smile, but inside, obviously wrecked with sadness at the reminder of his own child. He doesn't oversell it, and the acting is so subtle, but great. They guy is a master of his craft. I really want to seek out more George C. Scott movies after this.
Overall, a decent little scary movie. I don't think it ever became one of the true genre "greats," but I often hear it brought up in small circles, citing it as one of the scariest ghost stories of all time. Truthfully, it's not horrifying, and the ghost never seems to be evil, or want to harm anyone. It just has some well-done chills, and creepy moments that keep you invested and a little unnerved. Worth a watch if you're in the mood for something a little less fast-paced and in your face.
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