"One, two three, knock on the wall"

Rating: 9/10 (23 September 2009)

Mild spoilers ahead.
In these days of J-horror and K-horror and torture porn and zombie comedies, it is wonderful to come across something as classic as this. This is about as artfully made a horror movie you are going to find. Which doesn't mean it skimps on the scares. In fact, there's a scene involving an old lady pushing a baby carriage that made me jump right out of my seat -- twice! The movie opens in what is obviously the most cheerful orphanage in the history of the world. Girls are playing and giggling in bright sunshine. The building is a beautiful manor. That's when we learn that one of the girls, red-headed Laura, is about to be adopted. What unfolds is Laura's story.
After the orphanage scene, we cut straight to Laura at age 37. She's married to a doctor and they have an adopted son, age 7. The three of them are all back at the orphanage, now abandoned. The family has acquired the manor (which still looks pretty good) with the intent of reopening it as a home for disabled children.
Simon, their son, has two imaginary friends, something which his parents tolerate. Suddenly, after moving to the orphanage, he announces he has five additional made-up friends, one of whom seems to live in a cave on the beach (the manor is at the sea shore).
When the disabled children show up for a welcoming lawn party, the kids are given masks to wear (purchased, by the way, at the Deeply Disturbing Mask Store). Inside the house, Laura and her son have a loud argument and she slaps him.
Shortly afterward, Laura is attacked by a masked child wearing one of the old-fashioned orphan dresses. The child runs off. It is then that we learn that Simon has disappeared.
The remainder of the movie is the search for Simon, who Laura is convinced is still in the house. There is a seance in which a horrifying moment in the orphanage's history is revealed. Clues are dropped. Strange dolls turn up. Doors slam shut. What does this doorknob laying on the floor open? Laura's husband becomes exasperated by her behavior and insists they leave. Laura begs for more time. He says two days, then he leaves.
With Laura now alone in the house, the movie kicks into overdrive.
I cannot say enough about Belen Rueda as Laura, who is on screen 90 percent of the movie. She has huge expressive eyes that show love, fear, passion and determination. An incredible performance.
I also want to call attention to the use of foreshadowing in this movie. If any movie cries out to be watched twice, this is one. Little things happen early that you could miss, but which pay off huge later on.
Finally, the ending. It took a while to dawn on me what was actually happening, but once it did my heart was in my throat and I was on the verge of tears. The husband has the final scene and it's incredibly elegant and touching.
This is, of course, a Spanish movie and some posts I read here advise that orphanages have a deep resonance in Spanish culture. They were filled up with the children of parents that had been imprisoned or shot for being opposed to Dictator Franco. They were not, as you might imagine, nurturing places for children.
This movie is for all time.