Arthur Kidd, played by actor Adrian Rawlins, in the foreground with a woman shrouded in black in a graveyard, and a giant tomato in the background.
Even the most die-hard genre fans might not remember one of the best British horror films ever produced: based on Susan Hill's Gothic novel by the same name, 1989's The Woman in Black became an unexpected hit no one saw coming.
Made for TV and directed by Herbert Wise, who is best known for directing episodes of various series, such as Inspector Morse, this effective horror film boasts a dense atmosphere of dread that makes it not only scary but downright spine-chilling, often earning it a rightful spot on the lists of great, but underrated ghost story films. The plot centers around a young solicitor from London who comes to a misty coastal town to settle a client's estate, but soon finds himself in the middle of a haunted house situation. In the original version, the protagonist is played by Adrian Rawlins, who would go on to play James Potter in the Harry Potter franchise. Ironically, his onscreen son, Daniel Radcliffe, would later play the same role in the 2012 version of The Woman in Black. While the new version was generally well-received, the original is far more effective, both in terms of drama and chills, and any fan of the story must experience this definitive screen version. What is 'The Woman in Black' About? Close Adrian Rawlins plays a young and ambitious solicitor, Arthur, who his boss pressures to go to a place called Crythin Gifford and take care of the estate of their recently-deceased client. When he arrives there, he immediately gets the whole nine yards of a classic ghost story setup: the semi-hostile locals, the superstitions and gossip about a possible haunting, and, of course, it turns out that his destination, Eel Marsh House, is indeed surrounded by a marsh and is only accessibly at low tide. At first, Arthur is under the impression that getting to the place is the only inconvenience, but he soon realizes that getting out of there might be more of an issue. Keeping his sanity also proves to be a pressing matter, as Arthur keeps seeing the figure of a mysterious woman in black whose appearance, as the locals believe, foreshadows tragedy.Posts Unlike the 2012 version directed by James Watkins, which invents a few new storylines, Wise's adaptation follows the original book rather closely, with only significant changes concerning the main character's eventual fate. While in the new film, Arthur has a tragic backstory that has already introduced him to death and made him more susceptible to the idea of the paranormal, Wise's film shows this character as a regular person with a modern worldview. Here, Arthur considers himself a rational man who believes that any issues he encounters in the old house can be resolved with the use of a generator and electricity. Ironically, such a characterization that depicts Arthur as a guy who just wants to do his job right and possibly get a promotion out of it allows the authors to disperse the scares he encounters in a much more efficient way. The Unsettling Sounds and Eerie Imagery Make 'The Woman in Black' a Chilling Journey To Remember While the 2012 version relies a lot on impressive, but familiar Gothic flourishes and effects, the 1989 TV film feels almost minimalistic, often implying horror rather than showing it. The moderate budget is concealed among the clouds of mist that wrap the creepy estate and the marsh that surrounds it. But the same fog seems to always hide something horrid, even if, most of the time, we don't see anything but the terror reflected on Adrian Rawlins' face. The feeling of being trapped with the invisible ghosts of the past doesn't just occur because we are informed of the inconveniences the road to the house presents. This is also due to the film's intricate use of set designs and cinematography, which manages to create a disorienting, claustrophobic effect for much of the runtime. Even more than the visuals, Wise's film relies on the use of sound. The movie's composer, Rachel Portman, who would go on to be nominated for an Oscar multiple times and win one for her work on Emma , creates a score using celestial flutes and a theme for the woman in black, meant to symbolize her inner turmoil. The soundtrack is also filled with eerie sounds — a child's voice, clatter of hooves, blood-chilling screams — with no visible source, which come off as a sort of test for the sanity of the protagonist and the audience alike. The titular woman in black represents a similar sort of test: instead of merely being a vengeful ghost , her figure symbolizes the fear of the unknown that lives inside every person and that Arthur unsuccessfully tries to battle. For most of the film, the mysterious figure clad in black presents an unspoken menace and a sense of foreboding, but she's not an actual villain here. The woman in black in Wise's version comes off as a premonition of the inherent unfairness of the world against the most vulnerable in it: such as the woman and her son, the Romani child Arthur barely manages to save, and the poor young solicitor himself, who unwillingly becomes the victim of his boss, who is aware of the danger but doesn't warn him. The woman's brief appearances, acted out impeccably by Pauline Moran, with her impassive facial expressions and gliding movements, mostly have her linger in the distance, which makes it even more shocking when she suddenly appears close to Arthur near the film's end, when he's already driven out of his mind by the inability to outrun the macabre fate. Which is really the scariest element of this film that makes it so effective even today: the way it strips its main character of all his rational notions, until only a flight instinct and a soul-crushing terror remain. Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Your comment has not been saved Like The Woman in Black Horror Mystery TV Movie History Release Date December 24, 1989 Runtime 100 minutes Director Herbert Wise Writers Nigel Kneale Producers Chris Burt Cast See All
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Asus Zenbook A14 review: really light and really long-lastingThe Asus Zenbook A14 is a 14-inch laptop that grows on you the more you use it. It's incredibly light yet incredibly long-lasting, and it's priced right.
Read more »
Citroen ‘doesn’t need’ and ‘doesn’t know how to sell’ big luxury cars anymoreJake Groves is CAR’s News Editor, and has been part of the CAR team since April 2017.
Read more »
The cheesesteaks we really really wantWe have the latest in Philly's spring restaurant openings, the Jersey Shore is espresso central, and Bomb Bomb BBQ is coming back, as-is.
Read more »
This Really Is the Golden Age of Elevated Horror, and These 10 Movies Prove ItElevated horror took over the space in the last decade or so, leading to a golden age cemented by movies like Get Out and, recently, Sinners.
Read more »
10 Gothic Horror Movies That Are Bangers From Start to FinishLuc Haasbroek is a writer and videographer from Durban, South Africa. He has written articles for sites like Paste and Briefly.
Read more »
QE Doesn’t Cause Inflation—Here’s What Really DoesMarket Analysis by covering: . Read 's Market Analysis on Investing.com
Read more »