Tags
Ciarán Hinds, Daniel Radcliffe, David Burke, James Watkins, Janet McTeer, Liz White, Roger Allam, Sophie Stuckey, The Woman in Black, Victor McGuire
I just got home from seeing The Woman in Black, and contrary to my usual no crybabies policy of spoiling every damn thing, I’m not going to tell you a thing about the plot. I will say that Daniel Radcliffe was very impressive. I think it was almost necessary to have a former child actor in the part, because a young person like Radcliffe who has been working hard most of his life has a better chance of projecting the world-weariness essential to the role. This is partly a story about grief. Fortunately, it’s grieving done the way we perceive it to have been done by the Victorians, so spiritualism is dabbled in and black is worn on the outside because it is felt on the inside. I felt very at home in this story.
I have read comparisons between this film and both The Orphanage and The Others. The similarities are really superficial. Those movies are very serious and this one is fun, if your idea of fun is being terrified. This is a classic haunted house movie which was done for entertainment purposes, and while watching it I felt that there was nothing on earth that could have gotten me to stay for even one minute in that house with those ghosts. That’s how I know the director has done his job. Of course, the house/set is gorgeous. It has vines on the outside walls, purple and crimson paint on the inside walls, chandeliers made of antlers, a lamp with a lampshade that spins and shows you a sort of flip animation, mist, wood floors, and its very own cemetery. It is a ghoul’s fantasyland. Too bad we can’t stay, baby!
I know that reviews are divided on The Woman in Black, and to make my final point about the film I’d like to quote another blogger whose site I read almost daily. In his review of the film, Unkle Lancifer wrote, “As far as I’m concerned, the world can keep its torture and rape and I’ll take all the wind up monkeys that come to life for no reason.” That’s how I feel. There are a lot of people out there who aren’t happy unless the horror film they’ve seen was a test of their endurance. I’m not one of those people. If you’re not either, you have to get your butt in a seat and see this movie in the theater. It’s not a great movie; they’re not putting those out in American cinemas anymore. But it’s a good popcorn horror movie, and those are rare.
P.S. In another 150 years, who do you think the lens of history will show as having been more morbid: the Victorians, or us?
deadlydoll said:
I enjoyed it quite a bit myself. Hated how all the scares were somewhat ‘spoiled’ by the overdone sound design, but the atmosphere, performances, and story really kept me involved. A nice diversion from the usual theatrical horror fare.
Wednesday's Child said:
I hate the scares that come from loud noises! That part really kept this movie from being as good as it could have been.
efcontentment said:
Makes perfect sense that this was a Hammer Film; like those films of the past, this was a solid scare flick, only this time the old-school fright scenes had new-school sound/music design backing them up. I agree with what you and Lancifer were getting at, about how these movies don’t always have to leave you emotionally/psychologically drained — they just have to give you a good time. This film was a success in that department, that’s for sure.
I really liked how the film ended as well; of course I’m not gonna spoil it, but it was well-done and true to the rest of the film. The film manages to have its cake and eat it too, is the best way I can describe it.
Scariest part of the film was when Radcliffe was washing his face; there’s a shot of his hands inside the washbowl, and I noticed how hairy/veiny/thick his forearms were — it didn’t seem that long ago that he was just a scrawny little kid. Now he’s a grown-ass man. We’re all getting older, and one day I’ll be dead. DAMN YOU WOMAN IN BLACK, FOR REMINDING ME OF MY AGE AND MORTALITY!
Wednesday's Child said:
I noticed how hairy his arms were too, come to think of it. I feel jealous that he’s accomplished so much already and he was born when I was in high school. And I also liked the ending. It was the best way things could have ended for the main character. Well, maybe the second best way.
Giovanni said:
Watched this at the theater tonight and thought it was a pretty exciting ghost story, but I was also sort of disturbed by the nature of the Woman in Black’s existence as well as the vibe I always got when seeing her. I do easily scare though and I was real impressed with the ambiance and era authenticity too. I don’t know what it is about vengeful female ghosts that works so well. They seem to never go out of style, considering movies like The Innkeepers, The Grudge, and The Ring.
Wednesday's Child said:
I scare easily too. It’s fun. I liked how this movie seemed to borrow from the Japanese ghost stories and put a Hammer film twist on. More effective than just remaking a Japanese movie and expecting to work in a Western context.