The Woman in Black

Mood, atmosphere, shadow, The Woman in Black is a classic ghost story and Daniel Radcliffe proves that he can carry a film other than Harry Potter. As Arthur Kipps he portrays a widower whose beautiful wife dies during childbirth. Barely hanging on for the last four years he has been given a last chance by his law firm to redeem himself and save his job. He has been tasked to travel to a small remote village and take over the details of an estate left by a strange mysterious woman. Lost in his own grief he barely registers the resentment and fear that greets him there. But soon the town loses all pretense and Arthur Kipps becomes fully conscious that his presence is completely unwanted.

The house on Eel Marsh is a solitary one. During high tide the road is completely immersed and you may only access the house during low tide. Why anyone would build such a house is a puzzle, but the family and those who lived and worked there are even a greater mystery. There is death and tragedy at Eel Marsh and Arthur must sort through all the household papers and discover the secrets behind them. Mr. Daily assures Mr. Kipps that if you sell the house it won’t be a local. Ciaran Hinds as Mr. Daily is the only voice of reason in town.

Mr. Daily abhors all the superstition and only wants to get past his own child’s death. His wife (Janet McTeer) has not gotten past it and she believes that her son is trying to speak through her. Their home is like a memorial to their late son with paintings and keepsakes all around. But their son is not the only death. Dozen of children have died tragic and brutal deaths. According to legend, whenever someone sees the woman in black a child will soon die. And now they have Arthur Kipps poking around in their business. It is no wonder that the town hates him. In their eyes he is responsible for the deaths.

It has been a long time since I’ve seen a film of this type and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. This film operates on mood and shadow and is much more reliant on psychology than monsters, ghouls and demons. But it does have its ghosts and I can’t tell you how creepy Victorian wind-up toys can be. I can honestly say that after this film I will probably never sleep in the same room as one. I mean we had spooky wind-up toys in The Poltergeist when I was a kid, and that was bad enough. But these toys are disturbing even when they aren’t moving. Thanks to this film I have a new phobia.

Daniel Radcliffe does an excellent job in The Woman in Black. He displays a maturity that he hasn’t been able to show before and I found him quite convincing as the melancholy young father. Being immersed in someone else’s grief forces him to wake up and come out of his own. I thought that his transition from a moor less man into a man of resolve was well done. I have great hopes for the future of this young actor and I really liked this film.

Rating: First Run A classic ghost story that will thrill