The Woman in Black is the first film post Potter for Daniel Radcliffe. The film is a scary adaptation of the novel by Susan Hill under the same name. A risky business for Daniel Radcliffe having to pick a film on the back of such a major successful franchise- a decision I wouldn’t have envied; but one I think he has managed to pull off well.
The Woman in Black is about a young lawyer called Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) who has to travel to a secluded village to sort out the legal affairs of a woman who has recently died there. He arrives to a cold reception by the locals and is almost hurried out the village by the lawyer that is already dealing with the case. Having a young son to look after, Arthur stands his ground and explains that he has come to do a job and is adamant to complete it. What lies ahead for Arthur is a series of weird and chilling encounters, not only with other locals living in the area but with the inhabitants of the old home in which he has to complete his work at.
In my attempt to not give too much away about the plot; what I will say is that The Woman in Black holds you in suspense almost from the off. Arthur’s state of mind is challenged by the loss of his wife during childbirth; this I believe challenges the audience to wonder about his presence within the narrative and too often wonder- is Kipps dead? (Comparisons can be drawn from 'The Others' (2001) at this point, which to be honest is what was in the back of my mind while watching the film.)
A scene which stuck out in my mind was the one which occurs slightly after the captioned picture that I have included above. Arthur is willing the Woman in Black to be at peace once reunited with her lost son. The film relies on dark corners, lighted candles and overactive imaginations. The corridor which Arthur has only moments ago stepped out of disappears into darkness, this is to signify that the woman is on her way; together with the chilling music that accompanies the scene, this led to, (for me anyway) to hide behind my coat. The piercing scream that follows is one which makes it very clear to Kipps that she will not be so easily got rid of and the reason for her presence is stronger than ever.
The settings in the film are atmospheric and are in keeping with the eerie mood that runs throughout. I am compelled at this point to say how much the sound in this film complimented the visuals perfectly. As a lot of horrors depend on sound I might be stating the obvious but with the screams, a loud rocking chair; rocking uncontrollably in the nursery and even the shock of Mr Daily (Ciarán Hinds) bursting in to help Arthur all draw and make use of the audience being on the edge of their seats and expecting The Woman in Black to appear at every other moment.
The open marsh land is another setting which is brought to mind having had time to think about the film. Often captured by a bird’s eye view shot, the setting appears desolate, cold and secluded. Overhead pan shots are used to show the vast area which Kipps has to travel across, this highlights how far away the house is from the village itself; leaving anyone how inhabits it, cut off from the world. This is the beginning of a journey for Kipps which often sees him alone in scenes, and highlights his loneliness, not only in the narrative but in the scenes in which he is captured in.
Clearly set in the Victorian era, the costume in The Woman in Black is well represented and stylised. As seen in the image above, Kipps is dressed in a black suit and tie and crisp white shirt; this not only reinforces his profession as a lawyer but also mirrors The Woman in Black’s costume. It becomes apparent through the film that colour is essential; colours such as black, grey, white, blue and brown all reinforce and create atmosphere within the film. It also gives the narrative a somewhat timeless and eerie quality about whether the film itself borders on being a story about the living or the dead.
I was scared. I won’t lie to you. I did enjoy it though, I must admit. Reds and I at times couldn’t help mentioning the old ‘Lumos’ spell in those dark corridors or to say he needs Hermoine for the ‘Alohomora’ to open the locked door. (If you are not into Potter than you can bypass the last few sentences :p) It was hard not to think about Harry Potter and draw comparisons to it, especially when you get so much enjoyment from it, but I can say that The Woman in Black stands alone for Daniel Radcliffe and he has managed, in my opinion to secure a decent start, (or continuing depending on how you look at it) career within our British film industry.
Full price purchase would be my vote for this. Quality of acting was good, atmospheric settings reinforced the chilling genre and narrative was strong throughout. I won’t be in a hurry to watch it again...well unless I can have preference over the remote.
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