The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black, based upon the “most chilling ghost story of our time’s”-if you believe the trailers-by Susan Hill and written by Britain’s correspondent to Hollywood Jane Goldman (Wossies Wife, writer of the Brilliant Kick Ass, the rather rubbish Stardust and, as of late, comic book cinemas shining voice with the not so incredible X-men- First Class), feels like a post potter vehicle for the young talent at the centre Daniel Radcliffe but also allows for us to see the actor, and indeed the writer, in a new light. Or, more importantly, with no light. It’s the creaky boom of the chair, the darkness of a corridor and the unshakeable feeling of an entity lurking in the shadows that gives the film it’s insidious atmosphere, along with the traditional use of the industry favourite fog.

With the Hammer seal sewed into it’s credit sequence (ironically the title sequence has the feel of Marvel Studio’s) you’d be mistaken to think that Hammer, once the self titled King of Horror, had ever left us. It’s business as usual for Arthur Kipps, father and widower, who is assigned, as the experienced young lawyer that he is, to close the deal on old Eel Marsh house. However, with all his baggage it would be wise for him to stay away from the quaint village all together as the Women in Black is terrorising the village, on a personal vendetta, hunting all the kids until there ain’t no more in the village. As Kipps becomes intricately involved in the selling of the mansion, ploughing through letter’s, he see’ s the women’s goal; If I can’t have my child then you can’t have yours. Saddly, as the film is set in 1888, Scooby Doo hadn’t been invented and the Ghostbusters hadn’t really caught on back then.

The Woman in Black is the cinematic equivalent of a ghost train ride: Fun, constantly amusing and enough scares to make the punters feel shocked, sweating and scrambling for the nearest exit, that’s if your 10 and haven’t seen a hammer horror film before which, by the shrieks and wails of the audience, they hadn’t. It’s also a vehicle film, one which has had boosted success (it took $21 million in it’s opening weekend) down to the presence of Mr Potter himself. It’s an ironic move to see the actor, after the big budget franchise busting Potter films, try to carve a name for himself in the likes of an old creaky Haunted house story by Hammer, when many famous faces start out in schlock (some good, most bad) which will hopefully lead them to better roles. And to his credit, he is convincing as an “1888 Everyman”. He convincingly plays out the role of a man who slowly begins to believe in the other world (but with no religious implications) and doesn’t see it as just a trick of the mind. He tread’s a fine line between showing the state of the mind that may believe in the ghost and the part that thinks it is all just an illusion, a role any lead actor should play in convincing the audience that what is on the screen is real.

To more credit the director, James Watkins, who turned heads (not just Michael Fassbenders) in Eden Lake, understands what Hammer was all about not what it should be in the modern age of Horror, one where 3D is just slapped onto the latest Texas chainsaw Massacre reboot or where some clever people think it is clever to remake REC and Let the right one in (Which will always have the distained past of carrying Hammer in it’s title). The minute we enter the House, everything skilfully comes together handsomely and, most importantly, correctly to give a jolt to the system with old-fashioned mechanics, which is part of the studios tradition, while infusing it’s tricks with some new invention. It’s essentially 90 minutes of Hammer at it’s best, creating Jump out moments which haven’t been as inventive (not saying as effective) as the under appreciated The Strangers. Half way through there is a virtuoso sequence that seems endless. Infused with tension, it’ starts with the sound of rocking chair but with thudding boom. As we walk towards the door, which skilfully creates the effects of a dolly zoom without its use, get’s even tenser. As he slowly opens the door, the chair is rocking back and forwards, clearly having no one there, but, with the background out of focus, we see a quick glimpse of the women sitting in the chair to an unexpected Kipps. The audience shrieks, some even shout. 

The Woman in Black is probably the best Haunted House film your young one has ever seen, if all they have been brought up on is Eddie Murphy’s Disney themed The Haunted Mansion. It’s skilfully handled, with effective, even memorable jump scares, but it doesn’t match the league of truly great horror films, old or new. The idea of Psychology in Horror isn’t new and, be it the work of the script or Radcliffe’s performance, we never seen the psychological implication’s of the series of events which take place, which could have propelled the film into a different league of it’s own. Radcliffe is good mostly when he doesn’t talk and when it is just down to expressions, allowing for Watkins to guide him through to even more shriek inducing scenarios. Radcliffe looks the part (in 1888 it isn’t unusual to see a young married man at 21 with a son), however, he still has a young man’s voice, which gives him away as 14 year old school boy who just happens to have an extraordinary amount of 5 O’clock shadow. However, this refreshing horror film is the type of horror film that has been missing from the mainstream with the influx of Eli Roth and James Wan. It’s entertainment with scares; in the same way as say Nightmare on Elm Street Dream Warriors or Friday the Thirteenth part three 3D. The Woman in Black is infusing its story with the skill of a young Sam Rami before The Evil Dead, which doesn’t sound like a bad thing at all.