The Woman in Black is the latest and most faithful offering from the Hammer Film Productions (think Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee). That in combination with the likes of Ciaran Hinds (Rome
The Woman in Black tells the tale of a young lawyer (Radcliffe) who is sent by his employer to deal with the estate of a mysterious old lady who has recently died. Upon his arrival, he discovers that the village he has been sent to is being terrorised by said woman - a very vengeful and very deceased woman (Liz White). The villagers fear for what is most precious to them… their children – for every time she is seen, a child dies. And it all links back to the old lady’s estate.
Radcliffe is supported by Ciaran Hinds’ Daily, who lost his own child to this supernatural being, but doesn’t believe in her… or so he says. That, however, does not stop him from supporting Kipps. Maybe Daily saw his own son in Kipps, which is why he blindly supports him.
Daniel Radcliffe I thought was superb. And his role as Kipps, hammers (please excuse the pun) home the fact that Harry Potter is no more.
What drives it home is that Radcliffe is given a family of his very own, including an adorable son played by Misha Handley, Radcliffe’s real Godson, a very clever decision as you can see the love between the two. It helps that little Misha can act. Who knows, maybe he’ll follow in his famous Godfather’s footsteps.
The film really does aim to shock, but it’s all in context and unlike most horror flicks these days, does not rely on gore. The opening scene itself with the three little girls is quite harrowing. The fact that you don’t see what literally happens to them is more than enough to disturb you. This is a suspenseful film that will give you quite a few heart attacks and make some scream… a lot if you happen to have a similar audience to the one I had.
The symbolism says everything. The woman in black, though wronged clearly represents darkness. The woman in white (Kipp’s wife), frequently seen in her wedding dress represents purity.
The production set also gave credence to the authentic feel of the film. From the isolated haunted mansion to the authentic nursery toys – actual toys from the 19th -20th century.
If you’ve seen the vintage Hammer Horror movies, you’ll know Daniel Radcliffe brings an added talent to an excellent Horror genre of a bygone era. Jane Goldman (wife of Jonathan Ross) really does know what she’s doing when it comes to screen plays.
To summarise, The Woman in Black is a triumphant return to the atmospheric chillers – the return of the Hammer Horror!
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