The Woman in Black (1989) - Review and Analysis by Jason Pitt for Critical-Film.com

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The Woman in Black A film review by Jason Pitt For Critical-film.com   “The Woman in Black” is a relatively unheard of film in North America . Produced for British television in 1989, the film enjoyed a brief DVD release in 2000, but is, at the time of this writing, currently unavailable. This is too bad, because “The Woman in Black” is one of the best ghost stories ever put to film. It is perfectly paced, creepy as hell, and will stay with you long after its closing sequence.   A London solicitor is sent to the house of a recently deceased widow, to settle her estate. Against the townspeople's wishes, he visits the house, which is built on a fog-ridden marsh, and is plagued by mysterious noises, and a horrific woman dressed in black. He slowly uncovers the house's tragic history, while trying to maintain his sanity. The film builds to a suitably ironic and frightening twist.   I can't recommend “The Woman in Black” enough. This film is the perfect example of how to craft a terrifying film, despite a low budget, of traditional television limitations. Director Herbert Wise also proves that there are exceptions to the generally accepted rule that what you can't see is always more frightening than what you can. The woman, wearing no exaggerating makeup, is just that, simply a woman. However, her appearance is more than enough to send chills down even the most horror-hardened movie-goer. During the first clear display of her face, the viewer is shocked by her terrifyingly subtle appearance. She is simply a woman, with a single facial expression, that conveys an incredible amount of anger. It is impossible for me to do this subtle performance justice in my description, but it simply must be seen to be believed. It will haunt you long after the film's end.   For some unexplained reason, watching “The Woman in Black” called to mind memories of another British film, titled “Ghostwatch.” “Ghostwatch” was a live broadcast on Britain 's BBC, in which a group of reputable television personalities try to uncover the truth behind “ Britain 's most haunted house.” There are two reasons “Ghostwatch” is a reputable mention. Firstly, it is one of the most elaborate hoaxes ever conceived for film or television, drawing obvious similarities to Orson Welles' original radio broadcast of “War of the Worlds,” though not nearly as influential. Secondly, much like “War of the Worlds,” people believed “Ghostwatch” was real, and as such, caused a sort of ruckus among the British population. Concerned viewers claimed the program had caused serious mental problems in some younger children that watched it, and one teenager had apparently been driven to commit suicide after watching the film. The film was banned from British television, and while certainly tame by today's standards, and would certainly never be believed to be truth by anyone in today's society, the was an incredible event at its time.   Now, I'm sure you realize that I just wrote an entire paragraph about a film which, despite a few small similarities, has nothing to do with the film under review. I really want to spoil nothing for anyone intending to watch “The Woman in Black,” and the review was simply too short. So, I felt the similarities warranted a mention, and I did find myself thinking about “Ghostwatch” during my viewing of “The Woman in Black.” Look at it this way, two mini-reviews in the time it takes to read one. A closing note on “The Woman in Black”, however, while I certainly advocate watching a good horror film alone, with the lights off, but be forewarned… The film is creepy as hell, but for some reason it seems much more frightening when it's over and you have certain images from the film burned into your mind. Good luck sleeping…   (Four stars)   This review was provided in HTML format, as your browser is not capable of displaying flash content. To experience Critical-Film.com the way it was meant to be seen, please download the flash player from <a href="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&promoid=BIOW">Macromedia</a>.