As someone who has loved the book for a long time and was affected and impressed very much by the stage play, I first saw this TV film five years ago and to this day I consider it one of the finest ever made of the haunted house genre alongside The Changeling. Recently I saw the recent film, and thought on the whole it was above decent with handsome production values and good scares(with the odd predictable one) but due to the ending and a few scenes that were left out(ie. whistling scene) that could have added so much more to the story something was missing.
The Woman in Black(1989) creeped me out at 14, and it still does, except that not only did I find it a masterpiece of chilling atmosphere but I was also able to appreciate other things about it. It looks great, even with the occasional moment where budget hinders it, with elegant costumes and settings without looking too elegant to spoil the mood of the story, the house surrounded by mist and marshes is especially well done. The photography is good too, brooding without being too in-your-face. There is also a haunting score by Rachel Portman, which enhances each scene but succeeds also in never making it too obvious.
Dialogue is solid, intelligent, thoughtful and true to the prose of the book. The story is timeless, with many telling chapters and a wonderful atmosphere. The Woman in Black(1989) tells the story seamlessly, the pace is slow but I never found it dull. Plus apart from a couple of name changes and a few other small changes it is much truer in spirit to the book than the 2012 film, which as much as I did like it omitted two of the best scenes, had an ending that was underwhelming in comparison and had more jump scares though none were as effective as the single jump scare here, though in its favour it did have a brilliantly choreographed beginning. But it wasn't the story alone that was the main selling point of The Woman in Black. It was the atmosphere.
One jump-scare there may be, but there are several moments that I find creepy even now after seeing it many times since, where my hands are sweating and my heart racing. This is especially true with the whistling scene, Arthur seeing the Woman in Black in the marshes and when Arthur finds the soldier in his hand. The scene of Alice Drablow's funeral, signalling Arthur's first encounter with The Woman in Black is equally telling, and the ending even for people who know it's coming is sad and intense but brilliant. The highlight for me though was the jump scare, involving The Woman in Black hovering over the bed shrieking into his face, which is one of the scariest reveal shots of all time. Plaudits also for creating a sense of loneliness and dread in almost every scene.
Acting is very good. Adrian Rawlins plays Arthur perfectly with the character's state of mind very believable. Bernard Hepton and David Dakar are very good also in their roles, but if there is anybody that The Woman in Black(1989) is memorable for, it's Pauline Moran, who is absolutely terrifying as the chilling titular character. Herbert Wise directs beautifully, and with style and grace while never letting the tension slip. All in all, an atmospheric masterpiece of British television if there ever was one. 10/10 Bethany Cox
The Woman in Black(1989) creeped me out at 14, and it still does, except that not only did I find it a masterpiece of chilling atmosphere but I was also able to appreciate other things about it. It looks great, even with the occasional moment where budget hinders it, with elegant costumes and settings without looking too elegant to spoil the mood of the story, the house surrounded by mist and marshes is especially well done. The photography is good too, brooding without being too in-your-face. There is also a haunting score by Rachel Portman, which enhances each scene but succeeds also in never making it too obvious.
Dialogue is solid, intelligent, thoughtful and true to the prose of the book. The story is timeless, with many telling chapters and a wonderful atmosphere. The Woman in Black(1989) tells the story seamlessly, the pace is slow but I never found it dull. Plus apart from a couple of name changes and a few other small changes it is much truer in spirit to the book than the 2012 film, which as much as I did like it omitted two of the best scenes, had an ending that was underwhelming in comparison and had more jump scares though none were as effective as the single jump scare here, though in its favour it did have a brilliantly choreographed beginning. But it wasn't the story alone that was the main selling point of The Woman in Black. It was the atmosphere.
One jump-scare there may be, but there are several moments that I find creepy even now after seeing it many times since, where my hands are sweating and my heart racing. This is especially true with the whistling scene, Arthur seeing the Woman in Black in the marshes and when Arthur finds the soldier in his hand. The scene of Alice Drablow's funeral, signalling Arthur's first encounter with The Woman in Black is equally telling, and the ending even for people who know it's coming is sad and intense but brilliant. The highlight for me though was the jump scare, involving The Woman in Black hovering over the bed shrieking into his face, which is one of the scariest reveal shots of all time. Plaudits also for creating a sense of loneliness and dread in almost every scene.
Acting is very good. Adrian Rawlins plays Arthur perfectly with the character's state of mind very believable. Bernard Hepton and David Dakar are very good also in their roles, but if there is anybody that The Woman in Black(1989) is memorable for, it's Pauline Moran, who is absolutely terrifying as the chilling titular character. Herbert Wise directs beautifully, and with style and grace while never letting the tension slip. All in all, an atmospheric masterpiece of British television if there ever was one. 10/10 Bethany Cox