By RACHEL BOLTON
Staff Writer
Rating- Sweet
I enjoy suspenseful movies and I adore period pieces. The Woman in Black is an eerie combination of both. The frights in the film never let up and I spent some time looking nervously over my scarf, waiting for the titular ghost to reappear. Fans of slasher films might be disappointed with the lack of gore, but The Woman in Black pulls you into a world full of revenge and fear.
Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is a young Edwardian solicitor still mourning his wife who died in childbirth. In order to support their four year old son, his employer sends him to go through the piles of paperwork that the recently deceased Mrs. Alice Drablow left behind. He does not want to go but knows that he must, or he will lose his job.
Mrs. Drablow’s house, Eel Marsh is located in a remote village. Kipps starts to notice that something is off when no one in town wants him to go near the house. When he does get inside the house, he starts to hear strange noises and sees a woman standing in the graveyard. Shortly after he arrives back in town, a little girl dies after she swallows lye. The villagers do not want Kipps to return to the house but they do not offer an explanation why. He figures out that numerous children in the village have died under horrible circumstances, and the townsfolk blame the apparition of a woman dressed all in black.
Kipps returns to Eel Marsh in the hopes that he can uncover the truth of the Woman in Black. Unfortunately, he has to deal with secrets of Mrs. Drablow, bad weather, and the fact that the ghosts in the mansion do not like visitors.
I loved The Woman in Black. It was a traditional ghost story that does not stop the frights until the end credits. Daniel Radcliffe carries the movie well, he is onscreen by himself most of the film. He looks a bit too young to be a widowed solicitor with a young child, but I was too busy being scared to care.
The time and setting of the movie is what makes it effective. It would not have been as creepy if it was set in modern times. Part of the suspense is that Kipps is isolated in the house; He has no way to contact the town for help. The house itself was artfully done. It’s dusty and looks like it should be condemned. Eel Marsh is full of abandoned toys and one of the more intense sequences involves them.
The revelation of the identity of the Woman in Black happens early in the film, but it does not make the film any less disconcerting. It’s her motivation and revenge that drive the plot. Her appearance is freaky, without becoming overly detailed. The ghost blends into the background and you will squirm when you notice that she is there. And as for her face? Some things are better left unsaid.
The ending to The Woman in Black is perfect— and I rarely give that compliment to any form of media. It fits the tone of the film precisely. It’s an entertaining watch if you love scary movies, but bring a friend. You’ll need one.
