The Woman in Black

I first saw The Woman in Black when I was ten years old. It was broadcast on Xmas eve 1989. It frightened me senseless and it has never really left me.

It is a really wonderful film and a delight to know that there are some really good ghost stories out there. The whole atmosphere is made tense by the fact that you never know when something truly awful is either going to appear or going to happen and your are treated to the same amount of terror that the main character, Arthur Kidd, is experiencing which is very rare for any film to get the audience involved in that way.

You must see this film, track it down and view something that is so terrifying that you won't sleep for nights on end.

It is a shame that the film is no longer available on video in Britain and is hardly ever shown on television now so come on somebody get this out on video or even better on DVD as it is a classic and defines how all ghost stories should be made.

I made a silly mistake. I was out the night they showed this on TV, so I taped it. When I came back afterwards, I went to bed and ensured the right atmosphere, darkness, quiet... then played the film.

Oh boy...

It starts averagely, a good solid British ghost story in the best sense, with tension building as the blocks all slide into place. But when we cross the causeway and arrive at Eel-Marsh House, everything changes. Not for one second on that estate are we comfortable. We are damp, cold, apprehensive and in suspense. The Woman In Black is a horror creation of the greatest effect... silent and hostile.

Without giving too much away, the appearance after the tin soldier is found in his hand will haunt me to the grave. I found myself out of my bed and by the door!

It has echoes of "The Haunting" (1960), and full marks to the sound designer and the composer for creating the right mood.

On occasion, I play this film to unsuspecting jaded horror flick fans who, like me, fail to sleep comfortably after the first watching..... and I giggle, quietly..... and with the door locked.

The book is sinister. The stage play is scary.

The film is devastating.

Pauline Moran's brief appearances as The Woman fill the whole film with a sense of doom and terror. She's seen in the background, almost out-of-focus, a few times. The leering, grimacing expression, white face and red eyes, on the rare occasions they fill the screen, will make your heart stop with terror.

No gore and splatter. No blood, swearing and screaming. This is an old-fashioned ghost story. It has a perfect, atmospheric representation of an isolated community, haunted by something so awful that the locals cannot bear to mention it. The innocent newcomer landed in the middle of this terrorised community quickly gains the audience's sympathy but ... wait ... is that the ghost? No. It's only a shadow. ... Hush ... is that the ghost? No. It's only a creaking floorboard. Here she comes. She's coming to get you. You have no escape.

She is the very image of evil, and she wants to make others as unhappy as she herself was. She can pick her moment. She can pick her place. One you are in her sights, you will not get away. The Woman In Black does not rush to tell you the whole story. It doesn't spoil the shocks by revealing everything at once. Little hints to The Woman's origins sneak out one by one, and taint the entire film with dread.

Several other reviews mention The Woman's biggest appearance, and I can only repeat the other comments. One of the most frightening, shocking, unexpected, sudden moments that telly has ever produced. I found myself pushing further and further back into my chair, trying to get away from the television screen.

Simple, old fashioned story telling, with a great story and great performances. Unforgettable.

Genuinely original in that it denies us the closure we expect to be delivered like the tide; a Tales of the Unexpected meets Hammer House but with the makeup budget spent on a mistery generator.

Although an old fashioned horror film, The Woman in Black is still considered to be one of the scariest movies of all time. Based on the thriller fiction novel with the same title by Susan Hill, it is a tale of a young lawyer named Arthur (Adrian Rawlins), who sets out to the small town of Crythin to seek the estate of a widow who just passed away. He journeys along to the widow's remote house despite the talk of the town, and to his discovery, he learns about its frightening history through strange encounters of the woman in black.

Without explicit use of violence and blood like modern horror movies, this film is cleverly composed to give the audience a frightening experience. The film's simplicity and subtle effects adds to its unique storyline, thus redefining the genre of horror films.

Particularly, the woman in black, played by Pauline Moran, leaves such a strong impression that's haunting, even after the movie's conclusion. Although she is not frequently shown throughout the movie, her character is able to instil fear with just her daunting appearance alone. The woman in black brings a hint of mystery as the movie makes us question her true motives.

This is not a typical ghost story, but yet even better. With a shocking twist and a brilliant combination of terror, mystery and suspense, it will surely be one for the thrill.