On hearing about the new film due to be released starring Daniel Radcliffe I picked up the novel on which the film was based. By chance I found a copy sitting on a shelf in a local book store waiting to be devoured by hungry literary consumers. The cover immediately struck me and I knew I must buy and read the words written before they were brought alive by somebody else, somebody who didn't have the same vision within their heads as I would surely get from reading such a text.
Black crows, a full moon and the addition of the three words 'A Ghost Story' rather forcibly tell you what the book is about but the rest is left to the reader to find out on their journey to the back. The story starts in the present tense, although not in the present day. From there circumstances propel author Arthur Kipps to tell relay a story he has kept quiet for many years and so the tale of the Woman in Black begins. Between the twists and turns and the inevitable ghost story the novel portrays a families great tragedy brought on by another tragedy kept quiet from the rest of the world. Kipps uncovers a truth about a family lost to darkness long before he arrives at the destination filled with sad memories. The truth then haunts and pursues him until it forces darkness and loss onto him.
Directors always need to give some indication of their ability, their vision and their skill, adding a personal touch which can be enjoyed by viewers. With this story especially there is a clear gap between the written original and the motion picture. From the beginning it it clear the story has been altered to suit a different format as Kipps already has a son and evidence is brought forward to suggest his wife has already passed. He has already encountered the great loss which he does not know in the book until the end. My first question was then:
'What is this film about, if not loss and tragedy?'
The answer is fairly obvious after watching the movie start to finish. Turning pages ghouls, monsters and darkness do not leap out at you or surprise you. An author may successfully build tension and cause worry; shut the cover and it's over. The film was intended to scare it's audience, make them jump, bring alive the shock and horror the book could only speak of.
Unfortunately for the novel, most audiences prefer a happy ending and although this one is not full of joy and overcoming evil the ending is peaceful and a reunion occurs between Kipps and his late wife.
For Kipps on the screen, despite being reunited with his loved one which in turn signifies his death, it is a happy ending. He is in paradise. For Kipps on the page his curse lives on. Outliving both wife and son he is plagued by the memories of their deaths and also of the time he spent at Eel Marsh House.
These are two fascinating and thoroughly enthralling pieces of entertainment. The novel pulled on every emotion, particularly the scene with Spider, the dog, which does not occur in the film. (I was glad of this omission from the film as I found the scenes in I Am Legend and Tyrannosaur concerning pet dogs difficult).
Dreading I may sound cliche I did prefer the structure in the book, however, I believe this was the most successful transition from a book to the big screen I have had the pleasure of encountering. The film terrified me and had me sinking lower into my seat, retreating from the horror before me. I most definitely would have made the film differently, had I been a director, and I would of most certainly lost money for doing so!
Woman in Black book: 5 Stars *****
Woman in Black film: 5 Stars *****
