The Woman in Black is a haunting, deeply psychological movie that reveals surprising truths about the emotional consistencies of the late Victorian era and their lasting effects even in shaping the horror and cinema of today. Although the book and movie reveal very much, they leave even more content open to interpretation.
In the predecessor to this year’s blockbuster starring Daniel Radcliffe,a novel published in 1983 by author Susan Hill, strong elements of clossic Gothic literature come into play, mixing interestingly with the Jamesian characteristics that Hill incorporated into many of her works. Susan Hill drew much of her writing style from Montage Rhodes James, who lived from the mid 19th to early 20th century. Traditional ‘Jamesian’ characteristics are mainly recognized in three parts:
a. A ‘character-ful’ setting- a setting with well developed minor characters who are individually introduced and developed
b. A naive, unknowing gentleman scholar
c.The discovery of an antiquarian object that incites the wrath of some malevolent spirit
The movie adaptation released this year and named identically was fairly well recieved, and although it doesn’t have the same Jamesian characteristics as the book, it nonetheless carries meaning on its own. Unlike the book, the vengeful ghost is disturbed when a mortal sees her, most notably the ‘naive gentleman scholar’ i.e. Daniel Radcliffe. With each sighting, another child dies under mysterious and grim circumstances. Although this plot seems simpe enough, in truth there are very strong undertones that speak clearly of Victorian social standards pertaining to women. Whenever a child (or chidren) die, the mother or maternal figure has left them alone or is generally distracted. This hearkens back to when the ideal for women was the ‘Angel of the House’, a matronly, conservative, kind, and utterly devoted housewife who married, had children, and stayed generally in the house with them for the rest of her life. Accidental undertones or misogynistic message? That’s up to you to decide. Although it’s probably the former.
Alternate meanings aside, the book and the movie adaptation are surprisingly dissimilar. In the moviemakers’ attempt to make the truthfully slow story of The Woman in Black appeal to a wide demographic, they had to do away with several of teh characteristics that make the story inherently Jamesian. It was always MR James’ belief that a good horror story built, and the main force to be dealt with crept in to the story stealthily and secretly. Howeever, in the movie it starts with her influencing three children in the most overt and powerful way possible. THis total lack of subtlety, although goood for sales and for entertainment, is sthe opposite of what James, and likely Susan Hill, would have wanted for the book.
Freyja
thehauntedllama 