Unit 26.2 - Old films to new

The Woman in Black (1989 and 2012 versions)

What type of genre are they?
Both of the two versions are horror, gothic literature and tragedy. It's horror because of the setting as Eel Marsh House is set on a remote island a little way off from the village of Crythin Gifford and there is a haunted spirit who's still there in the shadows and many, if not all, of the characters in the village are unwelcoming, conservative, and unclear in the answers that they give to Arthur. The idea of The Woman in Black was first made in to a book so it can also be thought as Gothic literature as the Woman in Black is (obviously) dressed all in black and wearing a veil which people consider as gothic. It's a tragedy also because there is a lot of death in the films because when The Woman in Black is seen a child from the village dies and in the first scene in the 2012 version; three children commit suicide by jumping out of a window at the same time. And in the 1989 one the ending scene is of Arthur and his family dying after being crushed by a tree caused to fall because of The Woman in Black.


Who produced and directed the two films?
1989
The director for the first version in 1989 was Herbert Wise, who has also directed the movies; 'Breaking the Code', Skokie and 'The Gathering Storm' and the producer was Chris Burt.

2012
For this 2012 contemporary version, the director was James Watkins who has directed 'Bastille Day' and most recently the TV series 'McMafia' and the producers were three men called Simon Oakes, Richard Jackson and Brian Oliver.

Do they have any stars?
1989
Adrian Rawlins, who also appeared in the 2015 sequel of the 2012 version, plays the lawyer called Arthur Kidd who is sent by his firm to go and settle the estate of a recently deceased woman called Alice Drablow to be able to move the house on to someone else. Bernard Hepton plays the local land owner, Sam Toovey who is pretty unwelcoming to Arthur because of the fact that he is the man who has to deal with the Drablow estate and Bernard Hepton has acted in 'Colditz' and 'Get Carter'. Pauline Moran is the actress who plays the Woman in Black, and she is the sister to the woman who owned the house and stole her son from her when she was deemed unfit to raise him, and she has also played characters in 'Byron' and a long running TV series called 'Poirot'.


2012
In this 2012 version Daniel Radcliffe plays the main character, Arthur Kipps, who is a lawyer sent to Eel Marsh house and Radcliffe is most famous for his leading role as Harry Potter. Ciarán Hinds plays Sam Daily, who is the wealthiest man in the village and helps Arthur out a lot during the film, has played characters in 'Harry Potter', 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy', and 'Game of Thrones'. Janet McTeer plays Mrs Daily who, in the scenes that we see her in, often has what looks like a fit and it makes the film more horrific as she carves out images with knifes and rocks making foreshadowing predictions to the plot. Liz White is the actress who plays Jennet Humfrye, also known as The Woman in Black and she haunts the house and the village of Crythin Gifford and whenever somebody sees her, however briefly, the nearest child dies and Liz White has appeared in British TV series like 'Call the Midwife' and 'Ackley Bridge'.

What certificate did the film receive?
1989
This 1989 Woman in Black received an age rating of 15 because of all the haunting and the death that happens throughout the course of the film.

2012
The 2012 version received a 12A certificate because the BBFC decided that audiences who were aged 12 and above would find certain scenes thrilling but not off-putting enough whereas audiences who are under the age of 12 would probably find them disturbing and upsetting as there's a lot of death and some graphic scenes including a woman hanging herself and children committing suicide and children under the age of 12 are young and won't have experienced as much as adults would have done before seeing this film.


The budget assignment for the films and where did it come from?
1989
The budget for the 1989 version was unknown on Wikipedia and IMDB. It is unknown on Wikipedia and IMDB but because the production company was Granada televesion, which is what is now known as ITV, I think that it is fair to assume that the funding would have come from England.

2012
The budget that was granted to the filmmakers was $15 million US dollars so the funding must of come from the United States.


Which production company/ies made the film?
1989
In The Woman in Black, 1989 version, the production company who made the film was 'Granada Television', which is now know as ITV, and they have made films such as 'Bloody Sunday' and 'My Left Foot'.

2012
The production companies that made the Woman in Black, 2012 version, were Alliance Films who have made films like 'Insidious' and 'Sinister' and then also Hammer Films who have made 'Let me in' and 'The Quiet Ones'.