VHS : Woman In White

Rating: - Wonderful Adaptation (but different from the book)
No, this is not a faithful adaptation, but it is a very good adaptation. As this is a Masterpiece Theatre production, there is an introduction and a conclusion that is included, but not part of the actual film. The conclusion explains why so much of the novel was left out and explains some important plot points of the novel that were excluded from the film. This includes the the "Paris scene" as one reviewer distressingly noted--which ties up the loose ends concerning Count Fosco.

Noting that they wanted to make a 2 hour film, they did a superb job. And, really, this film would be more fun if you haven't read the book so please don't let that deter you if you haven't read the book. Actually, if you haven't read the book, I'd suggest you see the film first. That will make you go out and want to read the book immediately-- and you won't be disappointed with either!

The first two-thirds of this movie was very good; the last, superb. I thought the casting was good although, admittedly, Count Fosco was an odd choice. Still, it worked-- he had an immense amount of charm, and and immense amount of evil-- the only thing that he lacked was his immense weight.

I thought the script and the casting were perfect. Maybe the only thing that faltered a bit was the direction and I'm not certain as to what could have been better. After the climactic moment at the asylum (which completely caused chills), however, I found no fault at all in the director's work. I usually enjoy these productions a bit more than my husband and he found this film to be a five-star.

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Rating: - A grand Victorian gothic adventure, filled with madness, stratagems, love, graves and dark, dark woods
"The bad dreams always come back again like unwanted friends," says Marion Fairlie, who with her half-sister, Laura, lives in a vast mid-Victorian country estate. "And last night I found myself in Limmeridge churchyard. Normally, people who are dead stay dead, just as normally it is the criminals who are locked up rather than the victims. But then, there was nothing normal about what happened to us..." And we're off on a first-class gothic story of madness, deception and villainy, based on Wilkie Collins' great novel of Victorian mystery. It's a good idea to pay close attention, because there are plots within plots, yet they all center on a cunning and ruthless scheme which involves, what else, money, lots of money.

Marion Fairlie (Tara Fitzgerald) and her sister, Laura Fairlie (Justine Wadell) are devoted to each other. Marion is fierce and protective; Laura is softer and much more romantic. Marion has no money of her own; Laura will inherit riches when she comes of age. Marion has no marriage prospects that we know of; Laura has been pledged sometime ago to Sir Percival Glyde (James Wilby), an altogether too charming aristocrat. They are the wards of their uncle, a fussy, condescending, immensely self-centered hypochondriac (Ian Richardson). All seems to be quite routine, but then a young artist, Walter Hartright (Andrew Lincoln), is engaged to teach them drawing and artistic appreciation. And when he arrives at night to the local train station, there is no carriage, so off he sets out on foot to the estate. In the dark woods he encounters a strange woman, dressed all in white, wandering about and speaking of things he does not understand, who then disappears. Are we uneasy? Yes, and so is he and the sisters when they come to realize the strange woman looks much like Laura. Later, does love emerge between Walter and Laura? Does a bud bloom? Is there a misunderstanding that sends Walter away and results in Laura marrying Sir Percival? Does a canker gnaw? And do secrets slowly come to light about the relationships among Laura, Marian and the woman in white...do we learn to be deeply suspicious of Sir Percival's intentions...do we come to enjoy the style and manners of Sir Percival's close friend, Count Fosco (Simon Callow)...and do we eventually realize the foul depths of depravity, as well as the power of honor and true love, that humanity is capable of? Do we visit Victorian insane asylums, see falls from high towers, dig open graves in the middle of the night and watch retribution arrive amidst the roaring flames of a locked church?

Well, of course, and it's a grand journey for us.

This BBC/Masterpiece Theater program features fine acting and outstanding production values. To fit Collins' 500-plus-page novel into a television show of less than 120 minutes means a good deal had to be cut or abridged, and some changes were made most likely to achieve greater impact in the little time available. Still, taken on its own terms, the production of The Woman in White in my opinion works very well as a moody, romantic, dark television tale. Tara Fitzgerald as Marion gives a commanding performance as a woman determined to protect and then save her sister. James Wilby as Sir Percival manages the clever feat of slowly letting us see the depraved slime beneath the skin, who still has charm amidst the villainy. Ian Richardson as the young women's uncle almost steals the show. He gives such a bossy and pungent performance it almost unbalances the story every time he appears. Perhaps the weakest of the main parts is Simon Callow as Count Fosco. The Count is simply a monster, yet a supremely civilized and charming one. Collins described him as being of immense girth. Callow does a fine, mannered job of it, but to me he lacks a little of the monstrosity of evil.

At one point, Marian tells us, "My sister and I are so fond of Gothic novels, we sometimes act as if we were in them." Little did she know what was in store for herself and Laura.

The DVD transfer is fine although a little soft. There are no extras of any importance.

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Rating: - Haunting book, haunting movie
I saw this movie on the BBC some 8 years ago. It was one of the most haunting movies I had ever seen (and I've seen quite a few). The setting, plot and characters wouldn't leave my mind for weeks. Everything about this movie is great: the storyline (though very different from the book), the actors (Tara Fitzgerald does an excellent job), the acting, the setting, the camerawork and the music.
Of course, I also read the book and the book is also one of my favourite novels. But the movie is so different you'll be in for a few surprises even if you've already read the book. A well deserved five star rating!

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Rating: - mixed feelings
I read the book first and I thought this film could have been very good if it had it not deviated so much from the book just to make it more dramatic. I think it's a shame that the makers of this film felt the need to turn Sir Percival Glyde into a completely unrealistically evil man just to fit in with a more modern concept of scandal. To me a big part of the brilliance of the book was the sympathy you are made to feel for him when you discover that the real reason behind the fraud he commited (which in the book was the worst of his crimes) was based on a scandal not of his doing and of which he was the victim rather than the perpetrator. Anne Catherick's mother should have been in it too and there should have been much more of Fosco particularly towards the end....(again more like the book)

Some fantastic acting though from those who played Fosco (the most interesting character by far in my opinion) Mr Fairlie and Dr Kidson.

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Rating: - Shambles
Graves feature largely in this travesty of a film.
One grave not shown, was that of the Author, Wilkie Collins, {and the commotion therein.}

Jas.hunter2