STAGE VERSUS SCREEN: The Woman In Black

As those of you who read my review of The Woman In Black film back in February may well remember, I, perhaps unfairly, spent a healthy paragraph or two of my word count referring to other adaptations of the same story. In particular- the play. 

See here: http://assortedbuffery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/film-review-woman-in-black.html

Having been aware of both the original novel and of the Fortune Theatre show for some time, I found it difficult to totally immerse myself in the film without imagining the stage production as a reference point. An irritating insisted on piping up in my head after every jump- always asking the same question. I wonder how they do that in the play?

I’m thrilled to say that last week I was finally able to find out.

Being both a huge fan of being scared as well as an over analytical nerd, there was no way I was going to turn down an offer to watch one of the scariest plays of all time whilst attached to a heart rate monitor. Not a chance.

Watch one of the West End’s most successful plays, you say? Lay all your technical wonderings about the performance to rest whilst taking part in a detailed experiment into its exact emotional and psychological effects?

I’m there.

Heart rate monitor aside, the play itself is wonderful. It has been lovingly and cleverly adapted from Susan Hill’s original tale of a London solicitor tasked with organising the papers of a deceased countryside lady with a spooky home and an even spookier past. Every minute of the script is totally controlled and well-oiled, as well it might be after such a long and successful run. The play within a play concept, a structure not utilised in the film, gives a tidy framework to the action as well as space for a valuable suspension of disbelief. And in a theatre, where the lights are only ever dimmed rather than turned off, I think this idea is nothing short of genius. The rehearsal scenes this gives us, helped along by perfectly honed performances from David Acton (Arthur Kipps) and Ben Deery (The Actor) can add the comic relief which works so well in the horror genre, relaxing you only to build up the next scare.

It really is superbly well put together.

Not that you’ll have much time to sit and ponder all this during the play itself of course- your mind will be on other things. It is a scary play, yes. It will make you jump more than you’re ready for- no matter how brave you think you are. But it’s also scary in a way I didn’t expect. A way I think is really, really interesting and rarely achieved so well. 

You’re scared because you’re waiting to be scared. 

The only other time I’ve been scared in that way in a theatre was at a production of Richard III in Coventry, in which several of his High Evilness’ (I suspect that won’t catch on) masked and genuinely terrifying henchmen wandered through the audience at random, hitting the backs of chairs with a baseball bat. With The Woman In Black, the jump you’re waiting for is of course not a bulky weapon wielding soldier, but a ghostly, black shrouded woman. You know she will appear at some point, but you don’t know when or where.

I remember thinking, along with inward relief that I hadn’t ended up in an aisle seat, that this is something that just isn’t there in the film, and indeed in any film, as seeing a horror film at the cinema is a wholly different experience. True, some of the shocks are bigger and better through the magic of special effects, but I think that’s because they have to be. Even in today’s 3D cinema world, the ghosts and ghouls of the film stay exactly where they are- nicely contained behind the screen. Nothing’s going to tap you on the shoulder. No long skirt is going to brush over your foot- in short, nothing physical is going to happen to you. 

It’s this fear which works so well in the play- a statement with which I think my heart rate monitor would agree. Having watched my ratings slowly decrease as I relaxed into the play, all of a sudden it more than doubled, setting off what I can only assume to be a panic alarm to the fury of the row behind me. 

Watching a door shut all by itself in a film? At best, unnerving, unsettling maybe. But watching a door shut all by itself a few feet in front of you? Feeling the draft even before you’re deafened by the noise as it slams itself shut? Terrifying.

So stage versus screen? Stage for me- every time.

The Woman In Black is now out on DVD.

http://thewomaninblack-movie.co.uk/

The play is on at the Fortune Theatre, Covent Garden.

http://www.thewomaninblack.com/

- Jen

FILM REVIEW: Snow White and the Huntsman

After escaping from imprisonment by Queen Ravenna, Snow White journeys into a decaying land where she realises that her destiny lies with defeating the evil queen with the help of a huntsman, a Prince and eight dwarves.

Released the same year as another Snow White tale, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman always looked like the better candidate. Moodier, darker and altogether more atmospheric than its more pantomime-y cousin, my interest was peaked early for Rupert Sanders' debut effort and I have to say, it had so much potential but fell short of delivering.

The plot is a reworking of the familiar Snow White tale although with a few added twists to keep things modern and fresh. Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is a girl famed for her beauty throughout the land and, after Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) murders her father, she is imprisoned in the tower to live out her days being watched by the Queen's creepy brother while she sleeps (a dig at Twilight perhaps? I hope so). However, after the Queen learns that Snow White is both the one who can undo the curse she has set upon the land, but also the one who can give her immortal life, Snow seizes the opportunity to escape. Although hired by the Queen to track her down and bring her back, the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) joins forces with the fugitive princess and, with the aid of her childhood friend Prince William (Sam Claflin), they seek to defeat Ravenna once and for all.

Visually, the film is stunning and Sanders, with his background in advertising, has created a rich world from the terrors of the dark forest to the sanctuary that Snow visits with the dwarves. Considerably more Middle Earth than some fairytale adaptations, the landscapes link well with the Snow White as a child of nature theme, giving the film a real earthy quality that builds well into the rest of the narrative. Charlize Theron's costumes are just fantastic and I had serious dress envy with some of the outfits that she wore, particularly near the beginning of the film. But unfortunately, even the most impressive special effects, creepy granite soldiers and beautiful foliage could not disguise that what the film was really lacking was a decent script to go along with it.


When you're told continually that a character is fiery and rebellious, you expect to see it. Admittedly, Kristen Stewart is good with what she's given, displaying a decent English accent and more facial expressions than Twilight ever allowed, the screenplay doesn't give her anything to do outside of running after Chris Hemsworth (which, as occupations go, isn't the worst) and shout a bit when given a speech. We're meant to believe that the titular characters are sparking off each other, going through the traditional adversarial banter before admitting to themselves they actually quite like each other, but it's never seen. Hemsworth is given a bit more to do and outshines his co-star considerably, showing the Huntsman's conflict whilst giving the film a much-needed sense of humour despite the slightly dodgy Scottish accent. The dwarves (eight to avoid copyright issues) also add to this with some great interplay between Hemsworth and Ian McShane and Nick Frost and Ray Winstone is the grumpier pair but even they failed to inject enough humour to rescue the po-faced affair.

I feel sorry for poor Sam Claflin too as the rebooted Prince Charming, William, who gets even less to do than Stewart; he cuts a dashing figure and displays some badass bow skills but he has all the character development of a wooden spoon. Thankfully, Charlize Theron's Ravenna gives us someone to truly get involved with, a woman torn between looking beautiful and growing old gracefully. Thankfully, she choose the former and gives a fantastic performance as a woman on the edge of both sanity and death. Snarling, shouting and emoting at all the right moments, she's easily the most memorable character in the film. Fairytales were originally morality-based, educating young girls on how to behave to get your prince (and still, insidiously, do this) so it makes sense that in our female-age-obsessed culture, we get an evil queen doing everything she can to stay young and beautiful.


Sadly, the film just doesn't build enough to warrant its bombastic, battle-fuelled climax. It feels as if there is about 20-30 minutes of the film missing, somewhere in the middle where everyone goes from being their assigned fairytale archetype to their heroic future self. Snow White herself goes from being slightly helpless maiden in the forest to experienced leader of men, giving heroic speeches and fighting off guys twice her size in the space of a scene. Her relationship with the Huntsman is frequently alluded to and Hemsworth manages to convey that he cares about her but it doesn't appear reciprocated nor built on anything seen in the formative scenes between the pair. Had the film decided to opt solely for a coming of age tale, it may have helped develop Snow White more into the fiesty heroine everyone kept describing.

Had the film had a great screenplay to go along with everything else, it could have been a truly entertaining fantasy romp. It's enjoyable enough but it's let down by a lack of development in both the characters and the plot. Sure everything looks pretty, but a glossy sheen doesn't help disguise Snow White and the Huntsman's flaws.

**

- Becky

TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Episodes 9 & 10

Well I suppose it had to happen sometime but Game of Thrones, Season 2 is finally drawing to a close and thankfully, bows out with a subtle blend of grace, style and extreme violence. Various changes to the books have meant that we're getting a leaner, much more taut version of the Song of Ice and Fire, which, when dealing with the sheer scope of George R.R. Martin's series, is no bad thing. By introducing plot points from the third book towards the end of the second season and tweaking story elements slightly, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have given us a truly fantastic send-off for the second season. And a very large, scary cliffhanger. As always, spoilers to follow.

Episode 9: Blackwater

The Battle of Blackwater was always going to be a massive deal in the second season, on which had fans of the books hoping and praying that we would get to see because, despite the clever avoidance of battles in the Season One, it left us a little disappointed. So when it was announced by Benioff and Weiss that we would be seeing Blackwater in all its fiery glory, anticipation was peaked. 


Although we didn't get a look at anyone outside of King's Landing this week, it didn't feel like we were missing out. The action was so well-focused on the lead-up to the battle and the clash itself that, for just one episode, the only thing we cared about was Blackwater. Like the audience, the characters too were waiting for this moment and the scenes leading into the battle were well-handled, building the tension nicely without detracting from it. As a fan of the books, it was amazing to hear The Rains of Castamere sung by Bronn and his men while drinking and waiting for Stannis' army to arrive. For those not in the know, The Rains of Castamere is a song that was written to honour Tywin Lannister for his defeat of the rebellious House Rayne. It appears so many times in the books that I've always wondered if the show would include it. It gave us a truly haunting scene in which we were reminded of the power of the Lannister family (something which tied into the end of the episode) but also that many of the men in that room were unlikely to survive the battle. Speaking of which...

Centurion and The Descent director, Neil Marshall, was brought in to oversee the episode and the decision proved to be inspired; the battle was visually stunning, bringing the dangers of the lurid green wildfire on to screen with explosive aplomb. Tyrion's tactics when attempting to defeat a much larger fleet of Baratheon ships than he had at his disposal was always inventive, but Marshall managed to build up a huge amount of suspense with all the misty visuals and nervous glances from either side of the pre-battle scenes. The big set-piece of the episode had to be the wildfire verses the ships with explosions and death-screams galore but even the resulting land battle didn't disappoint. Peter Dinklage again excelled as the nervous battle-leader but his speech has to go down as one of the best inspirational moments in either television or film; it was honest, real and importantly, blackly comic: "There are brave men knocking on our door. Let's go kill them!". Not going to lie, I was half-tempted to start chanting "Halfman" with everyone else.


Elsewhere in King's Landing, we got a glimpse at what happens to the ladies of the capital when the men go off to war which offered an insight into the two strongest women in the Red Keep. Lena Headey's Cersei is one of the most dimensional, fascinating characters in the series, a combination of over-protective mother and villain that you can't help but love to hate. Her speech about what will happen to the women should the city fall was nearly as good as Tyrion's with a similar vein of black humour running through it. If she doesn't win some sort of award for this season, it will be a crime. Revealing hidden depths at every turn, Headey's performance has never faltered and, despite hating Cersei as any sane person would do (she created Joffrey after all), she still remains from of my favourite characters. Likewise, Sansa, as depicted by Sophie Turner, is a vast improvement on the same character in the books; novel-Sansa is a bit of a drip, waiting to be rescued by a dashing prince despite reality screaming at her that this is not going to happen. However, the showrunners have given tv-Sansa a steely streak that sees her take on Joffrey in another great scene, manipulating him to look like a coward in front of his own men. In an episode of many cheerworthy moments, this was another standout and the scene with the Hound and the doll her father gave her in the first season was simply heartbreaking.


With only one episode left of the season, the end of Blackwater left me wondering whether it would be enough to tie up all the loose ends for the various different characters. After all, the widening scope of the narratives meant we had chief characters scattered to all corners of the Westerosi map, each with their own troubles to come. Also, it would have to be one stellar episode to top Marshall's efforts because, in my mind, it's been the best episode of the entire series. I needn't have worried though.


Episode 10 - Valar Morghulis


So this is it, the final episode of the second season and, while it didn't quite live up to the drama and spectacle that was Blackwater the week before, we got a fantastic set-up for everything that there is to come in Season Three. After focusing solely on King's Landing for the last episode, this one saw us take in all the sights of the current season, travelling from north of the Wall to Qarth and everywhere in between.


It was a fairly tall ask for Valar Morghulis as it had to establish where each character was going for the third season, while resolving any loose ends that there may be. Benioff and Weiss were back on scripting duties this week so everyone was in good hands and got the ending they deserve. Especially Theon Greyjoy. Surrounded by Northmen and with only twenty Ironmen to help him out, Theon was in a tight spot and despite being told by Maester Luwin that now would be a good time to leg it, he decided to stay. Alfie Allen's performance has grown on me considerably and whilst I still don't like the character (I don't in the books either), Theon's tantrum cemented the whole daddy-issues side to his personality and as such, influenced his decision to march his men toward certain death. Now a prerequisite for any leader heading into battle, the exiled Greyjoy gave his own inspirational speech that was both dramatic and hilarious, especially with its unexpected end. Poor Theon. 


Back in Qarth, we finally got to see Dany take on Pyat Pree and Xaro Xhoan Daxos to get her dragons back by entering the House of the Undying. Trippy and weird, it was also essential to Dany for realising what she truly wants; to be reunited with her dragons and take back the Iron Throne. As if we couldn't guess. However, it was great to see Khal Drogo back for a short appearance in what was one of the best scenes of the episode. Although it had a horrible, rapey beginning, the romance between Dany and Drogo was really quite sweet and I know the unexpected ending upset a fair few people who hadn't read the books. Sadly though, I think Dany in the television show is going the same way as Dany in the books; I didn't miss her storyline when it was gone and I must admit, nearly forgot she was in it at all because her narrative develops so slowly. I don't think it's the fault of either Emilia Clarke (who is fantastic throughout) or the writers, but more the inevitability of Dany's storyline; we all know that she's almost certain to fly in on her dragons and burn half of Westeros to a crisp so we're all waiting for that to happen rather than watch the journey that gets her there.



The most compelling scenes of this episode, though, were the ones that took place north of the Wall with us checking in on both Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly. Last we saw of the bastard, he was held captive along with Qhorin Halfhand by Ygritte and the wildlings, but as we saw previously, it was the Halfhand's plan to get Jon to infiltrate the wildlings and gain their trust. His killing of Qhorin sparks off a crucial time in the life of Jon Snow and it's going to be really interesting to see how Kit Harington manages the internal struggle of a man with loyalties divided. He has given a good performance up until now but the third season will have to see him kick it up a notch. That being said, the interaction with Rose Leslie's Ygritte has injected some life into the Snow storyline and the two actors have a great chemistry. But the biggest scene of the episode belonged to unlikely hero Sam as he, Grenn and the impressively-monikered Dolouros Edd discover that something's coming for them. The White Walkers have always been a more-or-less unseen threat, we know they're bad and nearly unstoppable but we haven't seen a whole lot of them. Well it looks like that's about to change as the final shot of the season reveals an absolute ton of the buggers and my, how creepy are they? Beating last season's dragon-birth cliffhanger by a country mile, Benioff and Weiss have given us a massive set-up for the next season.

Although these were the biggest moments of the episode, honourable mentions must also go to Arya and Jaqen's final scene in which we discovered what being a Faceless Man really means and this encounter is also a big part of Arya's narrative arc. She spends a lot of the third book walking around so I hope she doesn't befall the same fate as Dany and become less interesting as a result. Bran and Rickon are heading north to the Wall after escaping the burning of Winterfell and their farewell to Maester Luwin in the Godswood was slightly tear-inducing. We also saw the eldest Stark, Robb's wedding to Tulisa, thus voiding his pact with Walder Frey to marry one of the many Frey daughters. Trust me when I say that this is going to be a BIG deal when it comes to the third season. A Storm of Swords is my favourite book of the series so far and if the show continues with its current high quality, then the audience is most definitely in for a treat.


I can't be alone in already counting down the days until that season airs. But for now, I'll leave you all with this:

- Becky