In 2012, it was also adapted into a film starring Daniel Radcliffe by the revitalised Hammer Horror film studio, but this was largely a forgettable experience, relying too much on unbelievable CGI and stereotypically creepy child actors. In this version, the Woman In Black looks less like a person and more like a clichéd, digitised Hollywood hag, and everything that follows therefore lacks nuance.
What makes it so unique
For lead actor Rawlins, the reason the 1989 TV version remains the best adaptation of Hill’s celebrated novel is primarily due to its innate Britishness. “It was like stepping back into the Victorian era, and Herbert wise really captured the drabness of those times,” he says, “which makes the world feel so much more alive and the hauntings then so much more believable.”
Characters refer to drinking beef tea to get better; the environments (which make clever use of real rural locations like Essex’s Osea Island and the Wiltshire village of Lacock doubling for Crythin Gifford) look genuinely lived in; and celebrated screenwriter Nigel Kneale deftly captures the colloquialisms of the era through his dialogue, with characters speaking to one another with genuine warmth (for example, one says, “we weren’t blessed” when referring to never having children). Subsequently, you don’t doubt you’re seeing something real unfold.
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“I remember walking on set and being absolutely blown away by what the art department had achieved in terms of all the little details,” Rawlins recalls. “There’s incredible restraint, and the scares all build so slowly. I was just lucky to be in such a great production as my first proper leading role.”
The naturally humble actor, who went on to play Harry Potter’s father in the popular wizarding franchise, tends to downplay his own performance. Yet it’s a big reason why the 1989 The Woman In Black packs such a mighty punch. In every scene, Rawlins’ gaze is filled with the perfect mixture of anguish and empathy. The way he looks at The Woman In Black is ultimately what makes the viewer feel a little bit of sorrow for this ghost and, as he descends into madness, you want to give this struggling father of two a hug and tell him to keep going.
Rawlins insists: “Look, it was very easy for me, because whenever Pauline appears you just had to look at her to get chills. I think another reason it’s so successful as a production is how dreary it all looks. We were filming in cold weather, with Pauline wearing long johns and thermals under her Victorian corset. With all the wet tomb stones and foggy clouds, it all adds up to a very authentically British ghost story!”
