c594421
Having read, and thoroughly enjoyed the book, I must say that except for a few phrases and scenes borrowed from the book, the plot did not resemble that of the book. I gave it five stars for effort and atmosphere.
sdc100
I have not seen this movie yet, nor have I read the novel. In fact, I have not seen any version of this story, including the recent musical. I have this 1997 DVD though, as well as the London cast recording, both of which were gifts. That having been said, I just want to point out an error in two of the reviews...I am no fan of Hollywood, usually preferring foreign versions of most movies. Unfortunately, reviewers dad-hunter (j. hunter) from the UK and harrsman5 from Chicago have it wrong. Dad-hunter wrote, "For reasons known only to Hollywood" and ends his review with, "Badly done, Hollywood!" Harrsman5 asked, "I wondered how badly Hollywood could screw this up," and said that the movie makers "Hollywoodized" the story.This was a British production, not a Hollywood project. This is clear from the credits, as well as the IMDb.com description. It is a co-production for the BBC by Carlton International Media, Ltd and WGBH. Carlton and the BBC are in the UK, and WGBH, a PBS affiliate, can hardly be considered Hollywood. While harrsman5 may be confused by seeing it on Masterpiece Theater here in the US, I was very surprised by dad-hunter's comments since s/he is from the UK.As for critics who chastise it for not being faithful to the novel, I think it's better to rate the movie on its own merits. Many of us have never read the novel, nor plan to. When I finally view it, I will judge it based on the movie alone..
harrsman5
After reading the decent and captivating Wilkie Collins novel, The Woman in White, I wondered how badly Hollywood could screw this up. Well, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined a more horrible movie. The people who wrote the script clearly did not read the book, as they took a bunch of the major events, and instead of developing them, they Hollywoodized them. How else can you explain Anne Catherick throwing herself off a tower instead of allowing Percival and Fosco to enact their famous plot. And after the movie builds up Percival's secret, presumably leading to a shocking climax, they merely gloss over the secret and create a worthless final battle between Marian and Percival, which is comical at best. I have seen lots of bad films in my life, but never have I seen a film try so hard to be good, yet fall so incredibly on its face. This movie has no redeeming qualities!
ozcrytic
I didnt know what to expect . I only watched it on a rainy sunday afternoon on pay tv . Right from the start it drew me in . The music and settings and characters were excellent . I hadnt heard of any of the actors but they all were outstanding . A wonderful thriller .Now that ive read other comments on this movie referring to past versions and the book , i will be endeavouring to find out more on this great movie
AD
