The Woman in White (1948)

9.15.2021 Written by: Elizabeth DeGroate

Photo Credit: Warner Brothers Studios

This movie, The Woman in White, was responsible for the beginning of the murder mystery genre. There were many facets- Money, murder, supernatural elements, romance, and human control.

The Horror-Thriller genre was groundbreaking and started by Wilkie Collins- the author of the novel of this movie's same name, as well as the first modern detective novel, The Moonstone. The sourcebook, written in 1859, allowed the movie to be created and was set in Gothic Victorian-era England. Control, power, money, and murder are the key elements of The Woman in White.

This classic film noir movie intends to have a dark and sophisticated plot of murder-for-money, but the film falls a bit flat. What starts out as a possible supernatural elemental film quickly gets debunked leaving the audience with more questions than answers (why was this woman running around in the dark after escaping the asylum in all-white? Why return at the end of the day?) As for Count Fosco, he gets married- where did they meet? Was she in on the plot from the beginning, or did she discover it later on?)

For her double role as both Ann Catherick and Laura Fairlie, Eleanor Parker's performance was superb- the best of the cast. She had found the delicate balance of one locked in an insane asylum [without being overacted and harmful to those who suffer from mental illness], and that of being fully functional but no one believes you as Ann. As for Laura? She was fine in her high-class society role as a love interest to Walter Hartright (and Percival Gayle).

Walter Hartright (Gig Young) is a charming, smooth young painter who is exactly what you would expect in such a film. He's open and warm to Ann when he first meets her (one of few to treat her with kindness). While not one-dimensional, his character is not fully fleshed out leaving much to be explored about him. He seems to only appear when it's convenient to the plot.

The villains in this film are not of the standard cackling villains of old, but instead are charming, devious, cold creatures who think of nothing but the end goal- no matter the means to achieve it. These are villains of modern times- those who actually exist. Poisoning a loved one for money which makes this movie a horror film indeed.

Director Peter Godfrey used black and white to his advantage. His use of shading was masterfully used to express emotions- darkness, brooding, and mystery throughout the film. The scenes in the house are dark (those that are in the house are dressed in black, the wallpapers are dark, and the decor is dark) as they speak about the Woman in White, the darkness expressing secrecy and lies. The Forest was at night (in the dark) to begin this story of mystery and intrigue.

The scenes of romance are in the daytime where colors are light and bright- There is nothing to be worried about when around those who love you. They are there to protect.

The outfits are chosen to portray a sense of light and darkness- of purity and pollution. In the scene of Mr. Hartright and Laura being spied on through the looking glass by Count Fosco, they have a tiff in the garden- Mr. Hartright is helping her learn to draw better and he gets upset that she's 'not trying' to which she is upset that he thinks she is wasting his time. This contrasts greatly with her initial outfit (and attitude) when meeting when she was in all-white and she was so pure of temper. It is here that Hartright wears his all-black outfit (this time with a neutral sport jacket) & Laura has on her black bonnet and neutral dress with black/dark plaid design. The colors of their outfits express their confused emotions of lightness (happiness), and darkness (confusion and fear). They share a loving kiss (the music is romantic once more). Afraid of his (or her own) feelings, she runs off on the property, leaving him behind. Dressed similarly they are sharing similar confused emotions. Part of her confusion? She is engaged to Sir. Percival Glyde (John Emery).

All in all, a lot of the mystery of the movie is left unsaid. Enough is stated to follow along, but at times it feels as though we the viewer are left confused. As a moviegoer, I would have liked to see more of an in-depth fleshing out of the story, but considering the source material, it may not have been there (I admit I have not read the book). For an initial entry into the horror-thriller genre, it is not a bad film, but not one that I can see gravitating towards often.