The Woman in White (1982– ) User Reviews

Really surprises

[eigaeye · 9/10 · 23 August 2012]

Let me endorse the other positive reviews of this program. The telling of the story is genuinely suspenseful, and just when other dramas of this ilk typically start to loose vigour or founder on their accumulated implausibilities, 'The Woman in White' steps up to a higher tempo and becomes even more intriguing. The cast are outstanding, all the way down, and the production values excellent. The only drawback is that the images in this DVD, of a program first aired in 1982, appear a bit soft and the colours a little muddy. During the first few minutes, I feared this would detract from my enjoyment, but I found the acting so strong and the story so well told that the technical shortcoming paled into insignificance. The series will repay repeated viewings because the plot is intricate, and you may not get all the connections on the first run through.

Faithful but not definitive

[keith-moyes-656-481491 · 7/10 · 2 September 2010]

The Woman in White was a Victorian pot-boiler with a startling plot twist half way through, that could be cited as the first true detective novel (although this designation is usually reserved for The Moonstone). It has generated a number of stage, movie and TV adaptations.

A comparison of this version with the one made in 1997 highlights the crucial difference between movies based on books and book adaptations - which are usually in the form of a TV mini-series.

A movie is seen at a single two hour sitting and has to grab the audience at the very beginning, take them on an engrossing journey, deliver a climax and then wrap things up in five minutes. This sort of structure is bred in the bone of a good screenwriter but is rarely found in novels.

A TV mini-series is viewed an hour at a time (much as books are read), so it doesn't have to hurry from plot point to plot point and can sustain a much more diffuse dramatic structure. It can get the most out of each scene and then just string those scenes together so that the whole thing takes as long as it takes.

The Woman in White is a long book that was originally published in monthly parts. The 1997 version shows that it is possible to condense the essential story elements into a concise two hour drama but only if there are major changes. This is because the book presents a movie screenwriter with some huge problems.

The story is compiled from the first hand testimonies of a number of different people. The hero disappears for half the novel and plays no part in the rescue of the heroine. The central plot twist is only recounted retrospectively. There are two villains, one of whom dies a hundred pages before the end of the book while the other is defeated only by the sudden intervention of a character that hasn't appeared since the opening chapter. Moreover, the story is continually changing tack. It starts as a romance and a mystery, abruptly turns into a thriller and then morphs into a detective story. In short, it breaks every rule of good screen writing.

However, like other Nineteenth Century doorstop novels, it is not the sort of story you want to rush through just to find out what happens in the end.

This production cannot replicate the multiple viewpoints of the book, so it reorganizes the material into strict chronological order. Its five part structure preserves the episodic nature of the book and presents the meandering story much more faithfully then any of the other versions still available today. Ideally, it would have gone even farther. For example, the half way point in the book is only reached mid way through the penultimate episode, so the second half of the story is a bit of a scramble. It might have been better to have planned it as 12 half-hour episodes.

My only real regret is that it is not as well made as it might have been. I found I was constantly pausing to reflect on how scenes might have been re-written and the material might have been better organized to tell the story more effectively. I was also very conscious of the limitations of shooting on videotape rather than film. While the story is strong enough to survive almost any inadequacies in the production, I found this adaptation a bit short on drama, atmosphere and tension.

The performances are variable. Daniel Geroll is a good actor and has subsequently had a very successful career, both on stage and screen, but his Walter Hartright seemed a bit drippy to me. Jenny Seagrove and (especially) Diana Quick are both fine in their relatively undemanding roles, but Alan Badel is only passable in the crucial role of Count Fosco. Of course, he is not physically right for the part, but that isn't important, because Fosco's corpulence is not essential to the character. A more serious reservation is that Badel does not fully capture either the intelligence or the poisonous politeness of the man and lacks both charisma and a sense of menace (I must check out the movie version to see what Sidney Greenstreet did with the part). Other actors are competent rather than striking and only Ian Richardson really stands out. His Mr Fairlie was so memorable that it is no surprise that he was invited to play the part again in the 1997 version.

If you want a coherent, exciting two-hour drama then that 1997 production is probably the one I would recommend. But be warned: it departs radically from the book in many places.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a 'warts and all' dramatization of the story, very much as Willkie Collins wrote it, you cannot do better than this version. I don't think it is as good as other IMDb reviewers have suggested, but I still found it enjoyable and I wouldn't want my reservations to discourage anyone who loves the book from giving it a view.

However, the definitive Woman in White is still waiting to be made.

An excellent adaptation. Very faithful. Of its time but charming and enjoyable.

[mickman91-1 · 7/10 · 17 November 2021]

While this is very much of its time - a low budget 80s television adaptation - it is highly commendable. It has a long runtime so the novel is covered in full. Although it is stuffy and everything you expect of early British tv adaptations, the characters actually really come to life and it's one you remember long after having seen it. I think the 2018 version is a better production - it gets the tone and atmosphere of the novel really accurately that this one is missing because of the lack of production budget. But the characters are more memorable in this version and it is more charming because of its age. It is also available on YouTube. Both are very faithful and thorough adaptations. Skip the 1997 version . Too short and poor in most regards.

underrated classic

[LenB · 3 September 2002]

I saw this 1978 BBC production when it was rebroadcast in the early 1980s on US television. (PBS, I think, or possibly A&E.) It has remained 'stuck' in my mind ever since.

From the understated elegance of the acting and production design to the fabulous adaptation of the original novel, this miniseries is and ought to be a classic. Walter Gerroll and Jenny Seagrove are incredible, and the gentleman who plays Count Fosco is as gently creepy as you could want-- but the one who really steals the show is Diana Quick. Strong and determined, she becomes more beautiful the better you get to know her. Seagrove has the 'looks,' but Quick has the character.

A wonderful series.

The best version of the book and outstanding as a dramatisation too

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 5 January 2014]

As an adaptation The Woman in White(1982) is very faithful to the book(which is a masterpiece)- not that that is essential when it comes to adapting source material- without too faithful or bogged down, it is also the only adaptation of the book that does that. As a dramatisation it is outstanding and one of the better period dramatisations of the 80s, with the slightly rushed final episode being its own detriment and even that is not enough to mar everything else that is so brilliant here. The script is thoughtful and tightly compressed, often sounding like the writing being lifted out straight from the pages of the book, it develops the characters very well too, Count Fosco is every bit the immoral man as he should be(while appearing to others as the opposite). The story takes its time to develop, but considering as it's a lengthy book and how far from easy to adapt it is that is beneficial. It is a good length, with all the themes and most situations intact and with all the emotional resonance, and is not too tedious at all despite the deliberate pacing. Visually it is an evocative adaptation with everything looking beautiful and in a way that you feel that you have been transported back in time to the time and place, a great atmosphere and fluid photography. It has been criticised on Amazon for being dated and poorly lit, that was not the case with me who thinks that it has held up well. The music is appropriate and lovely to hear, though sometimes the sound is on the hollow side. The direction makes the drama compelling and is sympathetic to the emotions that fill each scene. The acting is superb, especially from a strong-willed Diana Quick, Alan Badel's creepy and sinister(without forgetting the subtlety) Count Fosco and Ian Richardson's memorably languid and authoritative Mr Fairlie, every bit a nervous wreck. Jenny Seagrove is simply enchanting, Georgine Anderson has the right degree of iciness as Madame Fosco and Daniel Geroll is good too. Overall, outstanding and the best version of the book by some considerable margin. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Excellent mini!

[torimonet · 10/10 · 10 August 2005]

This version of The Woman In White is so good. I wish it was available on DVD. The casting is great, the pacing exciting, the mystery will truly hold your interest. If you get a chance to see this one take it. The part of Count Fosco is so well cast. He is truly sinister. The two women that are supposed to look alike really do, and the part of the sister is played to perfection. The invalid uncle is played exactly like he is written so obviously a hypochondriac who only cares about himself. The other characters are equally well acted.

There is no comparison between this version and the later 1997 version. I watched the 1997 version when it was first broadcast on Master Piece Theater, thinking that it was a repeated showing of this one, but was greatly disappointed when I found that not only was it not the version I loved, but that it was a very poor retelling of the story.

The best version ever!

[tajci38 · 10/10 · 21 June 2010]

Its 28 years since I watched this excellent BBC serialisation, and its memory is still fresh in my mind, from Alan Badel's wonderfully sinister Count Fosco, Georgine Anderson's icy Madame Fosco to Ian Richardson as the languid valetudinarian Mr Fairlie.. and all the other excellent characterisations from the rest of the cast. My first reaction on viewing it was to regret not possessing a video recorder, my second was to purchase the book, which I still re-read with pleasure. Please, please BBC release this on DVD or, failing that, has anyone a VHS copy made at the time of screening? This otherwise rather stingy Scotsman (!) would happily part with his money to obtain a copy...that's how good I think it is.

PS Today, July 5, I have just discovered that a DVD of this series is now available on Amazon..I've already ordered my copy!!

So glad others think like me

[annandken2 · 10/10 · 24 May 2007]

For years I have been longing to get hold of a video or DVD of this, and I share the disappointment that the BBC haven't re-released it. I agree that Alan Badel as Count Fosco was brilliant, but I also remember feeling with Walter Hartright in his astonishment at the beauty of Laura the first time he saw her, while Marian was superb as well. The casting was just right. I bought the book after watching the first episode and read it along with the series, totally absorbed by both book and TV version.

Please, please, please, BBC - let us see it again! It is one of the best things you have done that you haven't made available for watching again.

Outstanding dramatisation

[gavjw · 10/10 · 22 September 2006]

Why, oh why, has the BBC not released this version on DVD? Judging by reviews I have seen of other versions of the Wilkie Collins classic, they are pretty poor.

This version provided unmissable viewing on Wednesday evenings back in 1982, with Alan Badel as the ominous Fosco, plus the delectable Jenny Seagrove, and a frightening woman with a hairy upper lip.

This version was also memorable for the innovative camera work and visual effects -- all non-computerised.

I hope this version has not been subject to the same BBC videotape re-use programme that has lost other classics for good, such as Michael Wood's IN SEARCH OF THE DARK AGES.

DVD Available

[Moonshot_72 · 10/10 · 12 August 2010]

Reading the Woman in White was a defining moment in my life, it is without doubt one of the best books ever written, and the book I have enjoyed more than any other. About half way through reading it I discovered it had been made into a TV series and was yet to be broadcast, it sticks to the book so well and the characters are all brought to life, especially Marion and Mr Fairlie. Unfortunately some of Wilkie's humour did not translate, in particular Walter's description of Marion upon first meeting her, which in the book made me laugh out loud, it does not in the series. But never the less, the series is excellent and deserves to be seen by an audience so long denied access to it, and now at long last the DVD for this series is available. Well done BBC, you got something right at last!!

The best version by far.

[jbe-6 · 21 November 2004]

I remember watching this series twice and being utterly entranced each time that I saw it.

The series was beautifully made with great acting and a real feeling of pace and suspense. The version made in the 90s falls far short of it. The character of Fosco was just wrong and the book was left way behind in favour of a sexed-up script. The 1982 version is much more accurate and feels less modern. It stays very close to the original story. I just wish the BBC would release this on DVD - or at least show it again and give people a chance to record it.

I recommend this version! If it ever makes it onto video tape or DVD get yourself a copy you will not be disappointed! 10/10.

Great performances and great dramatization to honour a great novel.

[clanciai · 10/10 · 24 September 2017]

It's interesting to compare this version with the later briefer one of 1997, since they are so different. The 1997 rendering is more concentrated and more efficient as a dramatization, focusing on the dramatic highlights of Marion confronting the expected patient at the asylum and finding someone else, and of the church fire scene, which is the dramatic finale of the book as well; but this so much longer version of 1982 is definitely better made. It sticks to the book, is more realistic, it preserves the wonderful Victorian literary style, making the language almost as enjoyable as Shakespeare, and above all, the actors are all so much more convincing, with Alan Badel unforgettable as the absolutely splendid villain Count Fosco is. Diana Quick makes an equally real and true Marian, and Daniel Gerroll is the perfect Walter Hartright.

There are many supreme moments in this dramatization, usually offered by the book, like Walter's surprising presence at the grave, how Anne Catherick is always accompanied by music which almost throughout for the rest is silent, except when Laura is softly playing, all the secondary characters like the church warden, Gilmore, the housemaid, while perhaps the most impressive presence of all, like in the book, is the stunning performance by Mrs Catherick in only the fifth and final episode (Pauline Jameson). John Shrapnel as the gross human failure of Sir Percival Glyde, a monster of a brute, is also perfect in his monstrosity, while Alan Badel as Count Fosco will remain the character you'll always remember with relish. Alan Badel was always phenomenally personal in his performances and always dominated the whole scene, and here more so than ever. This could be his very best performance.

On the whole, I must agree with most other reviewers, that this is the definite film version of perhaps the greatest thriller classic ever written.

DVD Region 2 is available, but not yet Region 1 for US/Canada viewers

[paxveritas · 10/10 · 14 September 2017]

Because I agree with most of the reviewers' comments already submitted, I have very little to say except that Wilkie Collins' book is beautifully constructed, well written and very re- readable. It is a tremendous challenge to adapt to a 3-4 hour format, but Ray Jenkins has met the task with minimal damage to the characterizations and intricate plot lines. Kudos to him, and to the producer & director, as well as actors. And appropriately moody music.

I did find Daniel Gerroll insipid at first as Walter, but he grows on you, and by about the third time I viewed this 1978/82 version (first broadcast in '78, rebroadcast in '82), I began to appreciate his performance very much. Seagrove, the marvelous Anna Wing (Mrs. Clements (and Pauline Jameson (Mrs. Catherick) are also excellent.

Yes, it's available as a Region 2 DVD, and because I bought a Region 2 player for $30, well worth it, to play "The Green Man," which is also on Region 2 only, I can play this one, too, but not all my classic-loving American/Canadian neighbors can, without making the player purchase or complicated adjustments to their Region 1 player.

The UK continues to create superior adaptations of classics, keeping its rich literary traditions alive in so doing, although later remakes of most classics are generally inferior to the ones created in the '70s and '80s, if you're interested in seeing a film remotely in line with what the authors intended..