The Woman in Black
The story follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who is ordered to travel to a remote village and sort out a recently deceased client’s papers. As he works alone in the client’s isolated house, Kipps begins to uncover tragic secrets, his unease growing when he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed only in black. Receiving only silence from the locals, Kipps is forced to uncover the true identity of the Woman in Black on his own, leading to a desperate race against time when he discovers her true identity.
Despite a mid-range budget of $32.0M, The Woman in Black became a financial success, earning $129.0M worldwide—a 303% return.
5 wins & 14 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Woman in Black (2012) exhibits precise story structure, characteristic of James Watkins's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 35 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Arthur Kipps
Sam Daily
Elizabeth Daily
The Woman in Black
Main Cast & Characters
Arthur Kipps
Played by Daniel Radcliffe
A young solicitor and widowed father sent to a remote village to settle the estate of a deceased woman, where he encounters a vengeful ghost.
Sam Daily
Played by Ciarán Hinds
A wealthy landowner and the only villager willing to help Kipps, haunted by the loss of his own son.
Elizabeth Daily
Played by Janet McTeer
Sam's wife, emotionally unstable after losing her son, who exists in a fragile mental state.
The Woman in Black
Played by Liz White
The vengeful ghost of Jennet Humfrye, seeking retribution for the loss of her child by causing the deaths of the village children.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Three young girls at a tea party simultaneously rise in a trance and jump to their deaths from a window, establishing the malevolent supernatural force haunting the village.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Arthur arrives in the hostile village of Crythin Gifford where the locals react with fear and hostility, refusing to help him and warning him away from Eel Marsh House.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 25 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 26% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Arthur crosses the causeway to Eel Marsh House at low tide, choosing to enter the decaying mansion alone despite all warnings. He commits to staying overnight to complete the paperwork., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat After Arthur sees the Woman in Black again, a village girl drinks lye and dies in agony before his eyes. Arthur realizes the ghost is causing children to kill themselves, and his presence has awakened her vengeance., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 72 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Despite Arthur's efforts to recover Nathaniel's body from the marsh, the Woman in Black appears again, proving she will never be satisfied. Arthur realizes his son Joseph is now in danger as he travels to the village by train., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 77 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Arthur reaches the train station and reunites with Joseph and the nanny. He decides they must leave immediately, understanding that the only solution is to flee the village entirely., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Woman in Black's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping The Woman in Black against these established plot points, we can identify how James Watkins utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Woman in Black within the drama genre.
James Watkins's Structural Approach
Among the 2 James Watkins films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.5, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Woman in Black takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete James Watkins filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more James Watkins analyses, see Speak No Evil.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Three young girls at a tea party simultaneously rise in a trance and jump to their deaths from a window, establishing the malevolent supernatural force haunting the village.
Theme
Arthur's employer warns him that he must complete this assignment or lose his position, underscoring the theme that one cannot escape their past responsibilities and grief.
Worldbuilding
We meet Arthur Kipps, a grieving widower and young solicitor struggling to care for his son Joseph. His wife died in childbirth four years ago, and he remains haunted by her memory. He is assigned to travel to a remote village to settle the estate of the late Mrs. Drablow at Eel Marsh House.
Disruption
Arthur arrives in the hostile village of Crythin Gifford where the locals react with fear and hostility, refusing to help him and warning him away from Eel Marsh House.
Resistance
Arthur meets Sam Daily, the only friendly local who offers him a ride. The villagers continue to shun Arthur. He learns the estate is on a tidal island, accessible only at low tide. Despite warnings, he insists on fulfilling his legal duties at the isolated house.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Arthur crosses the causeway to Eel Marsh House at low tide, choosing to enter the decaying mansion alone despite all warnings. He commits to staying overnight to complete the paperwork.
Mirror World
Arthur first sees the Woman in Black standing in the cemetery behind the house. This encounter introduces the supernatural reality that will force him to confront death and loss directly.
Premise
Arthur explores the haunted house, discovering the tragic history of Jennet Humfrye and her son Nathaniel. Strange phenomena intensify: rocking chairs move, toys activate, ghostly children appear. Each sighting of the Woman in Black triggers another child's death in the village.
Midpoint
After Arthur sees the Woman in Black again, a village girl drinks lye and dies in agony before his eyes. Arthur realizes the ghost is causing children to kill themselves, and his presence has awakened her vengeance.
Opposition
The villagers blame Arthur for the deaths. Sam Daily reveals his own son died after seeing the ghost and his wife now channels the dead children. Arthur returns to Eel Marsh House determined to end the haunting by reuniting Jennet with her son's body, lost in the marsh.
Collapse
Despite Arthur's efforts to recover Nathaniel's body from the marsh, the Woman in Black appears again, proving she will never be satisfied. Arthur realizes his son Joseph is now in danger as he travels to the village by train.
Crisis
Arthur races desperately toward the train station, knowing the Woman in Black has marked his son for death. He grapples with the horror that his attempts to appease the ghost have failed and only endangered his child.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Arthur reaches the train station and reunites with Joseph and the nanny. He decides they must leave immediately, understanding that the only solution is to flee the village entirely.
Synthesis
At the train platform, Arthur spots the Woman in Black. Joseph, entranced, walks onto the tracks as a train approaches. Arthur leaps to save him, and both are struck by the train.
Transformation
In the afterlife, Arthur and Joseph are reunited with Arthur's wife Stella, who welcomes them into the light. In death, Arthur finally finds peace and the family he lost, suggesting death as a bittersweet release from grief.