Whistle And I'll Come To You [1968] [DVD]

If I was reviewing John Hurt’s performance only, I’d definitely have given it 5 stars. but this is a review of the film itself and whilst a younger generation may be used to movies which fail to deliver a satisfactory ending and are willing to give 4-5 stars for atmosphere alone, unfortunately I’m middle-aged and ‘old- school’. The creepy moments such as doors violently banging in the night and fleeting apparitions of a lone figure in white on a desolate miserable beach are not enough unless the ending is going to make sense.Unfortunately though, this is the BBC we are talking about and the BBC luvvies thinks their work is above the time honoured tradition of story-telling. We are treated like mere peasants and phillistines who aren’t capable of understanding true ‘art’. The film leads viewers up the garden until they can’t quite tear themselves away, convinced that the story is going to conclude with a helluva spine-chilling twist or big reveal.Instead it leaves us high and dry with a non-sensical ending and no questions answered e.g. Why was the ‘Whistle and I’ll come to you’ instruction so relevant? (She didn’t whistle... and he didn’t come to her!!) what was the significance of the ring? Whose was it? Why was the ‘ghost’ of the wife so hostile when her husband had been nothing but compassionate towards her? and most of all, why the miraculous recovery of the wife after her husbands death? -or was that supposed to be her ghost getting out of the chair? If so, why didn't she leave her physical body still sitting in the chair? This film was soooo slow too. Productions like these are the dramatic equivalent of a shaggy dog story.

I was very young when I read the classic story and I remember little, although the image of the beach apparition was what made me search for it again.So standing on its own, I found this to be a good movie, and quite scary actually.I may look up the story.

I am a fan of MR James but his work has never been translated well to TV. The biggest problem has been the efforts of preening BBC directors to put their own ' interpretation' on James' stories instead of just putting the story on the screen, Ghost Stories for Christmas adaptations being the usual offenders. This adaption is less offensive than the recent adaptation starring John Hurt,which was roundly condemned. It sticks reasonably closely to the story but much of what went to bolster the story and build the atmosphere was stripped out, presumably to allow Michael Horden to mumble a bit more.

Not what I was expecting- not a bit like the actual story

A lot more scary than modern ghost stories.

Essential folk horror tale.

I'm a big fan of John Hurt but not in this role.Under budgeting, over acting and a weal plot. Most disappointing in my opinion.

Still as haunting and unsettling as when I first saw it on TV. A splendid performance from Michael Hordern.