THE LADY IN WHITE
US, 1988, 112 minutes, Colour.
Lukas Haas, Len Cariou, Katherine Helmond, Alex Rocco.
Directed by Frank La Loggia.
The Lady In White is an unusual entertainment, a fantasy and murder mystery. It begins as a memoir, goes back to 1962 when the young Frankie is a storyteller, is attacked, solves a murder mystery ten years old in his small town.
The film was written, produced, directed (and music co-composed) by Frank La Loggia. The central character is called Frank and is played by Lukas Haas (Witness, Solar Babies, See You In The Morning). Katherine Helmond appears as an eccentric old lady, Alex Rocco is his father, Len Cariou is a friend of his father and the villain.
The film is somewhat difficult to follow with its blend of reality and fantasy, memory and what if...? There are interesting special effects for the ghost sequences - and vivid stunt work for the finale.
1. Entertaining memoir? Ghost story? Murder mystery?
2. 1962 -in Willow Point Falls, the lifestyle in the town, homes, school, the more eccentric characters? The musical score?
3. The importance of the special effects, for the ghosts, for stunt work?
4. The portrait of Frankie as a little boy, his place - in the family, at school, the teacher encouraging him, telling the ghost story, the class and its response, playing with his brother Gino, the bike ride and the cement, with the classmates, their locking him in the school? The attack, the child's death? His own injury, recovery? The Christmas Mass and the sermon, the woman defying the priest? His experience of the ghost of the little girl, of the lady in white? The cliff? Sharing with Gino, the search for the ring, the boys going into the house, seeing the lady in white? His bond with his father, his grandparents? With Phil, going for the archery lessons? The realisation of the truth? The chase, the struggle on the cliff, the rescue?
5. The portrait of the family, Gino, the older brother, the bond with his younger brother, playing games, the bike ride? His discovery of the ring? Seeing the ghosts? His participation in the final struggle? The father, his support? The grandmother and her cooking, rousing on people, the grandfather and his hiding to smoke?
6. Phil and his work, friendship with the family, being around, his owning the ring, the archery session, the realisation of the truth, the chasing of Frankie, the falling over the cliff, reappearing, hanging on, the father holding onto him, his fall?
7. The mother and father of the dead child, the mother's denunciation in the church, the accused man's wife collapsing, his later being set free, the mother shooting him in the car?
8. The murder of ten years, the present death, the haunting, the lady in white and her looking for her, the old teacher and her eccentricities, sister of the lady in white, rescuing Frankie, brutally killed by Phil? The fire in the house (like Miss Haversham in Great Expectations)?
9. The opening and the autobiographical touch, the writer revisiting his childhood, the taxi-driver asking whether the events were true, his capacity for invention, what if...?
