Customer Reviews

Wyvern Mystery [VHS]

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"The Wyvern Mystery" is from the PBS "Mystery!" series, based on J. Sheridan Le Fanu's gothic novel of the same title published 1869. It stars Derek Jacobi, Naomi Watts, Jack Davenport, and Iain Glen.

The story is aptly convoluted (but changed to suit the running time, especially the latter half of the film). Being orphaned, Alice Maybell (Watts) is brought to the mansion of austere Squire, Henry Fairfield (Jacobi), who locks up her in the dreary wing. Grown-up Alice is wooed by the Squire, but finds a new and secret love in one of the Squire's son, Captain Charles Fairfield (Glen). They find a new home in Carwell Grange, bleak house where no one visits except Charles's brother Harry (Davenport), but there is another secret hiding in this place, which sooner or later Alice is to find out behind the wall of her secluded room.

Le Fanu's original story is so complex particularly in the last one-third of the novel, so the film changed the whole story into more conventional form. That works to some extent, even though the spooky touch of this Irish writer, who really led a hermit-like life in his country, is somehow missing from the result. But the good acting from the leads, and the effective costumes and locations help us to be enticed to the gothic world, where the heroine is gradually threatened by weird things and the mental depression as their consequences. And Naomi Watts looks splendid in costume. Her fans should not miss it.

Le Fanu's most famous (and best) novel will be "Uncle Silas" which was also filmed (under the title of "The Dark Angel", not to be confused with Jessica Alva TV) early in the 1990s starring Peter O'Tool.

Irish/French writer J. Sheridan Lefanu's novel "Carmilla" about a female vampire is his most famous work but he wrote a number of captivating Gothic novels dealing with ghosts and mystery. The Wyvern Mystery is a long and complicated work of psychological female fear, especially regarding losing children to a "monster" both within the woman herself or from a powerful "other". Naomi Watts - in Victorian garb- stars as the quintessentially Gothic heroine. She is somewhat naive about the world at first but develops into a mature and valiant woman who protects her family. All the elements of Gothic novels are present in this film brought to life by evocative cinematography and visuals. Fog, mist, eerie moonlight, strange noises, secrets, suspense, Gothic mansions and of course blood. Discover the Wyvern Mystery on this DVD edition. It first aired in the UK via the BBC and was featured in PBS's Mystery! hosted by veteran British star Vanessa Redgrave.

True. This formulaic and mainstream horror/mystery film is nothing like the longer and more psychologically chilling LeFanu novel. There have been many alterations which actually weaken the writer's intentions. LeFanu wrote not only supernatural thrillers involving vampires, ghosts and people behaving monstrously but was writing about repressed sexualities and fears of the unknown. In the 19th century, Gothic novels and romances were highly popular, especially among women. However, while romance was the biggest factor in the novels at first, it later became novels of darker themes. If you like this movie and you looked the book, you should read other LeFanu novels as well as such early Gothic novels as "The Castle of Otranto" and "The Monk". Both of these novels would make awesome horror films.

An amazing cast did this movie proud. Naomi Watts acted her heart out, and even if her accent sounds a little more Australian than English, she still did well, being utterly believeable in her role; indeed, the whole cast acted as if vying for an Oscar. Jack Davenport was as enigmatic as usual, of course.

An interesting, fast-paced storyline keeps the interest, and there are thrills and dramas aplenty. I would highly recommend this British movie to anyone who likes mysteries and Gothic thrillers.

I haven't read the book this is based on, so I can't comment on how it compares to the book. Judging by the other reviews, it would appear that it is actually an advantage not to read the book first, because doing so seems to jade people's opinions of the movie. But that so often happens with book-to-movie transitions, doesn't it?

This gothic horror tale has more plot twists, many unexplained, than the maze at Hampton Court. There is much promised, but sadly little delivery of what could have been a well above average story. Some of the tale is implied in fevered flash-backs. At times it is not only hard to tell who is having them, but whether they represent real or imagined events. The answer to both is a definite: maybe.
The costuming and atmospheric setting is worth seeing. The cast is stellar. Naomi Watts, looking like a Nicole Kidman clone; the ever dependable Derek Jacobi; and the always facinating Iain Glen; and newcomer Jack Davenport; all give exceptional performances in spite of a convoluted and confusing script. I read the book in an attempt to tie up the loose ends of the story. The movie and the book are quite similar until the last one third. Though it did explain some of the subtext and started out as a fascinating and eerie tale, it never lived up to its potential. A wonderfully evil and vengeful "bump in the night", is dispatched half way through and the story meanders to its somewhat predictable conclusion over 11 years. They tightened the ending of the movie to four years and gave a small sense of redemption for the squire (Jacobi.) Maybe it lost its umph in the editing room. There are two continuity errors that bothered me. Two blue eyed parents cannot have a brown eyed child (that's genetics) how does the penniless Alice afford to keep her lady's maid?? But I pick nits. See it if you love great acting, beautiful scenery, plot twists and eerie gothic tales. (Anyone who saw Painted Lady with Helen Mirren and Iain Glen will recognize the lovely house that stands in for "Carwell Grange" as the same one.)

Back in 2000 I watched the Masterpiece production of Sheridan LeFanu's THE WYVERN MYSTERY, a period drama. Fortunately this milestone of the Gothic ghost story/thriller/romance has been released on DVD. The Wyvern tale incorporates all the important features of similar stories that were later published. A great and forbidding house/castle/mansion where a young bride/governess is greeted by a dour housekeeper/bevy of servants who seemed to harbor a secret or two. An unused upstairs wing, something or somebody behind a locked door. And a madwoman in the attic and/or a previous mistress of the dark, old house. Anything sound familiar?

Sheridan LeFanu (1814-1873), the author of THE WYVERN MYSTERY, was heavily influenced by Ann Radcliffe, the most popular and best paid novelist of 18th century England. Radcliffe "added suspense, painted evocative landscapes and moods or atmosphere, portrayed increasingly complex, fascinatingly-horrifying evil villians, and focused on the heroine and her struggles with him." LeFanu, an Irishman of Hugenot ancestry, passed the bar but never practiced law: he preferred to write historical novels promoting the old Jacobite cause and fashionable Gothic tales.

In 1839 LeFanu wrote A CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF THE TYRONE FAMILY, a Gothic tale that may have influenced Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. He reworked this novel, changing the locale from Ireland to England to satisfy his publisher and an English audience. The story became THE WYVERN MYSTERY (1869).

This PBS production stars a young and beautiful Naomi Watts as Alice, the ward of Squire Fairfield (Derek Jacobi). To escape the unwanted attention of the squire, Alice elopes with his older son Charles (Iain Glen).
Think of Thornfield Hall (JANE EYRE-1847) and Manderley (REBECCA-1938) as Alice approaches her new home Carwell Grange. Visit the unused wing of Carwell painted all in black...and don't be too frightened when Alice discovers its strange occupant. And revel for Alice's efforts at the end when she outwits her husband's younger brother (Jack Davenport) who tries to circumvent the laws of inheritance and primogeniture.

A companion piece on PBS.org for THE WYVERN HOUSE includes a witty essay by one Ron Miller who proposes that WYVERN is a mystery of the "old dark house" genre. He ends the discussion: "Even after some 150 years, you can still find mysteries that echo back to the days of Sheridan LeFanu and THE WYVERN MYSTERY. By now, though, you'd think young women would know enough to stay away from houses with names."

It was by accident that I stumbled upon this movie and I must say, it is a well-made gothic period drama. Alice, an orphan is taken in by the Squire of Wyvern, and she grows up to be a beauty who attracts the unsavory attention of the aging Squire. Unbeknownst to him, Alice [Naomi Watts] is in love with his eldest son, and the both of them elope, earning the wrath of the Squire. The newly married couple move to Carwell Grange, a mysterious old house with dark sections that seem to indicate the presence of someone else and this arouses Alice's curiosity.

There are shades of "Rebecca" here, though this is based on J Sheridan Le Fanu's work in 1869. There are a host of sinister characters in this story - the old Squire who lusts after his young guardian, the mysterious other occupant of Carwell, maids who seem to know more than they should, and all of these enhance the gothic feel of the period drama. The charming shots of the bucolic English countryside contrasts with the doom and gloom that permeates Carwell and Alice's increasing paranoia that something is dreadfully wrong. She suffers two great losses - that of her husband and infant son, and at first attributes it to fate, but as time passes she begins to realise that more sinister forces are at work.

The pacing of the plot is excellent - there is sufficient time allotted to the setting of the story, development of characters and building of suspense. The end result is a satisfying gothic mystery, and Naomi Watt's performance as the anguished Alice is very credible and deserves praise. She is a talented actress indeed. The other characters also do their roles justice. All in all, this production will appeal to those who are fans of period dramas and mysteries.

This is an excellent and most intruiging period drama. It has a chilling twist to it that has left me captivated ever since I saw it on television in England when first shown (spring of 2000). I have eagerly awaited it's coming out on DVD and can't wait to get it home and share it's wonderful, disturbing contents with my loved ones....

I was fairly disappointed in this movie. I love period dramas and British mysteries and I was hoping for a gothic treat. I also was interested in seeing Naomi Watts again since I enjoyed her performance in Painted Veil. I really wanted to like this movie but found the script sorely lacking and the performances mediocre. As a generic Hollywood offering, the piece was mildly entertaining but certainly not on par with other offerings in the genre. This DVD was suggested by Amazon based on my previous BBC purchases. Though the credits state that this film was "associated with BBC", I wouldn't recommend this for the average BBC viewer. It doesn't even come close to that level of quality. I would have felt less critical if I had picked this DVD up used at Blockbuster, but I was expecting much more based on the association with other high quality films. If you enjoy BBC films like Bleak House, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, The Black Heath Poisonings, Jane Eyre, Barchester Chronicles etc, then you may want to pass on this one.

I had just finished the book by J.S. La Fanu and inserted the DVD,wondering how close the DVD would follow the book. What a sad disappointment. In no way did the dvd even come close to the book, in fact I so surprised to see how they distorted the story line, which was very interesting in the printed word.
The screen writer should be ashamed in knowingly substituting an isipid story line in place of a well written plot.

I cannot say how a viewer would react when viewing the DVD without reading the book.

Personally this DVD was a disaster and J.S. La Fanu would be justified in rolling in his grave.

Robert Lyons
Reno, Nevada