The Ash Tree is the final M. R. James adaptation in the original series of A Ghost Story for Christmas and arguably the weakest. That is not to say however, that it isn't any good. David Rudkin's screenplay hints at the fascination with macabre "folk horror" that would later be realised fully in Penda's Fen, and Lawrence Gordon Clark's direction once again proves perfectly suited for bringing the script to the screen.
The problem with The Ash Tree ultimately lies in the fact that the brevity of both the original story by M. R. James and the television version allows little time for characterisation. The story - a period piece - sees the young Sir Richard inheriting from Sir Matthew, his uncle, a country estate, after his relative died in mysterious circumstances. Sir Richard soon starts having visions of Sir Matthew's fateful decision to order local woman Anna Mothersole hanged for witchcraft, an act that came back to haunt not only him, but also his nephew, who soon discovers the sinister significance of the old ash tree outside his bedroom window.
With a running time of slightly over thirty minutes, there is little time to explore the characters of Sir Richard, Sir Matthew or indeed Anna Mothersole, which means that the audience has little emotional investment in any of them. But that doesn't stop from the episode being just as chilling as the similarly short Lost Hearts. Again, this is largely thanks to Clark, who directs with his usual skill, making tracking shots and close-ups into tools to unnerve. The blue tinged night-shooting is a particularly nice touch, adding an even colder feeling to these scenes. Once more, Clark proves adept at making gorgeous locations look stark and unwelcoming. The masterstroke is his filming of the denouement: the weird, squeaking, baby-faced spiders are really rather eerie and Clark wisely keeps them out of full view even whilst providing some memorable tracking shots that follow them through the twisting branches of the titular tree. Despite the limitations of the special effects, the ending is terrifying.
With a story set further back in the past than previous episodes, the production benefits from the renowned expertise of the BBC's costumes and sets departments, allowing a convincing recreation of the story's period setting. Clark also assembles a fine cast, lead by Edward Petherbridge who is suitably stately as both Sir Matthew and Sir Richard. Barbara Ewing, who in an unusually adult touch for this series bares her breasts, gives a brief but memorable performance as Anna Mothersole, who condemns Sir Matthew from the gallows and turns out to keep her promises. Future Doctor Who companion Lalla Ward also appears in the small role of Lady Augusta.
The Ash Tree isn't as engaging as the previous episodes of A Ghost Story for Christmas, but it is just as scary. It therefore provides a suitable ending to a five-year annual tradition of episodes based on the short stories of M. R. James; the following year would instead see an adaptation of a ghost story by a very different writer...
The problem with The Ash Tree ultimately lies in the fact that the brevity of both the original story by M. R. James and the television version allows little time for characterisation. The story - a period piece - sees the young Sir Richard inheriting from Sir Matthew, his uncle, a country estate, after his relative died in mysterious circumstances. Sir Richard soon starts having visions of Sir Matthew's fateful decision to order local woman Anna Mothersole hanged for witchcraft, an act that came back to haunt not only him, but also his nephew, who soon discovers the sinister significance of the old ash tree outside his bedroom window.
With a running time of slightly over thirty minutes, there is little time to explore the characters of Sir Richard, Sir Matthew or indeed Anna Mothersole, which means that the audience has little emotional investment in any of them. But that doesn't stop from the episode being just as chilling as the similarly short Lost Hearts. Again, this is largely thanks to Clark, who directs with his usual skill, making tracking shots and close-ups into tools to unnerve. The blue tinged night-shooting is a particularly nice touch, adding an even colder feeling to these scenes. Once more, Clark proves adept at making gorgeous locations look stark and unwelcoming. The masterstroke is his filming of the denouement: the weird, squeaking, baby-faced spiders are really rather eerie and Clark wisely keeps them out of full view even whilst providing some memorable tracking shots that follow them through the twisting branches of the titular tree. Despite the limitations of the special effects, the ending is terrifying.
With a story set further back in the past than previous episodes, the production benefits from the renowned expertise of the BBC's costumes and sets departments, allowing a convincing recreation of the story's period setting. Clark also assembles a fine cast, lead by Edward Petherbridge who is suitably stately as both Sir Matthew and Sir Richard. Barbara Ewing, who in an unusually adult touch for this series bares her breasts, gives a brief but memorable performance as Anna Mothersole, who condemns Sir Matthew from the gallows and turns out to keep her promises. Future Doctor Who companion Lalla Ward also appears in the small role of Lady Augusta.
The Ash Tree isn't as engaging as the previous episodes of A Ghost Story for Christmas, but it is just as scary. It therefore provides a suitable ending to a five-year annual tradition of episodes based on the short stories of M. R. James; the following year would instead see an adaptation of a ghost story by a very different writer...