The Ash Tree (1975 TV Movie) User Reviews

I judge a witch

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 31 January 2019]

The Ash Tree is an atmospheric adaptation of a M R James ghost story.

Sir Richard (Edward Petherbridge) has returned from Italy to take over as the local squire after the death of his uncle.

Sir Richard has plans to marry, have children and make an extension to his stately home.

However things die in his land. He sees dead animals and birds. He also has visions of his great uncle, Sir Matthew almost has he was there with him. Sir Matthew pronounced sentence on a local woman Anne Mothersole for being a witch who was then subsequently executed. Maybe Sir Matthew had an attraction with her, but it looks like the witch cursed him and his family.

His great uncle died in murky circumstances where his blackened body was found. Sir Richard might be haunted by his great uncle or the woman who was executed as a witch and whose grave he plans to disturb. Then there is the Ash tree that needs cutting down as it is too close to his property. The tree seems to have small creatures in the dark, wailing like babies.

This is a brief adaptation mixing supernatural horror with a psychological element.

GHOST STORY FOR Christmas: THE ASH TREE (TV) (Lawrence Gordon Clark, 1975) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 23 January 2010]

Another Gothic horror story from the spine-tingling pen of M.R. James dramatized by the BBC to provide Yuletide shivers for its dedicated viewership: this episode dwells on the familiar themes of both possession (the new heir to an English title and manor relives the experiences of his ancestor) and witch-hunting (the ancestor's evidence of a middle-aged woman's transformation into a wild animal damns her to expire on the pyre but not before unleashing the proverbial curse on his successors). Edward Petherbridge, a dead-ringer for Anthony Higgins, is an appropriately confused protagonist as he shifts from one epoch to the other and, indeed, these unheralded recurrences give this particular episode a unique element of pretentious artiness missing from previous and successive episodes in this series. The real coup here, though, is the genuinely unnerving appearance of a clutch of little monsters which spring from the ash tree to devour their sleeping victim.

One of the weaker entries in the BBC series

[ebeckstr-1 · 5/10 · 28 April 2019]

The last 5 minutes of this film are very true to the creepy and unsettling MR James story. Unfortunately, the pacing of the proceeding 26 minutes is far too languid, especially given the brief 31 minute running time. There is also no score to speak of, which makes the needlessly slow pacing seem even more so. In addition, the casting and editing are equally uninspired.

One can see what they were trying to achieve by intersecting the protagonist's present-day experiences with those of his ancestor's, through some kind of cursed flashbacks, but it just doesn't work. The final minutes make the episode worth watching, but what precedes the conclusion is disappointing.

"No sweet babes shall mine be!"

[Gary-161 · 30 January 2005]

And the witch ain't whistlin' Dixie!

Legendary (because I say so) entry in the long running Ghost Story For Christmas 'series'. Another little gem from Mr Clark, meticulously and subtly weaving past with 'present', in this case around the time the novel Tom Jones was published, as it is mentioned in one scene. Don't ask me the date, my history is terrible, and I can't even blame modern schooling! Like all the previous ghost stories, you have to concentrate a little to follow the plot.

The poor chap in this evil little rustic tale is the most unfortunate in the series, being that he is haunted by both his ancestor and the women he had wronged. He has a portent of his own doom, and is his own marionette, leading himself to a fate you wouldn't wish on your worse enemy. Well, maybe. Signalling the past through echoing voices is a little hokey, but the ending is juicy.

A solid end to the original BBC run of M. R. James Ghost Stories for Christmas

[dr_clarke_2 · 7/10 · 5 September 2020]

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...

Not the best, but has a genuinely scary ending

[JamesHitchcock · 7/10 · 29 March 2022]

Between 1971 and 1978 the BBC used to dramatise a ghost story every year under the title "A Ghost Story for Christmas". The first five entries in the series were all based upon tales by that great master of the genre, M. R. James. "The Ash Tree", first shown in 1975, was the last of these; the ghost story for Christmas 1976 was an adaptation of Charles Dickens's "The Signalman", and the offerings for 1977 and 1978 were original stories.

The story is set in the mid eighteenth century. Sir Richard Fell, an English aristocrat, has recently inherited a stately home from his great uncle Sir Matthew. He arrives at his new home, full of plans for rebuilding the old manor house in the then fashionable Classical style. His peace of mind, however, is disturbed by the strange circumstances of Sir Matthew's death- it is suspected that he was poisoned, but hard evidence is lacking- and by mysterious sounds which suggest that the house may be haunted. These manifestations seem to centre upon an old ash tree outside the window of Sir Richard's bedroom, the room in which Sir Matthew died.

Intercut with the main action are flashbacks to the time of another Sir Matthew who was responsible for the execution as a witch of a local woman named Anne Mothersole. (Sir Richard and this Sir Matthew are played by the same actor, Edward Petherbridge). Local people begin to suspect that the strange disturbances which affect the manor are being caused by Mrs Mothersole's vengeful ghost, but Sir Richard dismisses such talk as superstition. "The dead are dead".

In the original story Mrs Mothersole's was "one of a number of witch trials" which took place in Suffolk in the year 1690, but in the television adaptation her trial takes place during the great witchcraft hysteria of the 1640s and 1650s, probably because by 1690 this hysteria had largely died down in England and prosecutions for witchcraft were few. To accommodate this change the first Sir Matthew (in James's story Richard's grandfather) here becomes a more distant ancestor. With this exception, however, "The Ash Tree" (unlike some of the other Ghost Stories for Christmas) keeps relatively closely to the original.

This is not the best of the Ghost Stories for Christmas; there is no single dominating performance like that of Peter Vaughan in "A Warning to the Curious" or Joseph O'Connor in "Lost Hearts". I would, however, rate it more highly than "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas", which is less a ghost story than a follow-the-clues tale of buried treasure with an unconvincing ghostly ending tacked on. "The Ash Tree", by comparison, is more atmospheric and does have a genuinely scary ending. 7/10.

Cut it down!

[begob · 8/10 · 3 January 2016]

The new squire takes up residence in his 18th century inheritance, but the witch hunting exploits of his ancestor come back to haunt the present.

One of M R James' oddest stories, because of the account of the creatures in the tree, and I think this adaptation captures that. The acting and pace are good, and the melding of periods is done subtly and without confusion (although I'm not sure about the reference to Kilkenny).

There is one amazing scene where the sky above the horizon seems to be awash with waves - I guess it was done in a field sloping down to the shore - and is a very striking trick on the eye, although it doesn't help the story much.

Overall - great style, ending in creepiness.

As forgettable as the other Clark/James films

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 31 May 2017]

"The Ash Tree" is a British television short film from 1975, so this one is already over 40 years old. It features actor Edward Petherbridge in the lead here playing a man who inherits a fortune that comes with a downside though. The director is Lawrence Gordon Clark and this 32-minute movie is one of several films that he directed based on the stories by M.R. James. These are all fairly dark drama movies that are as much horror as mystery and also may include an ounce of supernatural aspects. Anyway, having seen some of these I must say that the approach just isn't appealing to me for the most part. It's all so sterile and slowly moving forward without ever making an impact or becoming memorable in terms of the story. I have not read the base material, so cannot say if it is due to the films or really the original stories that these brief movies won't appeal to me. Nonetheless, I thought Petherbridge was okay in here, but also only one of the better aspects because the rest is really weak and not because he was any kind of great. I do believe, however, that if you like one of these 1970s James movies, then you may very well end up liking all of them as the tone and atmosphere is really similar. Or dislike them all if you dislike one of them. Like in my case. From a more critical perspective you could state that they feel really interchangeable. I give this one here a thumbs-down. Not recommended.

Short but successful

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 9 January 2019]

THE ASH TREE is yet another of the exemplary BBC GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS short films that were made throughout the 1970s. These are masterclasses in how to do ghost stories properly: subtle slow builders, focusing on atmosphere over FX, steeped in history. THE ASH TREE is no exception. With a mere 30 minute running time, this flies through the M. R. James short story at speed, offering up a tale of romance, witch hangings, a family curse, the spooky old titular tree, and an unexpected climax. Edward Petherbridge is the out-of-his-depth country squire lead, but the real winner is the excellent Barbara Ewing (DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE) as the put-upon Mothersole. This TV movie is deservedly remembered for the creepy-as-anything-you'll-see climax, which utilises some primitive special effects to their utmost.

What A Mess

[Pegasus-10 · 2/10 · 31 January 2022]

So many shots of people riding horses across the fields that could have been better used to explain things. (Like why animals were dying). The use of the same actor to portray Sir Richard and his uncle Sir Matthew was jarring since the only way to tell them apart was the (similar) hairstyles. Having not read the original I was confused about what was going on -- did the dead witch conceive the creatures in the tree? Huh?

The dead are dead

[Prof-Hieronymos-Grost · 8/10 · 9 June 2009]

While spending his time in Italy, where he learned his artistic skills, man of leisure Sir Richard (Edward Petherbridge) receives notification that his Uncle has died, bequeathing him his stately country manor and all its lands. On his return to England he immediately sets about taking stock of all legal matters concerning his new property, but during these dealings Sir Richard seems to be more than a little distracted, he hears echoing voices from a distant time and the viewer is shown flashbacks of Sir Matthew his great Uncle who he learns died a terrible death. The facts surrounding Sir Matthew's death are quite murky, he was found in his room, his body blackened with all life drained from it, initial impressions were that he had been poisoned but tests were inconclusive. The oddest fact surrounding his death was that anyone who touched the dead body was immediately given stinging sensation followed by terrible pains in the hands and arms for weeks after the event.

Settling in to his new home, Sir Richard learns of a local woman known only as Mother Soul who is buried there in unhallowed ground, a woman from Sir Matthew's time who was hung after being accused of being a witch, her dying words cursing those who would take her life. Her grave must surely be dug up to make way for a newly built extension to the chapel. Sir Richard's work continues and he decides that the best room in the house for him, is in fact Sir Matthews old room, the one he died in that has been boarded up for many years since his death, it seems to have the suitable requirements of privacy and sunlight that he needs, except for one Ash Tree that stands outside his window, a curious anomaly he is told to have such a tree so close to the house, a species of tree that can do untold damage to a house's foundations. Sir Richard decides to have it cut down, but before he can he begins to see strange shadowy figures in the tree and hear faint screeches like those of an infant. Are these the portents of doom for him? Sir Richard says "The dead are dead" there can be no possibility of harm or retribution from the other side? The fifth installment of the A Ghost Story for Christmas was broadcast in 1975, its brief running time of 35 minutes making it one of the shortest in the series. Again M.R.James's Ghost Stories of an Antiquary has been plundered for this adaptation and its another good one. On watching it first, it didn't strike me as being very good, so i watched it again the following morning and enjoyed it immensely. I think tiredness may have been a factor in my indifference the first time, although having said that i think that overall the film still lacks immediacy and even in its short running time it is rather hard to figure out exactly whats going on, so it may not appeal to everyone. Sir Richard is certainly being haunted, not only by a vengeful witch and witchfinder's but perhaps also by his own ancestor? I've always had a liking for trees with a soul, that exude evil in some way and the Ash Tree here, has some nasty surprises for those who would wish to cause it harm, the Gremlin/Spiderlike creatures which reside there, are surprisingly well done for the time and media and pose an interesting foe for Sir Richard. The flashback scenes of 17th century England are beautifully realized, the style of dress and the themes involved immediately bring to mind memories of films like Witchfinder General(1968), the countryside therein also being like an uncredited character, with the delightful sounds of nature allowed to hold sway over intrusive dialogue. Edward Petherbridge plays the dual roles of Sir Richard/Matthew with a great deal of gravitas, he exudes an eloquence of speech that can't hide his stage past of some renown. Director Clark again passes muster with another excellent entry, the film benefits greatly from its almost docudrama style that lends the film an instant air of authenticity. The horrific ending is supremely handled, perhaps heralded just a little, but James fans will not be surprised but most certainly enthused by it. Again like all James's work its leaves more questions than it provides answers, just the way i like it.

An ash so near, drains all the goodness out.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 2 June 2023]

Sir Richard learns of his Uncle's death, and having been left his estate, he returns from Italy to take over, he is instantly distracted by strange goings on, disturbing sounds from a nearby Ash tree haunt him.

True to form, there is one incredibly creepy scene, but you have to wait for it, as it comes in the final few minutes, until then it's more of an unsettling psychological thriller, I'm not saying it's bad, far from it, The Ash Tree is one of my favourite entries.

In terms of atmosphere it packs a real punch, it's just over thirty minutes long, it passes by very quickly, the tension builds in a very measured manner, the ending however delivers.

I enjoyed each of the performances, Edward Petherbridge and Preston Lockwood are both very good, personally I loved Lalla Ward and the excellent Barbara Ewing.

It's intensely creepy and disturbing, The Ash Tree delivers.

8/10.

Above par entry in the 'Ghost Story for Christmas' series

[Red-Barracuda · 8/10 · 4 July 2022]

This is another nicely atmospheric entry from the 'Ghost for Christmas' BBC series. Its a another M. R. James adaption, which is less of a ghost story than a folk horror which taps into witchcraft. It has a timeline which moves back in forth from the present to the past - the first time I watched this, I didn't pick up on the fact that the main actor is playing two roles, the central character and his father. The whole thing works very well, with some great photography which accentuates the feel; while the folk horror angle was a nice diversion from the ghosts. Perhaps one minor issue would be that nowadays we quite rightly are appalled with the 17th century witch trials, where many innocent women were murdered by fanatics and maniacs, whereas in the James story, the woman really is a malevolent witch, which means that in order for this to fully work, we do need to side with the witchfinder! But all-in-all, this is another great entry in this series and wait until you find out what it is that is living in that old ash tree...