And Then There Were None
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Movie Reviews of And Then There Were None
Movie Review: The Best Film Version of the Chrisite Classic
Summary: 4 Stars
Agatha Christie's 1930s novel AND THEN THERE WERE NONE told the story of ten unrelated people who are lured under various pretexts to an island resort; once assembled, they discover they have been brought to the island by a mysterious homocidal maniac who accuses each of them of having escaped punishment for a past murder--and who then proceeds to pick them off one by one as the ever dwindling party rushes to unmask the hidden killer in their midst. Nothing like the novel had been seen before, and it was a popular sensation. So much so that Christie herself adapted the novel to the stage. In creating the script, Christie discovered that the novel's uncompromising tone and shocking conclusion did not translate well to the stage, and the final script was considerably lighter and had a considerably softer conclusion. When performed, the script was played as much for comedy as for suspense--and proved as popular as the novel. A film version became inevitable.Countless novels, plays, and movies have borrowed the premise Christie presents in AND THEN THERE NONE, and there have been at least four film versions (most often known as TEN LITTLE INDIANS) of the original work. All of these versions rely more upon the play script than the novel, offering a mix of comedy and suspense, and by far and away the best of them is famed French director Rene Clair's 1940s version. Brilliantly played by an ensemble cast of famed character actors including Judith Anderson, Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, C. Aubrey Smith, and Roland Young, Clair creates a stylish, somewhat surrealistic romp that satirizes British "stiff upper lip" sensibilities with florishes of black comedy while quietly building a sense of increasing unease. From a modern standpoint, the Clair version seems more comic than suspensful; few will find it in the least unnerving. This does not, however, change the fact that it is a tremendous amount of fun to watch. The film creates an air of old-fashioned mischief that is compulsively enjoyable, and even if a contemporary director decided to have another go at the material it seems unlikely that any cast to equal this could be assembled. If you're prepared for a witty amusement, AND THEN THERE WERE NONE is recommended.
I don't usually comment on the quality of DVDs unless there is a glaring issue--but since there are several DVD versions of this film, and some have been poorly reviewed, I will specify that I purchased the VCI edition. (The cover of this particular edition is yellow with the faces of the characters appearing in a V-shaped "wedge.") When the DVD began to play, the VCI logo was very distorted; when the DVD changed over to the menu, however, the picture became stable. When I ran the movie, I found the titles had a bit of a flicker, but this quickly vanished; as for overall quality, the picture and sound quality are rather poor as the movie begins but quickly corrects to an acceptable--although not excellent--level.
Movie Review: Black Humor and Murder, With Great Actors
Summary: 4 Stars
Eight strangers arrive by boat at an isolated island where they were invited for the weekend to the mansion of Mr. U. N. Owen. They are greeted by the two servants, the butler and his wife, the cook. They are shown their rooms and told that at dinner they will meet their host. So starts a great Forties' movie, And Then There Were None, based on the Agatha Christie mystery, Ten Little Indians.
After dinner when Mr. Owen fails to appear, the butler puts a record on the gramaphone and Mr. Owen speaks. He accuses everyone he invited, including the butler and the cook, of murder. There's the judge who sent an innocent man to be hanged. The doctor who drunkenly and fatally botched an operation. The general who sent his wife's lover to his death in battle. The detective whose perjured testimony sent a man to the gallows. There's consternation and denial. Drinks are served. The first to die is a Russian prince who strangles on cyanide in the middle of a song. And the plaster sculpture of ten little Indians, the centerpiece of the dining room table, has one little Indian smashed. As the hours pass, more die, each in the manner of the nursery rhyme
This is a wonderful movie, and very much a product of it's time. Everything about it speaks of professionalism and craftsmanship. There's not a slow moment. The suspense steadily builds. The mystery gets more and more mysterious. And while there is suspense and dread, there also is much wit and black humor. The mansion's rooms are unsettling even when they're empty. The rocky coast of the island and the grey clouds and smashing surf make great backgrounds. The conclusion of the movie, when all is made clear, is amusing, satisfying and clever.
Two things stand out. First, the mystery is genuinely clever. Not too many people, seeing this for the first time, are going to figure things out. Second, the acting is great and the characters are portrayed by a whole boatload of terrific character actors: Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Roland Young, Mischa Auer, Judith Anderson, C. Aubrey Smith, Richard Hayden (perfect as the adnoidal butler), Queenie Leonard. And there's also June Duprez and Louis Hayward. They work together extremely well. This is ensemble acting before ensemble acting was talked about so much.
The movie is in the public domain, so you have to be careful about the version you might buy. My copy is from VCI Home Entertainment. The picture quality is good and doesn't interfere with enjoying the movie unless you're a pefectionist.
Movie Review: Almost a perfect movie
Summary: 4 Stars
I thought the list of great characters was outstanding. To think of putting these greats actors and actresses was a geniously thought out idea. Just to have these certain ones is fabulous. Basically following the book, until the ending it is great. 10 people are invited to a deserted island. 8 guests arrive by boat, and the other two, the maid and the butler are already there. A tape recording on the gramyphone starts up accusing each person guilty of at least one murder. So one by one, they all start being murdered. They finally agree it is one of them doing the murders. Will they stop the fiend before he kills them all? Louis Hayward and June Duprez star as Phillip Lombard and Vera Claythorne. Walter Huston is superb as he takes on the role of Dr. Armstrong. Barry Fitzgeralrd if great as the sinister judge. Roland Young has some perfect lines as the mysterious Henry Blore. Judith Anderson play the evil witch, Emily Brent. C. Aubrey Smith is the old General Macarthur. Mischa Auer plays the comical, but always drunk Prince Nikita Startloff. Richard Hadyn and Queenie Leonard also famous play Thomas and Ethel Rogers, the butler and maid. The movie has fine performances by everyone and the movie is almost perfect except for a few problems. Maybe it's just me, but I was a little picky, because of the difference of the book and the movie. 1. They changed the names of the people who were murdered by the ten guest. That's not a majjor problem. 2. The characters unlike some of them in the movie, were much more sinister and cunning in the book. Even a more major problem is this. 3. In the book they are all killed, in the movie two escape. Eh, It's Hollywood! They want a happy ending, but the quality of the movie is fabulous. Hollywood never follows the great books, but this one is definatly the best version of this book. It just might be my pickiness, but the movie itself if great!Movie Review: Murder mystery with just the right blend of comedy
Summary: 4 Stars
THE MOVIE: I had forgotten how deliciously amusing this film was, not having seen it since the early 1980s. But the comedy doesn't overwhelm the tone, the blend has a perfectly natural feel and the eerie atmosphere is maintained even among the laughs. The cast of generally lesser-known performers is good. Mischa Auer is memorable (as usual) even though the script doesn't allow him much to do; Walter Huston is as engaging as ever. The movie is appropriate for most ages, the murders are usually off-camera and are never gruesome. It holds the viewer's interest very well but the pace seems a bit uneven - it seems to slow down toward the end.TECHNICAL: The DVD presentation is average. The image is not stable; it wobbles quite a bit around the frame which is especially noticeable during the opening titles. The black and white picture has good contrast but is a bit on the soft side. The bios are brief but nicely done screens. There is also a comedy short on the disc which I haven't yet watched. Sound is good, dialogue is usually clear throughout.
SUM: I'm ignoring comparisons to the Agatha Christie novel on which the film is based... with that in mind, the movie is fun, interesting and worth a viewing. I'm not entirely sure how well the narrative would hold up on repeat viewings, but the performances are entertaining enough to warrant them.
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Movie Review: Very Good
Summary: 4 Stars
I thought this was a very well done adaptation of a great novel. It's well cast, the acting is superb, the set is good, and a majority of the content is true to the book. However, there are a few flaws. Many have said that the ending is the same as the play's ending, rather than the book's. That's not true. The ending, while similar to the play ending, is at the same time very different, and much less exciting. Other flaws include the difference in Vera Claythorne's murder: in the book and play, the accusation was that she murdered a young boy to which she was a nursery governess. In the movie, she's accused of murdering her sister's fiance. While not a big difference, it does change a few things. The biggest flaw, though, in my opinion, can be summed up in two words: Charles Morley. To say any more would give away a few things.The only extras are the "classic comedy short 'Twin Husbands.'" While it's a very odd match for "And Then There Were None," it's rather funny. There are also talent files for four of the actors and Rene Clair.
All in all an enjoyable picture. While the flaws are bothersome, they aren't enough to ruin the movie. I would highly reccomend this DVD to any Agatha Christie fan.