Tag: mischa auer

directed by René Clair

We started 2023 with some modern mystery, but perhaps we can get back in time and enjoy the beauty of Agatha Christie’s imagination, what do you say? Last time I told you that the plot of “Glass Onion” reminded me of one of her books, but in the end it was just my false guess. Today, I’d like to recommend you a film adaptation of “And Then There Were None”, which is my personal favourite by Christie. If you’ve seen “Glass Onion”, you may experience some déjà vu reading this: it begins with eight random people getting an invitation to come to an island. As it says in the invitation, Mr. and Mrs. Owen would like to organise a dinner for their guests. When everybody reaches the mansion on the island, the hosts are not there and the ones who welcome eight guests are two servants. When the dinner begins, all of them hear some voice coming from a gramophone record which informs that all ten people present there are murderers. At this point, the guests wish to come back home, yet it’s impossible due to lack of available boats. Seems like all of them are stuck on this mysterious island, accompanied by murderers. But is it that scary if each of them is a murderer themselves? Well, not until the first person dies. At some point, the group finds a nursery rhyme about Ten Little Indians, each of whom dies in a different way. And the death scenarios happening in the mansion start matching the text… Creepy? I know, love it! I’m a huge fan of this story and I highly recommend you to read the book first. Yet, if you’re not a reader, this 1945 film adaptation is very good as well. There are certain differences between them, yet the film is still of decent thrilling quality. Not only the plot is exciting, but you may also admire this old style of acting that is slowly disappearing in our modern cinema. It’s an example of a perfect crime story as it’s dramatic, confusing, yet with a pinch of humour and grotesque. This book by Christie has been adapted several times, but I have to admit that the one I’m recommending you today is my personal top. Still, despite being a cinephile, I believe nothing can beat the book itself. By the way, there’s a fascinating story behind its title as you may also find it as “Ten Little Indians” or “Ten Little Niggers” – depending where you’re from, even now. The English title you see today is the most modern one and many countries have followed this example, yet there are many that haven’t and kept one of the old titles. As you might be guessing, the title changed because of its racist tone, which wasn’t Christie’s intention. I hope it doesn’t discourage you from learning about this book, because it is really worth your time. So either you read it or watch it, just say hello to the island and ten little murderers. And if you’re a fan of series, I recommend you one of the same (modern) title made in 2015 by BBC. Every episode is marvellous, so enjoy this triple recommendation from me today.

My rating: 8/10
S.