And Then There Were None (1945)

And Then There Were None (1945)

6/10

Starring

Barry Fitzgerald

Walter Huston

Louis Hayward

Directed by René Clair

I saw the 2015 BBC TV series adaptation first before watching this, and even though both versions kind of remixed the ending, the remix in this 1945 version really messed up the book’s ending for me. The book’s conclusion is masterfully crafted to portray the killer as a sick man whose aim—to punish everyone who escaped the law—was successful. In this movie, however, he’s still a sick man, but his aim to punish everyone was unsuccessful.

The story is based on one of the most (if not the most) successful mystery thrillers written by Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None (1939). The plot is framed around the nursery rhyme Ten Little Indians (though Christie originally released the book as Ten Little Niggers).

For me, the movie fails to tick all the boxes of a masterpiece. The pacing lost me at times, with moments of boredom in between. The acting was top-notch, but in such a tense life-or-death situation, the romantic tension between characters felt forced. The cinematography wasn’t the best I’ve seen, but it was good enough to carry the movie from start to finish.

The plot begins with eight people arriving by boat on an island, all invited by a certain Mr. Owen—a man none of them has met. On the island, they’re greeted by a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, who were hired by Mr. Owen to care for the guests. Mr. Rogers plays a record at a specified time, per Owen’s instructions, and the voice on the recording accuses all ten people in the room of crimes that led to someone’s death. They soon realize there’s no way off the island until the boat that brought them returns. Now, they’re trapped and forced to confront the accusations while trying to survive.

At the dining table, the group notices ten figurines representing the Ten Little Indians rhyme. One guest recites the rhyme, while the others lounge about, wondering why they’ve been brought here and realizing none of them actually knows Mr. Owen. After one guest plays the Ten Little Indians tune on the piano, he takes a drink and dies from poisoning. The group moves his body and discovers that one of the figurines is missing. To their horror, his death mirrors how one of the "Indians" in the rhyme dies.

One by one, the remaining guests start dying in ways that correspond to the rhyme, leaving the survivors to figure out who among them is orchestrating these killings—and how they can stay alive.

It’s a decent film, but the romantic subplot between two of the characters felt unnecessary, and the movie’s altered ending left me preferring the 2015 BBC adaptation.