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Ten Little Indians (1974)

Rate: 3
Viewed: 5/25

TenLIndians
5/25: The 1974 version of Ten Little Indians, aka And Then There Were None in the UK, is the third film adaptation of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers.

Well, it's the worst of them all. Don't be fooled by the all-star cast which includes Oliver Reed, Richard Attenborough, Elke Sommer, Gert Fröbe, and Herbert Lom. If you don't see Orson Welles, that's because he's U.N. Owen in voice on the recording tape although I did think he would appear at the end. I have to single out Oliver Reed for giving an overdone performance by using his hands and being all over Elke Sommer. At one point, he kills a fake green snake. Bravo, lad!

The biggest issue is the camera placement. It's always right in the center, trying to capture the characters and the interior background of the Abbasi Hotel, formerly known as the Shah Abbas Hotel located in Isfahan, Iran, at once. As a result, everybody looks either too far away or out of focus. The generator has been shut off during the second half, but the lights are constantly on.

And what mystery? Nobody could've done it after General Salve was killed because all the remaining seven came running from the door to discover the deceased body. This would repeat a couple of times, leading me to think there had to be a mysterious person lurking somewhere in that vast Iranian mansion (Shah Mosque for the exterior extrance) that's oddly next to the ruins of Persepolis.

Of course, there's the annoying thought that refuses to go away: "Why not just have everybody stay in the same room where the figurines are?" But noooo.....they have to separate, and individuals keep getting killed. That's when the movie ultimately died for me.

All in all, Ten Little Indians is superior to the 1974 version in every aspect.