The British mini-series “And There Was No One” was shot in 2015 in the genre of drama and thriller based on the immortal work of Agatha Christie's “Ten Little Indians” by BBC One. The atmospheric, colorful, truly British show is a brilliant adaptation of a literary work. Even knowing the denouement of the story transferred to the screen, it is impossible not to admire the excellent acting, the intense atmosphere and the chic landscapes of a deserted island that has turned into a death trap. The series “And There Was No One” (2015) has an exemplary high rating of 8.00 and extremely positive reviews.
Preserving political correctness
And Then There Were None is the first English-language film adaptation that preserves the original ending of the novel and the political correctness of the latest reprints of the work. The fact is that the original novel has two official names - “And There Was No One” and “10 Indigents”. In the process of writing, Christy initially called her characters “blacks,” but subsequently the publishers, fearing resonance and accusations of prejudice against African Americans, convinced the writer to change the name. The book began to be called "And There Was No One." In the text, the negroes were first replaced by Indians, after which they were replaced by faceless figures of soldiers.
Short storyline
The plot of the series “And There Was No One” begins with the arrival of eight heroes unfamiliar with each other on Soldier Island, remote from the mainland. All of them received anonymous invitations from the owner of the castle. However, instead of the extravagant owner, they are met by servants. A return trip soon becomes impossible due to the bad weather of Northern Britain. The dreary pastime of the guests soon turns into a terrible nightmare. On the very first evening, a dry, mysterious voice announces the death sentence to all the assembled heroes for their long-standing crimes. And immediately one of them dies a painful death. There can be no tragic accidental combination of circumstances; guests understand that they have become victims of malicious intent, which does not provide for pardon and preservation of life.
A reference to the Soviet masterpiece
The works of Agatha Christie, like Arthur Conan Doyle, with all the diversity of detective literature, occupied a special place in the USSR. The queen of the detective in her novels rarely focused on the features of the social system, but in any plot she skillfully demonstrated the convex characters of her characters, amazed at her ingenuity and retained the unique British spirit. The culmination of recognition of compatriots to Mrs. Christie was a brilliant film adaptation of the unsurpassed master Stanislav Govorukhin. The brightest movie stars of the 80s were involved in the film. By the way, Govorukhin’s work is almost the only full-fledged adaptation of “10 Indigents” in the world. Therefore, many critics in the reviews of the series “And There Was No One” sincerely wonder why the British waited so long for a convenient moment for the on-screen killings of their colorful compatriots.
By the way, in the British version, the episode in which Philip and Vera meet clearly indicates the authors' acquaintance with the Soviet two-part movie of 1987, in which, unlike the book, a romantic connection arises between the victims.
Three hours of viewing
Critics in the reviews of the TV series “And There Was No One” praise the authors of the Air Force channel for their thorough preparation and responsible approach to the film adaptation. Thanks to their efforts, the viewer sees the detective as he was conceived by Agatha Christie, in the atmosphere, in those tones, in the scenery that is described in the book, also played by beautiful actors.
The reading public is well aware of who the killer is in this colorful novel, all the more so as the British television people went all the way and left the ending as close as possible to the literary original. But this, according to the authors of the reviews on the series “And There Was No One”, does not at all reduce the tension prevailing during the viewing. Three hours of flying time pass unnoticed, even if the beholder read the original, watched “10 Indigents” and remembers the sequence of events perfectly. This is due to the creative team of directors and scriptwriter Sarah Phelps. The cinema experts compare the narrative structure with climbing the steep stairs, and the climax, although obvious to the detective’s fans, excites so much that it seems the first time about killer insidiousness.
Acting Ensemble
Among the main advantages of the project, highlighted by critics in the reviews for the series “And There Was No One”, the cast. Listing the actors who played the characters who went to a deadly rendezvous is not difficult, and their track record is really impressive.
Starring:
- Bern Gorman (Torchwood) is convincing in the image of William Blor, who killed a prisoner in a cell to death.
- Douglas Booth ("Experiencing the Fight," "Great Expectations") plays driver Anthony Marston, who shot down the children.
- In the image of the unfortunate governess Vera Kleitorn, Maeve Dermody (Beautiful Kate) shines.
- Strictly judge Lawrence Wargrave was played by Charles Dance (Game of Thrones).
- The image of Ethel Rogers was embodied by Anna Maxwell Martin (“Doctor Who”), the role of her husband Thomas Rogers is played by Noah Taylor (“The Edge of the Future”).
- The party of General John MacArthur went to Sam Nill (Jurassic Park).
- Wicked and indifferent Emily Brent was played by Miranda Richardson (Sleepy Hollow).
- The image of alcohol abuser Dr. Edward Armstrong was successfully revealed by Toby Stevens (Black Sails).
- The role of Philip Lombard was played by Aidan Turner ("The Hobbit").
Wise by experience, the actors in the frame staged a real competition, trying to single-handedly capture the attention of the public, which, in the unanimous opinion of reviewers, made the production brighter.
An ideal setting example
“And there is nobody” - these are far from the traditional forty-minute American procedures, set according to the usual pattern, stretched out for many years. The Air Force mini-series is an example of an almost perfect atmospheric setting, plunging into a charming darkness of insanity. Perhaps some viewers can be spoiled by viewing a spoiler, picked up from a film by Govorukhin or a literary source. But the pleasure of watching will in any case be true Britain, which cannot be admired even in its most bloody manifestations.