And Then There Were None (1945) Review

Title: And Then There Were None
Year: 1945
Director: Rene Clair
Country: US
Language: English

And Then There Were None was originally based on an Agatha Christie novel which was more offensively titled in the UK (Ten Little N***ers). It's a thrilling mystery wherin isolated strangers are murdered one by one. It is said to have followed the nursery rhyme "Ten Little Indians". The concept of the story has been reused, recycled, adapted and reworked countless times, but this film is actually more intriguing than the others. 

Seven guests, a newly hired personal secretary and two staff are gathered on an isolated island by an absent host and someone begins killing them off one by one. They work together to determine who is the killer.

And Then There Were None is one of the earliest vigilante-themed movies, shrouded by a clever murder mystery that pits the apprehensive minds of untrusting strangers against each other. The paranoia, suspicion and dread throughout the film create a wonderfully eerie atmosphere that grabs the audience and leaves them on the edge of their seat. Few mysteries are as alluring as this picture is. 

Uneasy alliances are formed and dissolved and uncertainty remains undiminished. As the film progresses and qualms shift, it becomes quite difficult to determine who the real killer is, especially as the most likely suspects die. The black and white photography lends itself well to the oppressiveness, the acting is remarkable, and the score is terribly unsettling. Effective camera-work leads to unusual angles that increase the anxiety of the viewer. 

Rene Clair made many great films throughout his lifetime. I was surprised to not have heard of this picture despite it being one of the greatest mystery/detective films of the 1940's. It's a deliberately paced picture that proves its worth as it draws closer to a satisfying-and shocking- conclusion.