gridoon2024 Review of Ein Unbekannter rechnet ab

Ein Unbekannter rechnet ab (1974)

Underrated, elegant adaptation of a classic Agatha Christie story

[6/10 · 15 January 2011]

There is a pleasingly old-fashioned aura about this 1974 film: the killings are creepy but not gory; the locations and sets are majestic; the camera movements are slow and carefully thought out; the humor is subtle and not in-your-face ("After you, Judge." - "No, my dear Doctor, I insist. After you."). The diverse cast offers major cult value (two former Bond villains in the same film!), and there is also a grand, sometimes chilling score by Bruno Nicolai. After a load of red herrings, the very last scene is a bit underwhelming - perhaps if they had gone with the book's original, more logical and much darker conclusion, the ending would have been more powerful. Nevertheless, the 1974 "And Then There Were None" is considerably better than its reputation suggests. **1/2 out of 4.