I re-watched this disturbing, slow but riveting movie last night and it is still one of the most impressive, darkest, and truthful adaptations of Agatha Christie's mysteries. It is not only the mystery but also a very convincing journey into the minds and souls of ten characters, the victims who found themselves trapped on the isolated rock of an island. One of them took upon him/herself to become the jury and the executioner for these ten who never met before but who have in common one dark secret - all of them might have committed a murder in the past.
I saw this film first time on the big screen in the theater in Moscow back in 1987 when it was released. It is very dark, violent, and atmospheric. The film follows Christie's novel (not the play) truthfully including the pessimistic ending, original politically incorrect title, and set design. The film was shot at the Crimea peninsula on the Black Sea and the breathtaking ominous view of the mansion sitting on the large cliff is a shot of the famous castle Swallow's Nest. Another Crimea's landmark that was used in a movie is the Vorontov Estate in Alupka. The front facade is built in the 16Th -- 17Th-century Neo-Gothic or Tudor style by the request of its first owner, Russian general M.S. Vorontsov who was brought up in England and loved English style in architecture.
Film director Stanislav Govoruchin had invited very talented and popular actors for the parts. Just one example. Philip Lombard was played by Aleksandr Kajdanovsky - a friend of Sergei Parajanov and Andrei Tarkovsky who is well known to the movies fans as Mr. Stalker himself from Tarkovsky's film of the same title. The rest of cast played their parts well with Vladimir Zeldin as Old Justice Wargrave, Mikhail Gluzsky as General Macarthur, and strikingly beautiful Tatyana Drubich as Vera Claythorne especially memorable.
I recommend the film to all fans and admirers of Agatha Christie, the Queen of mysteries. "Desyat Negrityat" is not the only Russian screen adaptation of a Christie's novel. I also remember and recommend "Tayna chyornykh drozdov" (1983) ... aka "Secret of the Blackbirds" which is based on the Miss Jane Marple's novel "A Pocketful of Rye".
I saw this film first time on the big screen in the theater in Moscow back in 1987 when it was released. It is very dark, violent, and atmospheric. The film follows Christie's novel (not the play) truthfully including the pessimistic ending, original politically incorrect title, and set design. The film was shot at the Crimea peninsula on the Black Sea and the breathtaking ominous view of the mansion sitting on the large cliff is a shot of the famous castle Swallow's Nest. Another Crimea's landmark that was used in a movie is the Vorontov Estate in Alupka. The front facade is built in the 16Th -- 17Th-century Neo-Gothic or Tudor style by the request of its first owner, Russian general M.S. Vorontsov who was brought up in England and loved English style in architecture.
Film director Stanislav Govoruchin had invited very talented and popular actors for the parts. Just one example. Philip Lombard was played by Aleksandr Kajdanovsky - a friend of Sergei Parajanov and Andrei Tarkovsky who is well known to the movies fans as Mr. Stalker himself from Tarkovsky's film of the same title. The rest of cast played their parts well with Vladimir Zeldin as Old Justice Wargrave, Mikhail Gluzsky as General Macarthur, and strikingly beautiful Tatyana Drubich as Vera Claythorne especially memorable.
I recommend the film to all fans and admirers of Agatha Christie, the Queen of mysteries. "Desyat Negrityat" is not the only Russian screen adaptation of a Christie's novel. I also remember and recommend "Tayna chyornykh drozdov" (1983) ... aka "Secret of the Blackbirds" which is based on the Miss Jane Marple's novel "A Pocketful of Rye".