*SOME SPOILERS, none of the biggest stuff* A large part of the intrigue in Agatha Christie's original novel is that the crimes committed by the ten victims are not direct murders, untouchable by the law. MacArthur sends the underling sleeping with his wife on a mission sure to kill him; Blore sends an innocent man to prison, where he dies; the Rogers couple withholds a drug which would have saved their former employer. In this film/miniseries, MacArthur shoots the underling in the back, Blore stomps the innocent man's head to pulp, and Mr. Rogers suffocates his elderly employer while his wife watches. This is sort of fine, taking the movie on its own terms, and ignoring the changes from the novel. The same goes for Emily Brent's repressed lesbian tendencies, Rogers being physically abusive of his wife, Vera and Lombard having sex, and the significant number of delusions/visions/hallucinations that aren't present in the book.
But I will NOT accept some of the utterly ridiculous things that happen in the latter portion of the story. The revolver is hidden in more or less plain sight in the mouth of a bearskin rug? The same bearskin rug appears to roar and attack one of the victims during one of the final murders? The last four victims have a cocaine and alcohol party binge? In what universe does that last make ANY sense when you'd want your wits about you? Stupid. Needless. Laughable. Literally unbelievable.
The Soviet film adaptation (Desyat negrityat, 1987) remains the only one worth watching for the Christie novel enthusiast, IMO. I'd call this effort on par with the one from the 40's: sort of cute on its own terms, but a pale regurgitation of the original work. Some bonus points for keeping the novel's ending and for the somewhat interesting (non-canonical) discussion between murderer and final victim.
But I will NOT accept some of the utterly ridiculous things that happen in the latter portion of the story. The revolver is hidden in more or less plain sight in the mouth of a bearskin rug? The same bearskin rug appears to roar and attack one of the victims during one of the final murders? The last four victims have a cocaine and alcohol party binge? In what universe does that last make ANY sense when you'd want your wits about you? Stupid. Needless. Laughable. Literally unbelievable.
The Soviet film adaptation (Desyat negrityat, 1987) remains the only one worth watching for the Christie novel enthusiast, IMO. I'd call this effort on par with the one from the 40's: sort of cute on its own terms, but a pale regurgitation of the original work. Some bonus points for keeping the novel's ending and for the somewhat interesting (non-canonical) discussion between murderer and final victim.