Watch Desyat Negrityat

Desyat Negrityat, also known as Ten Little Indians or And Then There Were None, is a Soviet film adaptation of the classic mystery novel by Agatha Christie. Released in 1987, the movie remains one of the most faithful adaptations of Christie's renowned masterpiece to date. Directed by Stanislav Govorukhin, the screenplay is true to the original source material, almost scene for scene and word for word, which is something rare in cinematic adaptations of popular novels. The title itself refers to the English language nursery rhyme, which plays a crucial role in both the book and the film.

The story unfolds on a secluded island, where a group of ten people, each from different walks of life, are invited by a mysterious host. The invitees include characters portrayed by a well-selected cast, featuring Vladimir Zeldin, Tatyana Drubich, and Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy among others. The guests soon realize they have been assembled by an absent host, who accuses each of them of being a murderer through a chilling audio recording. The host, who goes by the alias of U.N. Owen, charges that each of the guests has committed murder and gotten away with it.

As they gather to digest this shocking accusation, the group discovers that there is no easy escape from the island, and they are cut off from the rest of the world. The house they are staying in is stocked with all kinds of luxuries and necessities, but there are no servants and no boats. They are isolated, and as the events unfold, it becomes clear that they maybe in grave danger. Sayings from the aforementioned nursery rhyme are framed in each of their rooms, hinting at a chilling prophecy of their fates.

Vladimir Zeldin stars as General Romensky, one of the ten 'little soldiers', as they are referred to based on a translation of the original rhyme. Each character harbors a dark past and the weight of their respective secrets adds to the building tension. Tatyana Drubich plays the role of Vera Claythorne, a former governess who is haunted by her past decisions, while Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy's portrayal of Lombard provides a sense of ruggedness and mystery among the party of strangers.

Things take a more sinister turn when one among them suddenly dies in a manner eerily similar to the first verse of the rhyme. The group comes to the terrifying realization that there is a murderer in their midst, who seems intent on serving "justice" according to the brutal template of the nursery song. Panic begins to set in as they try to deduce who among them is the killer, while more deaths follow that mirror successive verses of the rhyme. The tension is heightened by the claustrophobic setting and the realization that each survivor becomes a suspect.

The film's art direction plays a significant role in setting the eerie atmosphere. The cinematography captures the isolation and brooding nature of the island, the austere grandeur of the house, and the ever-present sense of looming danger. Each character's backstory is gradually peeled like layers, revealing their motives and the depth of their moral ambiguity.

Stanislav Govorukhin's direction ensures that the suspense lingers throughout the film. He manages to keep viewers on edge by focusing on the interplay between the characters, who are exceptionally well-developed, and by not relying on gore or jump scares to elicit fear. Instead, the tension arises from the psychological torment the characters endure, as alliances form and quickly dissolve, suspicions mount, and the fabric of civility unravels.

One of the standout features of Desyat Negrityat is the film score, which complements the narrative's tone perfectly—foreboding, haunting, and sometimes ironically upbeat. This supports the film's building suspense and the impending sense of doom that hangs over the ill-fated congregation.

Another aspect that makes Desyat Negrityat notable is its attention to period detail, as it is set during a time when Europe was in a state of flux and the shadows of war loomed. The costumes and settings are authentic to the era, and the film uses this to explore the psychological states and societal views of its characters.

As should be expected from an adaptation of Agatha Christie's work, the path towards the resolution of the mystery is full of twists and turns. The characters’ psychological unraveling is deftly portrayed by a talented cast, ensuring that the suspense and intrigue keep viewers engaged right up to the film's climactic conclusion.

The 1987 cinematic version of Ten Little Indians, Desyat Negrityat, serves both as an exemplary adaptation of Christie's novel and a compelling piece of Soviet cinema with a universally appealing narrative of mystery and suspense. It's a film that not only appeals to Christie fans and lovers of classic crime mysteries but also to those who appreciate well-crafted filmmaking and ensemble acting at its finest.