Many people in Hollywood are close to the principle of “one for them, one for them” – this means that you need to accept mass projects with a certain regularity in order to maintain the opportunity to do non-mass projects. About actor and director Kenneth Branagh, considered one of cinema’s leading Shakespeare scholars in the last century (films “Henry V”, “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Hamlet”) and now he has established himself as the main fan of Agatha Christie literature, in this respect they joke that for him everything is the opposite. That is, deep, piercing dramas with their eye on the Oscars (e.g. The best movie of 2021 is “Belfast”) makes movies just “for them”. And all he has to do is put on a funny Belgian accent and grow a mustache with a pterodactyl wingspan, even if it was done under the guise of 20th Century Studios (although he did manage to add some serious drama to his mustache).
All joking aside, the gusto with which Branagh plays detective Hercule Poirot in his own films is undeniable and redeeming. But there isn’t much to make up for there. “Murder on the Orient Express,” which opened the series in 2017, made up for the radical disposability of this particular Christie plot, known for its very specific resolution and fierce casting. (Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Olivia Colman, Daisy Ridley and Johnny Depp)In fact, Shakespeare is generous with his theatricality. And also the endearing tricks of cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (he shoots all Branagh in 2007’s “Sleuth,” does great long drives in “Express” with absolutely no cuts).
At first it was solved this way, and then in an interesting way in the next “Death on the Nile”, which was largely postponed due to the coronavirus. The film is clearly divided into two halves, eros and thanatos, and in the former, you could even fry an egg with its horny load (the main performance here is from “Sexual Education” star Emma Mackie, who nearly eats Armie) hammering live in a dance scene; I swear this isn’t a cannibalistic joke). The second one, where the bodies begin to fall, is almost deafening with its cold intensity, almost like night falling on a hot desert.
In the movie “The Haunting of Venice”, based on Christie’s obscure novel “The Halloween Party” (another translation is “On All Hallows’ Eve”)Nothing needs to be compensated, in a “one for them, one for you” equation this is a movie “for everyone”. “Murder on the Orient Express was about what we did for revenge, Death on the Nile was about what we did for love. The main driving force behind Ghosts in Venice is fear. Poirot, long retired (starting kindergarten), agrees to attend a séance, and here, instead of the previous detective drama, a mystical thriller begins that seriously flirts with horror.
A still from the movie “Ghosts in Venice” (2023)
20th Century Studios
“Ghosts” expands the horizons of the series – both figuratively (for almost two hours you have to wonder whether real ghosts exist) and literally: the picture was shot with a wide-angle anamorphic lens and absorbed a lot of additional things – terribly disturbing, painful transmitter – space (aspect ratio is 1.85:1 – this is much wider than the previous 2.39:1). Zambarloukos often takes corners in the Netherlands (A technique from German expressionism: the camera looks at the hero from bottom to top, the horizon is covered), throws the rug from under the feet of the heroes and the audience and stares thoughtfully at the ominously lit high art. Instead of moving objects (luxury locomotives and ships), the action is placed in real estate (a bleak, dilapidated palazzo) that barely escapes the violent weather outside the windows and the tense wires of the – also angry – writer Hildur Guðnadóttir. Music of Chernobyl, Joker and Tar ”
Conceptually, it’s tempting to compare “Ghosts in Venice” to the Soviet Sherlockian’s “The Hound of the Baskervilles”: Branagh manages to create a similar atmosphere with an intensity that makes the hairs freeze in your veins to the point where your legs stand still. I obey you – and you don’t want to leave anymore. The resulting fog even hides the comedic swagger of Tina Fey, who replaces the retired Tom Bateman as Poirot’s partner (she plays writer Ariadne Oliver, a parody of Christie herself). More precisely, this is “The Hound of the Baskervilles” plus “The Twentieth Century Begins” (the last issue of the saga with Livanov and Solomin was released during perestroika, so everything became much more violent there – for example, people in the frame began to cut off their fingers).
A still from the movie “Ghosts in Venice” (2023)
20th Century Studios
No one has made a specific statement yet, but Branagh and series regular writer Michael Green seem determined to continue with the series unless they suddenly lose interest (could that moustache really be boring?). But it doesn’t seem to get any better than this: “Ghosts in Venice” is the high point of this series, one of Christie’s strongest film adaptations overall, and perhaps an all-time Halloween must-see.
In the end, only one mystery remains: this time it will be revealed who in the cast will be a complete bastard (Depp and Hammer coped with their respective roles perfectly).
Source: Gazeta
Brandon Hall is an author at “Social Bites”. He is a cultural aficionado who writes about the latest news and developments in the world of art, literature, music, and more. With a passion for the arts and a deep understanding of cultural trends, Brandon provides engaging and thought-provoking articles that keep his readers informed and up-to-date on the latest happenings in the cultural world.