"The Haunting of Venice" - an impressive adaptation of Agatha Christie
Miscellaneous / / September 15, 2023
Kenneth Branagh is great again.
On September 14, the film “Ghosts in Venice” was released worldwide. The plot of the film is based on Agatha Christie's novel "Halloween Party", but noticeably departs from the original.
For Kenneth Branagh, “The Haunting of Venice” is already the third film based on Agatha Christie. In the two previous ones (“Murder on the Orient Express” and “Death on the Nile") he also acted both as a director and as a leading actor. But the third approach seems to be the most successful.
In addition to Branagh, screenwriter Michael Green (Murder on the Orient Express, Blade Runner 2049), and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Chernobyl”, “Joker”), cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (“Locke”, “Murder in Vostochny” Express").
The film stars Kenneth Branagh, Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere at Once”), Camille Cottin (“House of Gucci”) and others.
Detective Hercule Poirot has retired and lives in Venice. One day he agrees to take part in a seance to expose
psychic. However, during the ritual a murder is committed, so Poirot is forced to investigate. The problem is that those around you are sure that otherworldly forces are to blame for the death.Differences with the original are beneficial
Branagh's first film based on Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express, was criticized little, but most of the criticism concerned innovation - not everyone accepted the change in plot and the addition of characters. By the third film based on Christie, the director decided that he would rely even less on the original.
Firstly, Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green changed the location: in the novel it was England, in the film it was Italy. Secondly, the time has changed: from 1969 to 1949. And the second solution seems to be key.
The film "Ghosts in Venice" shows people who have not yet gotten rid of the fears that appeared during the Second World War. One of the heroes - military surgeon Leslie Ferrier - suffers completely post-traumatic stress disorder. Some of the characters are refugees who feel like strangers everywhere. And against this background, the investigation looks like something small, not very important.
It is worth mentioning that the detective line in “Ghosts in Venice” serves as a simple frame; in itself, it is not particularly interesting. As a result, the great detective Poirot is overshadowed by atheism and nihilism, investigating the case rather out of inertia. Interrogations turn not into clever fishing for evidence, but almost into a psychotherapeutic study of a potential suspect.
This exploration of personal issues is incredibly interesting to watch.
The monumentality of the visuals is stunning
Kenneth Branagh has proven himself to be a great director, capable of organizing very complex and painstaking work without missing the details. The visuals look incredibly powerful.
The film takes place in a castle, and it is important that it looks big - Branagh chooses the style of a gothic novel. The decorators not only did a tremendous amount of work to increase the scale of the building, but also filled every corner with something unique - either a painting or a box. Thanks to the props, the castle comes to life and becomes a whole universe.
But a beautiful background is half the battle. Costume designers they dress the characters according to the era of the film and at the same time do not slip into mothballs in the spirit of cheap costume dramas.
However, the background truly comes to life and shines thanks to cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, a likely contender for the next Oscar. In 103 minutes, he demonstrates a gigantic array of skills and techniques. And this despite the fact that he rents an enclosed space, which in theory should limit him. But he creates.
Extremely low and high angles, Dutch angle, fish-eye, games with frame depth - connoisseurs of cinematography will find Zambarloukos’ work more interesting to watch than the plot.
Professionally prepared and executed filming is emphasized by editing. It is obvious that Branagh is very pleased with the work of the team, and therefore does not hesitate to focus on the best shots. Editors allow you to see the most successful angles and techniques, keeping them on the screen for quite long periods of time.
The film "Ghosts in Venice" looks like a very large, complex, but brilliantly organized work. Branagh forces all participants in the process to give their best, ultimately creating a reference film from a visual point of view.
The last thing I want to discuss in the context of “Ghosts in Venice,” a detective line. It's strong and simple enough to keep the investigation from turning into a farce, but the best parts of the film revolve around it. And the attempt to capture the spirit of the times, and the ability to depict an almost fairy-tale, but at the same time realistic castle - Kenneth Branagh took on a very serious job and performed it at an incredible level.
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