Without a doubt, this is my all-time favourite film. Charles Laughton is simply superb, and the interplay of high drama with moments of genuine humour - and a conclusion that is wholly unexpected - make this story truly unforgettable. Surely one of the greatest courtroom dramas.
Great review, watched this today. absolutely loved the ending and the performances were brilliant and subtle. Definitely going to be checking out more of Billy Wilder. Just subscribed!!
Love Charles Laughton and Billy Wilder (and Elsa Lanchester and Una O’Connor), but my fave scene is in the beer cellar. Just noticed the murdered woman is called old all the way thru and she’s my age now 🤪.
I'm not sure how many people won Best Director, Picture and Screenplay for the same film, but I can say that Wilder isn't the only one because Peter Jackson also did it with Return of the King
If you think "old" movies are boring and outdated WFTP will go a long way to change your mind. Gripping from very early on it keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to the end. Don''t get any info on the film beforehand, just watch and enjoy.
I still haven't read the book, which was actually written in the format of a stage play, but there is something that was not well explained in the film. When the woman offers the letters to Mr. Wilfred (Leonard Vole's lawyer), the letters certainly did not contain neither proper stamps nor a post office postmark, as Christine Vole wrote them very recently, in desperation, all at one turn! The envelopes had no stamps at all. So how did they reach the fabricated "Max" in Germany? How Agatha Christie resolved this trick, in the book, I do not know. Back to Euston Station, neither Wilfred nor Mayhew mentioned the lack of postage stamps on the envelopes! Nor did they insist on knowing how this woman (who is actually Christine Vole herself) got the letters! Likewise, back in court, once more, neither the prosecuting attorney nor even the judge noticed this crucial detail about these so-called "evidences"!
@@charlesdarnay5455 They were all original letters written/forged by Christine and sent by regular mail to the fake Max, who was still in Germany, while Christine was in Britain. They had to be sealed and stamped, containing the local Royal Mail marks! Details that seemed to have been neglected. When the strange woman sold the letters, at Euston Station, they were all inside blue envelopes!
@@MultiSUPERLATIVO Go back and look at that scene in the train station again. The letters are not in envelopes; they are loosely wrapped up in a ribbon, but it's the letters only. When Laughton asks how she got them, she changes the subject immediately. Yes, he should have insisted on the proof, but she dodged their questioning, and when Laughton's partner noted the handwriting was the same as Christine's, they dropped it.
@@MultiSUPERLATIVO What gets me about the movie is that (1) the housekeeper was probably correct after all, and (2) Laughton's last line is to prepare a defense for Christine... when he already knows she is a bigamist, has perjured herself, and has committed murder right in front of him and a few other witnesses... and he's going to defend her..?!?
Without a doubt, this is my all-time favourite film. Charles Laughton is simply superb, and the interplay of high drama with moments of genuine humour - and a conclusion that is wholly unexpected - make this story truly unforgettable. Surely one of the greatest courtroom dramas.
Great review of a wonderful film.
Great review, watched this today. absolutely loved the ending and the performances were brilliant and subtle. Definitely going to be checking out more of Billy Wilder. Just subscribed!!
Marvellous film. Laughton at his brilliant best. Rest of cast great.
Love Charles Laughton and Billy Wilder (and Elsa Lanchester and Una O’Connor), but my fave scene is in the beer cellar. Just noticed the murdered woman is called old all the way thru and she’s my age now 🤪.
I'm not sure how many people won Best Director, Picture and Screenplay for the same film, but I can say that Wilder isn't the only one because Peter Jackson also did it with Return of the King
If you think "old" movies are boring and outdated WFTP will go a long way to change your mind. Gripping from very early on it keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to the end. Don''t get any info on the film beforehand, just watch and enjoy.
Yrs I agree on all your comments
Spoiler: The end is verrry surprising...
I still haven't read the book, which was actually written in the format of a stage play, but there is something that was not well explained in the film. When the woman offers the letters to Mr. Wilfred (Leonard Vole's lawyer), the letters certainly did not contain neither proper stamps nor a post office postmark, as Christine Vole wrote them very recently, in desperation, all at one turn! The envelopes had no stamps at all. So how did they reach the fabricated "Max" in Germany? How Agatha Christie resolved this trick, in the book, I do not know. Back to Euston Station, neither Wilfred nor Mayhew mentioned the lack of postage stamps on the envelopes! Nor did they insist on knowing how this woman (who is actually Christine Vole herself) got the letters!
Likewise, back in court, once more, neither the prosecuting attorney nor even the judge noticed this crucial detail about these so-called "evidences"!
I think the idea was that the letters had already been opened and removed from their envelopes. Only the contents of the envelopes remained.
@@charlesdarnay5455 They were all original letters written/forged by Christine and sent by regular mail to the fake Max, who was still in Germany, while Christine was in Britain. They had to be sealed and stamped, containing the local Royal Mail marks! Details that seemed to have been neglected. When the strange woman sold the letters, at Euston Station, they were all inside blue envelopes!
@@MultiSUPERLATIVO Go back and look at that scene in the train station again. The letters are not in envelopes; they are loosely wrapped up in a ribbon, but it's the letters only. When Laughton asks how she got them, she changes the subject immediately. Yes, he should have insisted on the proof, but she dodged their questioning, and when Laughton's partner noted the handwriting was the same as Christine's, they dropped it.
@@charlesdarnay5455 Wow, I have to check the scene again. Thanks for the suggestion!
@@MultiSUPERLATIVO What gets me about the movie is that (1) the housekeeper was probably correct after all, and (2) Laughton's last line is to prepare a defense for Christine... when he already knows she is a bigamist, has perjured herself, and has committed murder right in front of him and a few other witnesses... and he's going to defend her..?!?