While enjoying a cocktail at a dinner party, the local vicar keels over. The man was harmless enough with no enemies and there was no sign of any sort of poison in his drink. Sometime later, a second man dies at a dinner party in a similar manner. Most of the same guests at the first party were also present at the second party. Additional tests are run and it's determined that the second man died of nicotine poisoning. Poirot realizes he made a mistake with the first death and is determined to set things right. He's on the trail of a killer who has already killed twice.
I should probably say upfront that I've never been a big fan of the book on which this episode is based. There were so many of Agatha Christie's other works that appealed to me more than this one. Even though I've only rated Three Act Tragedy a 6/10, that's not bad considering my preconceived notions about the work. There are things that I enjoyed, like all of the theater trappings that fit with the theater theme of the story. It's an interesting story device. Also, I always prefer a Poirot episode where all the potential suspects are gathered together to hear the final denouement. Having the denouement on a theater stage was very fitting. And how could you not enjoy Poirot's grand entrance? As Poirot would say, "Magnifique". Finally, there are a number of red herrings and other attempts to put Poirot off the scent that I found enjoyable. The whole bit about all the nonsense of the sanatorium is a perfect example.
So, what are my problems with Three Act Tragedy? I'll keep this short and only discuss one – the character Sir Charles Cartwright as played by Martin Shaw. Don't misunderstand, I think Shaw did a fantastic job. My problem is with the character as presented in this movie. I cannot imagine a world where the Cartwright presented here would be close friends with Poirot. They have little in common and are not alike at all. For example, scenes where Cartwright insults his hired help do not seem like something Poirot would be comfortable with. Yet he just sits there like he enjoys and endorses the ridicule heaped on this poor woman. This is not the Poirot I've been familiar with for over 40 years. Their friendship never seemed real. This one issue I had with Three Act Tragedy really hurt my enjoyment of the whole thing.
I should probably say upfront that I've never been a big fan of the book on which this episode is based. There were so many of Agatha Christie's other works that appealed to me more than this one. Even though I've only rated Three Act Tragedy a 6/10, that's not bad considering my preconceived notions about the work. There are things that I enjoyed, like all of the theater trappings that fit with the theater theme of the story. It's an interesting story device. Also, I always prefer a Poirot episode where all the potential suspects are gathered together to hear the final denouement. Having the denouement on a theater stage was very fitting. And how could you not enjoy Poirot's grand entrance? As Poirot would say, "Magnifique". Finally, there are a number of red herrings and other attempts to put Poirot off the scent that I found enjoyable. The whole bit about all the nonsense of the sanatorium is a perfect example.
So, what are my problems with Three Act Tragedy? I'll keep this short and only discuss one – the character Sir Charles Cartwright as played by Martin Shaw. Don't misunderstand, I think Shaw did a fantastic job. My problem is with the character as presented in this movie. I cannot imagine a world where the Cartwright presented here would be close friends with Poirot. They have little in common and are not alike at all. For example, scenes where Cartwright insults his hired help do not seem like something Poirot would be comfortable with. Yet he just sits there like he enjoys and endorses the ridicule heaped on this poor woman. This is not the Poirot I've been familiar with for over 40 years. Their friendship never seemed real. This one issue I had with Three Act Tragedy really hurt my enjoyment of the whole thing.
6/10
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.