This article mainly analyzes and compares the viewing experience of the two main versions of 2017 and 1974 from my personal experience.
I watched the new version first. I didn’t read the original novel before and didn’t know the plot and ending, so I approached this film with a completely new and unknown attitude. It is very intuitive that the scenes in this version are gorgeous and full of beauty. The breath of modern shooting technology, the logic of the plot is not strong, which makes people feel that the east and the west are not so seamless, but the truth is revealed at the end and Poirot's sigh at the end of the film shocked me. Soon, I went to read the widely acclaimed 1974 classic edition, and after a careful taste, I found that each edition has its own characteristics. The preconceivedness of 1974 has led to the strong criticism of 2017, which is somewhat irrational. Now I will briefly list the characteristics of the two editions. one time:
2017 vs 1974:
-First of all Poirot's character. Many film critics also said that 1974 is closer to the original work. It seems ordinary, light and even inconspicuous, but in fact it is thoughtful and capable. On the other hand, 2017 seems to have made a big change. The protagonist is not only a bit sharp, but also a bit impatient and reckless. It looks like I am a detective and I am great (no derogatory meaning, neutral statement)
- The second biggest difference is the different ways of expressing the same storyline between the two editions. Out of classic pressure, 2017 put a lot of effort into shooting technology. As the story progresses, it constantly transforms and creates grand and gorgeous scenes. This is not wrong in itself. It makes the film more in line with modern aesthetics and looks more refined. Extra points for plot effects (for example, Poirot arranged for 12 people in the carriage to sit side by side behind a long table on the snow when exposing the truth. The picture of the trial of twelve people is like a kind of fate judgment, paying tribute to "The Last Supper", very artistic)
However, there are places where the force is too much and the taste is overwhelming. When Poirot interrogated each member of the carriage, the location often varied from person to person. One time it was the interior of the luxurious palace-style car, and the other time it was in the open snow ( There are also film critics who ridiculed Poirot for solving a case or picking a girl haha), just when the audience is also involved in the logical reasoning of solving the case, such frequent switching of scenes will definitely disturb the audience's thinking and make the audience feel that the logic of the plot is not coherent. The reasoning part of the 1974 version is almost entirely carried out in the closed and consistent environment of the carriage, with less visual interference, which is more conducive to the audience to mobilize their thinking and brainstorm, and the whole rhythm is more compact and full.
-In terms of actors, the 2017 version of the villain Ratchett cast Uncle De more brilliantly. The 1974 version of this character does not seem to have any evil lethality. It is difficult for people to associate it with the maddened demon in the Armstrong massacre, so emotional involvement is also difficult. Insufficient; but it is worth affirming that the 1974 version is full of actors' interpretation of the characters, especially the details. The twitching of the corners of the mouth, the hesitant eyes and the small movements of the guilty conscience are very natural, fully showing the personality of each character, and the audience can capture these Details also drive reasoning.
- What is still controversial is the handling of the two editions after the truth is revealed. The "strong" Poirot in the new version finally decided to conceal the truth and told the police another simple version of the fiction; while the old version of Poirot obviously chose to retire between the truth and concealment, and handed over the right of this decision to the police. It is also a wise move for him to choose which version of the "truth" to present to the police. The new version of Poirot also published a sigh that summed up the main theme of the film at the end-...the scale of justice cannot always evenly await...to live with the imbalance...There are no killers here. Only people who deserve a chance to live .- There are no killers, just a group of people who need to be reborn. Some people say that "no meaning is the purest", and summarizing the main point in a few sentences limits the audience's free imagination of the film, but I don't fully agree. Seeing how it sums up this way, good is the finishing touch, and bad is superfluous. , and here I personally feel that Poirot is only expressing his personal feelings about the re-evaluation and review of rational investigation and human emotions, and it is also for these 12 people to listen to, not to impose anything on the audience deliberately, let’s call it lightly. Not too much.
To sum up the above, the 2017 version did a good job in the filming skills and narrative skills that make the film more "good-looking". The 1974 version is more rooted in the real thing of the story itself. On the whole, compared to the old version, the new version It seems a little floating, the most important thing in the movie is to figure out how to tell a good story.
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