ENDLESS NIGHT

UK, 2013, 100 minutes, Colour.

Julia McKenzie, Tom Hughes, Aneurin Barnard, Joanna Vanderham, Wendy Craig, Janet Henfrey, Tamzin Outhwaite, William Hope, Glynis Barber, Birgitte Hjort Sorensen, Hugh Dennis.

Directed by David Moore.

Endless Night was not originally a Miss Marple story but has been engineered for television to include her. With Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan and Julia MacKenzie, there are many Miss Marple stories. This is one for those who enjoy Julia MacKenzie’s performances.

Once again, action takes place at a mansion in the British countryside, an old building which is pulled down, attached with the Gypsy’s curse, and a very modern building set up. The focus of the film is on Mike Rogers, played by Tom Hughes, who narrates the film, giving his observations on characters and situations (reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s device in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd). He is seen initially trying to save a fellow student from falling into the ice, thanked by the brother of the dead boy, played by Aneurin Barnard. Barnard is an architect, ill, but completes his task in gratitude to Mike.

There is also a romance, an encounter with an heiress, honeymoon in Rome (with Miss Marple and her friend Marjorie, Wendy Craig, also visiting). There is also a complication with the wife’s close friend, whom Mike detests.

The couple return, living in their home, the wife’s close friend moving in, then the death of the wife – and Miss Marple coming, probing, interrogating, confronting.

There are some bedroom scenes in this version which Agatha Christie may not have approved of – and, commentators note that she was not very happy with the sex scenes in the 1971 version of the film, not Miss Marple, but with Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett.

Quite complicated and the device, misleading, of Mike’s narration.

1. The popularity of Agatha Christie novels? Miss Marple? Miss Marple not in the original novel? Yet the plot keeping close to the novel? The 1971 version?
2. The Jews to settings, 1948 and the ice incident? 1956, the English countryside, the woods, the mansion, the modern home, the town, streets, venues? The room sequences? German sequences? The musical score?
3. The focus on Mike Rogers, the opening incident, Peter falling through the ice, the attempted rescue, Robbie observing and impotent? Audience suspicions? The way the incident was filmed? The later revelation of the watch in Mike’s draw? Motivation?
4. Mike and the narration, his describing the incidents, in retrospect, lies and omissions? His age, the many jobs, chauffeur, the encounter with Miss Marple, the discussions with her, the property, the house, Mrs Lee and fortune-telling and warning? His wanting the house? The encounter with Robbie, Robbie as an architect, grateful for Mike’s intervention, offering to build him a house, the plan, Mike’s delight? The return to the spot, the encounter with Ellie, meeting her again, together, conversations, Mrs Lee and the warning? Mike’s description of the courtship, marriage, Ellie’s objection to Cora? The honeymoon, Rome, the encounter with Miss Marple and Marjorie?
5. The return, Robbie finishing the house, settling in? The issue of Greta, friendship with Ellie, Mike proposed to her? The Gypsies, stone through the window? The housewarming, the party, Claudia, Frank Standford?
6. The legal background, the adviser, relationship with Ellie? The arranging of the buying of the house? Ellie leading Michael on, the surprise? In other members of the family? Cora, hostility to Ellie? Buying a house nearby?
7. Romantic, the love between Mike and Ellie? Her going horse riding? The issue of Greta, moving in? The building in the woods, renovating it?
8. Miss Marple, her presence, discussions, ideas, observation? And later doing the investigations, the confrontation with Mike, at the building and the woods, her escape? The solution?
9. Ellie, her death, horse riding? Inquest? Mike and his trip to America? The burial? His return, the revelation of his relationship with greeter? And killing her?
10. Mike, completely self-absorbed, relationship with his mother, her claiming to know him, Ellie going to see her, his upset? The explanations with Miss Marple? Robbie overhearing, discovering the watch, the confrontation?
11. Mike pursuing Miss Marple in the woods, the revelation of the murder of Mrs Lee, Miss Marple finding her cloak? The money in her house to intimidate Ellie?
12. Robbie, the confrontation, setting the house alight, his death?
13. Mike, his confession, unrepentant?