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Review: Hallowe'en Party

go_leafs_nation 06 Jul 10 at 3:10 p.m. GMT

I’ve already seen Three Act Tragedy and The Clocks, the first two instalments in the twelfth and newest season of Poirot. Both are wonderful, very entertaining episodes, and so my hopes were high when I found Hallowe’en Party and decided to watch it.

Hallowe’en Party, published in 1969, is a later Christie. Dame Agatha was no longer in her prime, but I think this book proved that she was by no means exhausted of ideas. The basic plot set-up is this: at a Hallowe’en party for children, Joyce Reynolds boasts to Mrs. Oliver, there on a visit, that she saw a murder once. Joyce is a compulsive liar, and everyone has great fun mocking her story. Frustrated, Joyce insists that her story is true, but refuses to give any more details. When the party is finished, she is discovered drowned in an apple-bobbing tub.

I’ve always been simply fascinated with that idea for a story— it must be one of my very favourites in all detection. The story itself is very good (and the solution is pretty decent as well), but it tended to ramble somewhat, and the middle section is extremely slow. It makes me wish AC had tackled the story when she was a bit younger. Nonetheless, my fascination with a story of such a haunting nature is enough to make Hallowe’en Party one of my favourite Christies. Was it among her best? By no means— but it was still quite enjoyable for me to read.

I was ecstatic when Hallowe’en Party was announced as part of season 12 (after false reports that it was going to conclude season 11). At long last, I would get to see this fascinating story translated to the screen! I was then even more excited when it was announced that Mark Gatiss, who wrote the brilliant script of Cat Among the Pigeons, was going to adapt the story for television! Stephen Churchett would not be available to make the victim a teenage boy stabbed with a carving knife while making a jack-o’lantern. So my expectations and hopes were very high for Hallowe’en Party. My friends, it did not disappoint in the least.

I will tackle the issue of casting first. Julian Rhind-Tutt plays Michael Garfield. He was already in Marple as Dr. Calgary in Ordeal by Innocence, but thanks to the magic of makeup, he is rendered almost unrecognizable in this role. He is perfect as the artistic gardener with an obsession for beauty. Zoe Wanamaker, as always, was perfect as Mrs. Oliver. When asked why she made her detective a Finn, she sighs and says “I’ve often wondered myself.” The way she delivers that line is simply perfect— I could practically hear AC sighing along with her in sympathy. There are a few scenes here where she discusses her writing, and they are priceless. Suchet is as always great as Poirot.

The adaptation makes a wonderful, exciting discovery with the casting of Miranda Butler. A young actress you’ve never heard of (since this is her first role), Mary Higgins (no relation to Clark as far as I know), plays the role of the nymph-like Miranda, who is nearly always sitting in the garden. Higgins is simply perfect! A very beautiful young girl, she does not embellish nor does she underplay her character’s distinct oddness and charm. She is quite simply perfect and convincing, and brought the character to life. This truly is a smashing debut, and I hope she will continue in acting.

On to other things. We’ve become accustomed to episodes lately introducing homosexual subplots, incest, alcoholism— elements that did not appear in Christie’s original oeuvre, which are often frighteningly overplayed or just plain silly. Hallowe’en Party hinted at a lesbian subplot, and, in fact, it is the only time the word “lesbian” appears in a Christie. Thank God for Mark Gatiss. He is no Stephen Churchett, who would’ve taken that one word and run away with the subplot, adding his own flourishes, all in the name of artistic license and bringing the stories “up to date”. Gatiss keeps the subplot the way it was: subtle. He uses small touches— little gestures, things people say, and so forth. The actors cooperate with the script and with the director (Charles Palmer, who's also made The Clocks, The Murder at the Vicarage, and A Pocket Full of Rye) and the result is a beautiful, truly touching underlying story.

Gatiss does take liberties with the story— he is creating a movie, not a museum piece. Rowena Drake, for instance, is made into a mother, with a smarmy little mummy’s boy and a rather wretched, horrid daughter. (There are other words that jump to mind, but they are not very polite.) His changes only serve to make the story more interesting—he eliminates the static “Question & Answer Session” feeling of the second act. His touches are intriguing, as the whole thing becomes something not unlike a Gothic ghost story.

One of the best moves the series ever made was ditching the old formula with Japp, Hastings, & Co. Gone are the moments of forced attempts at humour, gone are the farfetched ways of involving his friends in every case. (I can just imagine, under the old formula, Japp hiding in a suitcase on the Orient Express, and emerging when the murder is discovered, only to exclaim “Poirot! What the devil are you doing here?”) The series feels more like the one AC wrote, and this tone suits Hallowe’en Party perfectly.

The formulaic music was also scrapped, and different music is composed for different episodes. But this episode here has an almost ghostly take on a familiar tune, heard a few times. You will also hear the children chanting a rhyme when playing snapdragon. This rhyme is also repeated as part of the music, faintly chattered and echoing, which really makes it bone-chilling. (It's rather like the children chanting and laughing eerily in One, Two, Buckle My Shoe.) It is one of the most effectively-scored episodes I’ve seen thus far.

So in conclusion, unless the series totally bombed Murder on the Orient Express, which I somewhat doubt, this entire season has been of excellent quality. The first three episodes form the best season we’ve had since Death on the Nile/ Sad Cypress/ Five Little Pigs/ The Hollow.

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8 replies

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MissQuin 19 Nov 10 at 2:12 p.m. GMT

Actually it's set in the 1930's, but I loved it too. BRILLIANT casting, everyone was just right for the parts. Although the foreign girl was pretty unlike the book, but I'll forgive them as the rest was so good.

I did enjoy the fact Poirot WAS being Poirot, if that makes sense. He was doing his complulsive straightening of objects which is just like him. He wasn't too angry, not too sad, but eccentric, clever and determined. That's the Poirot we know and love!

knottyceltic 19 Nov 10 at 3:13 a.m. GMT

Just watched "the Hallowe'en Party" and LOVED it.  True it may be a little out of date with all those jack-0-lanterns and the too-elaborate-for-the-60's Halloween costumes but I still loved it.  Mrs. O was great as usual, I love her dry humor and Poirot was much more likeable in this than in the new "Murder on the Orient Express". 

MissQuin 01 Nov 10 at 4:15 p.m. GMT

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Yes and what made me grin was the idea of Mrs Oliver's Sven in a hot air balloon, solving crimes.  I thought  Zoe Wannamaker made a very good as Mrs O and this adapt confirms it.

belgian_in_ireland 31 Oct 10 at 3:31 p.m. GMT

I watched Hallowe'en Party last Wednesday and must admit I really liked it.  It's been a while since I read the book, but from what I remember it seems close enough to the book.  The changes that were made, didn't bother me at all.

MissQuin 28 Oct 10 at 8:19 p.m. GMT

And I was correct, timing just right!

MissQuin 11 Jul 10 at 12:19 p.m. GMT

Sorry, missed your post til now. eh, some of these new adapts sound terrible! I think Poirot could be on at Halloween here. or at least I hope so!

go_leafs_nation 06 Jul 10 at 6:16 p.m. GMT

I can help you out with that, MissQuin, if you private message me (from my profile page).

Yes, they stuck with the essence of Agatha Christie. Mark Gatiss is one of the few screenwriters who gets it- "it" being the ingenuity of Christie along with all her other qualities that make her such an enjoyable author to read.

MissQuin 06 Jul 10 at 3:18 p.m. GMT

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Excellent review Goleafs, very good reading. But sadly, it makes me want to see Halloween Party. I expect it'll be years before we see in Britian. I mean we haven't even see Evans, not that I really want to. 

It's sounds like theyv'e stuck to the true escese and tone of the story. I don't mind about any homosexuality and incest, because there was untertones of those in the book. I wish Murder Is Easy would be remade in that tense, Gothic style that's so true to the book.