I'd say Vera was the most evil because she knew the little boy couldn't swim and yet she let him go into the sea and drown. I like how she starts out as seemingly being the most innocent among the group and then turns out to be a really nasty woman.
Wargrave was terrible too. He was twisted and enjoyed what he was doing and that makes him very evil and scary.
Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .
Vera was close to having committed the most evil act I would agree. It seems that she was genuinely in love, rather than only doing it for the money, but that is the case.
It is far more interesting what acts "normal" people will commit in the right (or wrong) circumstances.
Vera would have probably led a blameless life if the man she fell in love with had sufficient means to marry her.
Funny that this tale, written so long ago, is a subversion of the tired "final girl" trope. Vera throughout seems the most sympathetic character until the final act.
Vera I would say the Judge but even though it's not as strongly implied as in the book, the Judge is insane. Insanity isn't an excuse for murder but Vera was fully conscious and in the right sane state of mind to know her plan to murder the boy was wrong. Also when you watch interviews of behind the scenes with the cast Maeve Dermody calks Vera a "survivor" she's able to adapt and change as she sees fit you see it with her in the trial but you see it in her interactions with the characters She's very calculating, very manipulative and able to use charm and because of the time period her seeming "fragility" as a woman to get sympathy. By the final scene while I didn't want the Judge to get away with it I could see why he manipulated everything so she'd be the last one standing. She was the worst of the lot.
beauty freedom love truth
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As depicted in this, Philip Lombard as he killed 21 men for diamonds.
As depicted in the original book, Vera Claythorne as she killed the child she was responsible for.
I think Thomas Rogers is the most evil and the Judge knew it. He preyed upon the most weakest individual, a frail and sick old lady who couldn't help or defend herself, just for monetary gain. He also had the most violent death. It takes a lot of anger and hatred for someone to physically take an axe and 'chop someone in half'. The 'hanging judge' must have been livid with him for his act, more than for any of the others. All the talk in his letter about keeping the most guilty till last, was him trying to look more clever to the authorities than he actually is. How violently they died is more indicative of their evil than the chronology of their death.
shareIn the book, it's the judge;
In this ridiculous Hollywood "safe" version, it's a tie between about five of them all vying for "my sadist can out-sadist your sadist" position, namely judge, Lombard, Vera, Blore, and Mr. Rogers.
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!
The Judge. No contest.
~
Hate is a lack of imagination.― Graham Greene
🐉
A bit unbelievable. How did he get rid of all the blood which I assume he would be covered in??
'For His mercies endures forever ' - Psalms
omumaomuma5-960-923485 said:
A bit unbelievable. How did he get rid of all the blood which I assume he would be covered in??
Another thing is where was the Judge hiding the soldier figurines? He clearly kept them somewhere close so that he could return them later at the end.
sharemattchapsartwork said:
Another thing is where was the Judge hiding the soldier figurines? He clearly kept them somewhere close so that he could return them later at the end.
Strangely enough, I have always thought Emily Brent was the most evil. In the book, IIRC, she waited until the girl was obviously showing/close to her due date, then tossed her out. I've just always felt that act was so malicious, vicious, sadistic - and she covered it, or explained it away by believing she was so righteous.
Logically, I know it's Vera, especially in this version, but Emily was just hateful and sadistic. Vera was cold and calculating, but she did it for love.
Security is an illusion. Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all. Helen Keller
I re-read the book a few weeks ago, and I'm 99% certain there's no mention of how far along the servant girl was in her pregnancy. Brent kicked her out as soon as she became aware of the girl's situation.
Brent is the most 'innocent' of the lot in the book, in my opinion. I am a staunch atheist and I hated her attitude, but she was not a killer, nor was she responsible for someone taking their own life. Brent should have been killed off near the beginning.
I think you're confusing Ms. Brent with Mrs. Boynton from Appointment with Death, who did the thing you're ascribing to Ms. Brent and who was evil, malicious and sadistic.
shareOhhh - I hated Mrs. Boynton!!!! She totally creeps me out! I haven't read Appointment with Death or And Then There Were None in a while and now that I'm thinking about it...yep, you're right. I got them mixed up.
Security is an illusion. Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all. Helen Keller
Brent and Marston were the most despicable. Marston was grotesquely self involved and above the concerns of others.
Brent humiliated and belittled anyone she could. She was a child exploiter and remorseless in her fatal lack of compassion. And she never accepted responsibility for what she did.
Everyone else came to terms with what they did, in one way or another and weren't needlessly cruel.