My first encounter with an episode in the "Agatha Christie Hour" series was "Mystery of the Blue Jar" and it was somewhat of a disappointment. The second episode I watched completely wiped out this memory, however, as "The Fourth Man" is a truly absorbing and compelling short film that kept me glued to the screen and on the edge of my seat throughout the entire running time! It's a fantastic tale with a terrific script, impeccable acting performances and surefooted direction, but what astounded me perhaps the most was that it's such atypical Agatha Christie material. This brilliant writer (the best of all times, in my humble opinion) practically always penned down novels and stories that were 100% rational, and even when she hinted at the supernatural, there was eventually still a twist to explain the occurrences in a rational fashion ("Mystery of the Blue Jar" is a good example, in fact). "The Fourth Man" is one her only stories that leaves the option of supernatural phenomena open and even likely.
Three eminent men are sharing a train compartment and listen to how one of them, the acclaimed psychiatrist Campbell Clark, elaborates on the lecture he just gave about an unusual case of multiple personality syndrome that drove the patient to commit suicide. Suddenly, a fourth passenger interrupts the conversation, as he claims to be a journalist who also attended the lecture and an acquaintance of the patient. He says he grew up in the same orphanage as the victim, Felicie Bault, and another girl named Annette Ravel. Felicie was an ugly and introvert girl with a lot strength and a good healthy, whereas Annette was beautiful and artistically talented, but suffering from fatal tuberculosis. Through flashbacks, taking place during different phases of their young adulthood, it is made clear how Felicie is obsessed with Annette, but the latter only manipulates and humiliates the poor girl. Because of their bizarre relationship, the man suggests that Annette took possession of Felicie's body after she died, and this drove Felicie to kill herself.
The narrative structure of this episode is great, especially considering it's only a 50 minutes movie. The tension and mystery mounts after each brief interlude, effectively working towards an unresolved and haunting climax that leaves room for ambiguity. The performances are stellar. Michael Gough's presence was a main motivator for me to seek out this episode, but his role is rather small. The girls, Prue Clarke and Fiona Mathieson, are downright terrific in their challenging roles. My only main complaint is regarding the title of this short film. Naming the story "The Fourth Man" raises the impression that the train passengers are the lead protagonists here, but they are not.
Three eminent men are sharing a train compartment and listen to how one of them, the acclaimed psychiatrist Campbell Clark, elaborates on the lecture he just gave about an unusual case of multiple personality syndrome that drove the patient to commit suicide. Suddenly, a fourth passenger interrupts the conversation, as he claims to be a journalist who also attended the lecture and an acquaintance of the patient. He says he grew up in the same orphanage as the victim, Felicie Bault, and another girl named Annette Ravel. Felicie was an ugly and introvert girl with a lot strength and a good healthy, whereas Annette was beautiful and artistically talented, but suffering from fatal tuberculosis. Through flashbacks, taking place during different phases of their young adulthood, it is made clear how Felicie is obsessed with Annette, but the latter only manipulates and humiliates the poor girl. Because of their bizarre relationship, the man suggests that Annette took possession of Felicie's body after she died, and this drove Felicie to kill herself.
The narrative structure of this episode is great, especially considering it's only a 50 minutes movie. The tension and mystery mounts after each brief interlude, effectively working towards an unresolved and haunting climax that leaves room for ambiguity. The performances are stellar. Michael Gough's presence was a main motivator for me to seek out this episode, but his role is rather small. The girls, Prue Clarke and Fiona Mathieson, are downright terrific in their challenging roles. My only main complaint is regarding the title of this short film. Naming the story "The Fourth Man" raises the impression that the train passengers are the lead protagonists here, but they are not.