Paul Risker reviews The Poirot Collection, consisting of Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun…
From Ealing to Poirot by way of The Wicker Man, the Studiocanal back catalogue is filled to the brim with classic films that serve our home entertainment adventures of discovery and rediscovery. Now with the release of The Poirot Collection that brings together the three feature films of Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun, a glorious Blu-Ray warmth is offered to the crime aficionado during these winter months.
One of the icons of detective literature and television, Hercule Poirot first emerged from the imagination of the English writer Agatha Christie, before Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov and David Suchet introduced her creation to the screen. Between them they have imbued Poirot with a Shakespearean presence; each interpretation an individual joy to watch, and when compared, Poirot becomes a character who like so many of Shakespeare’s cast, is at home in the hands of performers who proceed to create nuance.
Murder on the Orient Express is a complimentary episode in Sidney Lumet’s filmography alongside jury and one room drama Twelve Angry Men, police interrogation drama The Offence, and the police thriller Serpico. He would follow up Murder on the Orient Express with his heist movie Dog Day Afternoon, before continuing to pursue his fascination with crime that culminated with his final movie Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. A creative rendezvous between two individuals who were both influential in their respective mediums, Murder on the Orient Express is an important and seminal moment in the cinemas crime/detective drama.
Each of the three films adheres to a ritualistic form progressing through the clearly defined chapters of set-up, conflict and resolution. Murder on the Orient Express however lacks the more exhaustive set-up that screenwriter Anthony Shaffer brought to its successors, which allowed the audience opportunity to observe the cast of suspects as they interacted or scowled at the obvious victim. This permitted the audience to gather more information to hand before joining Poirot in his post-murder enquires, but more importantly teases us with the prospect of anticipating and therein beating Poirot to the punch.
Despite the ritualistic formal structure of each film that brings with it a repetitive feel, Ustinov’s Poirot has a more restrained air about him in contrast to Finney’s over the top portrayal, and Anthony Shaffer’s meticulous writing is always a cause for admiration.
Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun are all ensemble dramas. The ensemble cast versus Poirot strikes that perfect balance wherein the individual weaves his way through the cast of characters, as the individual protagonist and the ensemble merge, becoming both a story of the ensemble as well as another chapter in the crime solving adventures of in this case Hercule Poirot.
The splendid ensemble cast resonates more deeply as one discovers cinema – Lauren Bacall one of the original femme fatales in The Big Sleep, and Anthony Perkins’ nervous, jittery disposition possesses shades of Psycho’s Norman Bates. Throughout the three films acting luminaries such as James Mason, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow distract from any ritualistic structure, as do the solutions to the murders. Following the repetitive form a second time round, the third outing finds Poirot confronted by a hotel full of suspects all of who have alibis. It poses a seemingly unsolvable dilemma that piques the interest and immerses us in the personal dramas that finds us all too happy to have taken a second holiday with monsieur Poirot.
Together this collection of films are an example of taking a narrative form and working creatively within it by using all the components of film, from script to cast to create compelling crime drama whose ritualistic form becomes a source of affection.
Possessing a grandiose visual and musical ambition, these are three thoroughly entertaining tales of crime that sweep us up, and collectively they are an important compendium to ITV’s long running television series with David Suchet in the title role. Whilst deeply rooted in the annals of British television, this trilogy is evidence of Poirot’s contribution to the cinematic crime drama and detective story.
With age they have matured, possessing that feel of classic crime dramas that modern television and film is lacking, where the cerebral detective reigns supreme over crime solving technology and DNA.
Box Set Rating – ★ ★ ★ ★
Murder on the Orient Express – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Death on the Nile – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Evil Under the Sun – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Paul Risker is a critic and writer for a number of on-line and print publications, including Little White Lies, Film International, Starburst Magazine, and VideoScope. He is currently based in the United Kingdom.
Originally published January 22, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
