Off-List: Murder on the Orient Express
Are there
any whodunnits more iconic than Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express”?
Not that I can think of.
For this kind
of story, it is a curse to be famous because you do not want to spoil the guessing
game and yet I had happily forgotten the resolution of this murder mystery. Incredible
but true. I am probably getting old. In any case, I had a great time watching
the mystery getting unraveled with Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) tying all the
little pieces of information together.
What I had
even more fun with, was watching the greatest assembly of acting credentials
ever to perform in a single movie. A bold claim, but one that may actually be
true. It may be easier to mention who was not in this movie.
Hercule
Poirot, the famous (in Agatha Christie’s novels) detective, is returning from
the Middle East and boards a train, the famous Orient Express, in Istanbul,
heading for France and England. The first-class section is fully booked by 12
other passengers (sounds like a small train…) and they only just manage to squeeze
in Poirot.
Shortly
into the ride, the American businessman Ratchett (Richard Widmark) offers Poirot
a small fortune to protect him from an unknown danger. Ratchett has been receiving
threatening letters, but Poirot refuses and the morning after Ratchett is dead.
Mr. Bianchi, director of the train line, implores Poirot to solve the mystery
and a sudden snowdrift may just offer enough time to do so.
So, who did
it? Was it,
The loud and
obnoxious Mrs. Hubbard (Lauren Bacall)?
The pious
Ms. Ohlsson (Ingrid Bergman)?
The
charming Countess Helena Andrenyi (Jacqueline Bisset) or the just as charming Count
Rudolf Andrenyi (Michael York)?
The stout
Colonel Arbuthnot (Sean Connery) or his girlfriend Mary Debenham (Vanessa
Redgrave)?
Maybe the
butler did it (John Gielgud) or Ratchett’s secretary (Anthony Perkins)?
Or the
elderly, slightly infirm and very aristocratic Princess Dragomiroff (Wendy
Hiller) or her maid Hildegarde Schmidt (Rachel Roberts)?
One cannot
rule out the bodyguard (Colin Blakely) or the car salesman (Denis Quilley),
surely?
And that train
attendant, Pierre (Pierre Paul Michel) was just a little too close to all the
action, no?
This list,
of course, is mostly an excuse to write up the amazing list of actors and
actresses participating in this spectacle, for a spectacle it is. This may be a
murder case, but it is played for nostalgic reminiscence of a nobler time long
gone, when train rides were spectacular and the high and mighty would be
sharing a train car. The music, the décor, the costumes, this all has a lighter
and easier air than is normally due a crime scene and Poirot solving the case
is more the unraveling of a riddle than the apprehension of a dangerous
criminal. All very gentleman-like.
I did feel
a bit odd with Albert Finney as Poirot, but I guess that is simply because I am
so used to David Suchet’s rendition of the famous detective in the TV-series.
Cannot really blame Finney for that.
“Murder on
the Orient Express” is the first of my off-List movies for 1974 and, honestly,
I find it odd that this one was left out. It was nominated for six Academy
Awards and won one (Ingrid Bergman). It is a fluffy piece, but an incredibly
taste one. I would have added it to the List.
I like Agatha Christie because her murder victims are always someone so despicable we don't really mind that they are dead. And ten or more people have a good reason to want them dead! I liked Albert Finney. I don't know if I would have guessed it was him if I hadn't known. That big strapping Tom Jones is nothing like the little Belgian detective. Finney made a great Scrooge as well.
ReplyDeleteThat Ratchett character certainly had it coming.
DeleteI have not seen Tom Jones, but I should. I only read the book and that was great.
Love this film and to see how special it is all you have to do is watch the muddy, dreary and flat update that Kenneth Branagh churned out. It's missing everything that makes this so great.
ReplyDeleteThat cast list is marvelous, Lumet got all his first choices except for Marlene Dietrich as the Princess-the studio felt that she would be too exaggerated. Wendy Hiller is terrific but it's a missed opportunity. Along with the players the production, both set and costume, is just so gorgeous and lush. Jacqueline Bisset never looks less than ravishing and I love that Vanessa Redgrave got to play a sassy average girl-at this point she was usually in period clothing. She was great at that but her talent is so vast it was nice to see her get to do something a little different.
The entire film is just a joy from start to finish.
I shared that joy.
DeleteI did not know Dietrich was considered as the Princess. That would have been interesting, though I cannot put a finger on Hiller's performance.
I like this film a lot less than Joel does. For me, there's a murder and then there's just...a series of interviews. It's pretty to look at, but it's really just an elaborate conversation with a dozen or so people.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's not really worth a second watch.
I can understand that, but I think I am more in line with Joel here. Maybe on repeated views I would get tired of it, but the splendor of it all goes a long way to compensate any flaws.
Delete