Murder on the Orient Express (1974)'s comments

Do you want to let us know what you think? Just login, after which you will be redirected back here and you can leave your comments.

Siskoid

Sidney Lumet's 1974 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, or rather it's third act, should rightfully be considered the high bar of Agatha Christie adaptations, or indeed, of any reveal of how a crime was committed. While the pieces are well laid out before that point, following the novel faithfully in all but a few trivial details, it's the manic and yet precise way Albert Finney's Poirot, despite his horrendous French, solves it in one master scene that makes the film work as well as it does. I don't think all the characters are introduced as well as I would like in the first act, but the steady procedural pace highlights the important clues very neatly, and the confrontations between Poirot and the suspects are electric. Despite a new adaptation having just hit movie screens, it has not been made redundant. Rather, Branagh's 2017 version seems to go out of its way not to repeat it, and two could be seen as complementary rather than rivals.

6 years 5 months ago

Miss Jitterbug

This definitely needs to be included in some official top-lists!

8 years 4 months ago

Trocce

I don't like watching movie but I love playing poppy playtime chapter 3

3 days 15 hours ago

flaiky

Death on the Nile is better.

12 years 1 month ago

boomdiddly

Meh. Considering how fantastic Lumet's 12 Angry Men was, it's hard to believe this was directed by the same man. Granted, it's hard to make an interesting film when 12 of the main actors and actresses must all have the same subtext of nervousness-about-getting-caught-in-a-lie.
That is why the film depends most importantly on the acting of the detective, Poirot, who does not share this trait and must be a breath of fresh air to the viewer. But at times Finney's Poirot looks and acts like Hitler and his brash and ridiculous accent makes him contemptible rather than sympathetic. His 27 minute monologue is an almost agonizing cruelty.
For how much star-power this film had, it comes up a bit lackluster. 2.5/5

9 years 7 months ago

backeby

One of my favorites, love it

12 years 7 months ago

tmvitoria

Lumet being Lumet.

12 years 10 months ago