Death on the Nile

Murder aboard a Nile steamer in the 1930s is deftly handled here thanks to a good script and some excellent performances.

There can be no question about it--if you're a mystery fan of the sort of crime novels Agatha Christie wrote during her prolific writing career--this is for you. The script fashioned from one of her best works gives a number of interesting actors roles they can chew the scenery with--and most of them do. I can't praise Angela Lansbury enough for her deft and daffy portrayal of a tipsy authoress--so good, she deserved at least an Oscar nomination. The only real flaw is the film's tendency to move at a rather slow pace before things get more intense.

Other acting kudos among the suspects aboard a Nile steamer belong to Bette Davis as an elderly dowager with a penchant for stealing jewelry; her servant, Maggie Smith, with whom she exchanges some priceless barbs; Simon MacCorkindale and Lois Chiles as lovers; Mia Farrow as a vengeful ex-sweetheart; and of course Peter Ustinov as Poirot. David Niven has the least colorful role and can do little with it as he endeavors to help Poirot solve the mystery. The plot has all the ingenious twists we come to expect of Christie and is a very clever one--if slightly improbable when you stop to think about it--depending heavily on luck and coincidence.

But it's all delivered as entertainment and wrapped up in a package designed to stir the senses with an excellent musical score, some fine scenery and Oscar-winning costumes. It's a relief that the writer decided to keep the period of the novel in the 1930s rather than update it as has been done with other Christie stories--notably, MURDER IS EASY ('82) which was updated to include computer technology as part of the plotline. The period flavor here is an added pleasure.

Flavorful, and highly amusing whenever Bette Davis and Maggie Smith have a go at some wisecracks, with an ending that will surprise you if you fail to catch some of the clues. Superior entertainment.

An heiress is murdered while honeymooning on a Nile cruise. Fortunately, the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is holidaying on the same paddle steamer, and begins an investigation. However, it would seem that all of the other passengers on board have clear motives for committing the murder.

This was the second of Agatha Christie's novels featuring Hercule Poirot to be filmed, after the success of 'Murder On The Orient Express' a few years earlier. The great Peter Ustinov, who so recently passed away, took on the role this time, and injected it with his own droll humour. Indeed the whole film seems rather tongue in cheek, with the all star cast having fun with their roles. Bette Davis, Maggie Smith and Jack Warden all enjoyably ham it up, but Angela Lansbury manages to outdo them all with a delightfully over the top performance as the perpetually drunk author of erotic novels. David Niven, ever the archetypal British gent, proves a good foil as Poirot's partner in the investigation.

Where the film really scores is in the locations and photography. Egypt proves a stately backdrop to proceedings and veteran Cinematographer Jack Cardiff makes the most of it. The 1930's setting also gives an air of genteel opulence to the surroundings. While the film couldn't claim to be a classic tension filled mystery, it is a pleasant, laid back and enjoyable entertainment, that's clever enough to keep you guessing until the end.

I watched this film when it was broadcast on channel four last Christmas and I was so blown away by it that I had to buy the movie on DVD. Coming from a true fan of murder mystery TV shows with my all-time favourite series being Midsomer Murders, I can tell you this has to be one of the best detective dramas ever to be adapted from one of Agatha Christie's novels. Peter Ustinov gives a wonderful performance as Christie's world famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who along with his sidekick has to solve three violent shootings on a luxury cruise ship sailing off the coast of Egypt. The story is full of red herrings, great and really well acted characters and lots of fantastic humour. It is also very gripping with a crime that is forever tricky to work out and a truly unpredictable killer gives the film a perfect ending. I would suggest to all fans of classic British Murder Myestries to see this 1970's Agatha Christie tale but you will have to be prepared to be blown away by it. I overall give Death on the Nile 8/10 stars.

ONE OF THE BEST DETECTIVE STORIES EVER WRITTEN!

Holds up well, even after multiple viewings. The violence for a PG rated movie is affectively brutal. A slew of great actors fleshing out memorable characters; what more do you need? One of the better movie adaptions of Christie's extensive library, even with a few of its more detailed threads reduced in film form. (It rarely hurts the story)

This contains one of Mia Farrow's best performances.

Having just watched the mess of a 2022 film of the same name I thought I would go back and see what this 1978 version was like.

It is much better and follows more closely the original plot.