Today marks 50 years since the theatrical debut of 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express. This stylish murder mystery film from director Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon) is the first cinematic adaptation of author Agatha Christie’s classic novel. This classic story shows detective Hercule Poirot, in one of his many iconic adventures, investigating the gruesome death of a shady businessman on board the titular train as it gets stuck in the snow.
Modern audiences may be most familiar with Christie’s story from director Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 film of the same name. However, 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express remains one of cinema’s most beloved and definitive Agatha Christie movies, winning an Oscar (for Ingrid Bergman’s supporting performance) out of six Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score. Both adaptations have their merits, but there are multiple reasons why Lumet’s film remains a classic of detective fiction.
To do Murder on the Orient Express justice on the big screen, Lumet assembled a cast of renowned actors from classic cinema to bring the novel’s several characters to life. This movie most notably features Casablanca‘s Ingrid Bergman, the original James Bond actor Sean Connery, and Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins.
It also has stars like Lauren Bacall (The Big Sleep), Martin Balsam (Psycho), John Gielgud (Arthur), Jean-Pierre Cassel (La Cérémonie), Vanessa Redgrave (Julia), Michael York (Cabaret), Rachel Roberts (Yanks), Jacqueline Bisset (The Deep), Richard Widmark (Kiss of Death), and Wendy Hiller (Pygmalion).
While Lumet’s film has several capable actors, lead Albert Finney carries this film on his shoulders, taking hold of his audience with his quirky, charismatic portrayal of Hercule Poirot. Though Kenneth Branagh delivered a stellar version of Poirot, Finney remains the only actor to play the character and receive an Academy Award nomination for his performance. One actor did receive an Oscar in Lumet’s film, as Ingrid Bergman won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of missionary Greta Ohlsson.
With a script penned by Goldfinger screenwriter Paul Dehn, 1974’s Murder On The Orient Express presents a gripping and complex mystery that grows more surprising and exciting by the minute. While detective stories often present a black-and-white morality, this adaptation stays faithful to the source material by showing how the suspects’ lives were all affected by the deceased’s murder of an innocent young girl.
Though their methods for vengeance were extreme, they were all trying to gain the justice the law denied them. Though their celebration in Lumet’s film may be too sentimental, it gives them all a greater sense of hope and closure as they try to move past their tragedy. Unlike Branagh’s film, Lumet’s adaptation presents a great sense of unity among the suspects through their shared suffering and victory in the end.
Unlike Branagh’s modern remake, Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express doesn’t rely on CGI to bring its story to life. What audiences see in the film are vibrant and authentic snow-covered landscapes, with the train on screen being 100% real. However, Lumet doesn’t rely on flashy, high-tech visuals or action-packed thrills to hook its audience.
Like one of his previous films, 12 Angry Men, Lumet’s adaptation creates a greater sense of claustrophobia with its cinematography and limited setting. With most of the movie taking place inside the train, Lumet takes advantage of the confined space and uses tight close-ups to emphasize the feeling of anxiety and pressure that the characters experience. This direction adds greater intensity to the story as Poirot interrogates his suspects for such a dark deed in such close quarters, making for a slow-burning but immersive cinematic experience.
In all fairness, Branagh presented a bold and beautiful film that succeeded in doing something different with Christie’s novel. But in the end, Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express is a gem of classic cinema thanks to its engaging performances, enthralling visuals, and gripping narrative that succeeds in honoring the source material’s message while presenting an enjoyable murder mystery.
Murder on the Orient Express is streaming on Paramount+.
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