“Murder on the Orient Express” A true masterpiece of Agatha Christie’s original movie *Note! Contains spoilers.

*This article touches on the ending of the story, so we recommend watching the movie before reading it.

"Murder on the Orient Express" synopsis

1935. The transcontinental international train Orient Express was heading from Istanbul to Calais via Paris. There are various passengers on the train, including the famous detective Hercule Poirot. On the second night, the tracks were covered with snow and the train was stranded. Meanwhile, the body of Ratchet, a wealthy American who was in the guest room next to Poirot, is discovered. Ratchet had been stabbed all over his body. Poirot sets out to investigate the incident and begins interrogating the conductor and 12 first-class passengers...

Index

• Perfection approved by Agatha Christie
• Is it fair or unfair as a mystery?
• A courtroom drama unfolding on a train
• Sidney Lumet's Strategy and Calculations

Perfection approved by Agatha Christie

``For me, mysteries are rarely suspenseful. For example, there is no suspense in solving mysteries at all. They are just a kind of intellectual puzzle The Game. But it lacks emotion.However, emotion is the basic element of suspense.'' (*1)

Alfred Hitchcock, the ``God of Suspense,'' took a negative stance on mystery stories in which a great detective unravels tricks, calling them ``not suspenseful'' (not cinematic). The word suspense originally comes from the word suspend, which means hanging in the air. ``A state of mind in limbo'' = ``a state of continued anxiety'' is the essence of suspense. Merely solving mysteries is not enough to stir the emotions of the audience! So says the master.

However, contrary to Hitchcock's beliefs, mystery novels have always been materials that have been made into films in the history of film. The works of Agatha Christie, the “Queen of Mystery”, are especially popular. In the past, films such as René Clair's "And Then There Were None " (1945), Billy Wilder's " The Lover " (1957), and most recently, " Murder on the Nile " (22), starring and directed by Kenneth Branagh, were released. ), there are too many to list.

Among the many films based on Agatha Christie's original work, Murder on the Orient Express(1974) is perhaps the most impressive. The movie was a big hit, grossing $35 million at the box office in the United States, and starring a huge cast of star actors. At the 47th Academy Awards, the film was nominated in six categories: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Costume Design, with Ingrid Bergman winning Best Supporting Actress.

"Murder on the Orient Express" preview

Murder on the Orient Express is now considered a masterpiece, but Agatha Christie was reluctant to make it into a film. Producer Richard Goodwin says:

"It was difficult to convince Agatha Christie to give up the rights, as she hated the movie version of The ABC Murders ." (*2)

Due to her popular content, her works were made into films at random, and some were even shown in movie theaters as shoddy productions. She probably couldn't stand it. However, ``Murder on the Orient Express'' has been painstakingly refined by the master craftsman Sidney Lumet, turning it into a masterpiece with fine details. Agatha Christie, who attended the screening, expressed satisfaction with the film's performance (although she was apparently not impressed by the strange mustache of Albert Finney, played by Hercule Poirot).

Fourteen months after the film was released, Agatha Christie passed away at the age of 85. It is said that his favorite film adaptations of his own works were ``Murder on the Orient Express,'' along with `` The Lover .''

Is it fair or unfair as a mystery?