Death on the Nile (1978)

"Oh! Never have I seen such a reptile in a first class cabin!", 19 November 2005

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Agatha Christie's books. I would read and reread everyone I could get my hands on. I remember being terribly excited when Death on the Nile was released in 1978. The movie quickly became a favorite of mine that I've watched literally hundreds of times over the years without ever growing tired of it. I still find new things to enjoy with each viewing. The movie has lost none of its entertainment value on me. For me, there are two areas where Death on the Nile really excels – Christie's story and the acting.

Death on the Nile follows the basic plot structure Christie used over and over – a group of people is isolated on a boat, train, old house, island, etc. A murder soon follows that only one of these people could have committed. Everyone is a suspect. Each character has a motive and the opportunity to have committed the murder. Death on the Nile is one of the best examples of this plot structure that Christie wrote. Unlike other mysteries, Death on the Nile does not cheat. There are no characters introduced in the last minute and there are not vital clues that the detective discovers just before revealing the murderer. It's played straight. Everything that Christie's detective Poirot knows, the viewer also knows. It's just that most of us would never put the clues together in the same manner Poirot does.

As for the acting, Death on the Nile features a wonderful cast. While my personal favorites are Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, and Bette Davis, everyone in the cast gives a terrific performance. It may be something as simple as the look Davis gives when some Egyptian children "moon" her from the shore or it may be something as elaborate as Lansbury's over-the-top portrayal of the over-sexed writer, each character is played to perfection. In short, the acting is first rate.

Two complaints I've read across the internet involve the perceived padding of the script and characters that aren't well rounded. The padding argument usually concerns shot after shot of Egyptian locations without much happening. Maybe it's just me, but I enjoy the scenery. Plus, I am usually having such a good time with the film that I don't want any of it to rush by. As for the characters, while it is a valid argument, I understand that it's the way Christie wrote. Most of her characters were simply there to be suspects. The rest of their lives didn't matter. I must confess that I too would have liked to see a little more dimension and depth added to some of these fascinating people. It's my only complaint.

9/10