The new film version of Murder on the Orient Express, one of the most famous novels of Agatha Christie. Directed and starring the British Kenneth brannagh, which reserves the role of Hercules Poirot, brings together a luxury cast, as the one of Sidney Lumet in 1974. But the film adaptations of the novels by this writer are as many as her prolific work. I review some of the best known. Personally I will always stay with the masterful Charge witness.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (SYDNEY LUMET, 1974)
It was the first version and the director knew how to turn Christie's entertaining novel into a classic immediate thanks, in part, to a superb cast among which were the British Albert Finney like Poirot, Ingrid BergmanLauren Bacall Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins or Jacqueline Bisset.
Account the case to be investigated by Poirot when you return home from a successful job. He has to take the mythical train Orient Express and a great snowfall forces to make an unexpected stop. The next morning a millionaire is found stabbed and everyone around him seems eager to prove his innocence. And well, we already know what the end is, right?
DEATH ON THE NILE (JOHN GUILLERMIN, 1978)
Four years after Murder on the Orient Express from Lumet came this Death on the Nile. This time he is also the British and prestigious actor Peter Ustinov the one who embodies Poirot. The first had been Charles Laughton, but it was Ustinov who managed to associate his face in the public with the particular and shrewd Belgian detective. Did it six times.
This adaptation also had a cast full of stars in which they were Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, David Niven, Angela Lansbury, Jane Birkin, George Kennedy, Jack Warden and Maggie Smith. It is curious to note that Ustinov was married to the sister of Angela Lansbury, an actress who appeared in more adaptations of Christie's works. And a few years later Lansbury was the protagonist of the famous television series It has written a crime, whose main character is based on Miss Marple.
In this case Hercule Poirot travel aboard the Karnak, a luxurious riverboat that crosses the Nile. In it a rich heiress is assassinated. Before reaching port, he will have to dismantle the alibis of his fellow travelers to find the murderer. A very similar argument that only changes the setting and the means of transport.
From this movie too a new movie version has just been announced taking advantage of the pull of this last of Murder on the Orient Express.
THE BROKEN MIRROR (GUY HAMILTON, 1980)
Here is the example of the participation of Angela Lansbury playing Miss Marple. It was again seconded by a spectacular cast of stars although already in its decline, as rock hudson Elizabeth Taylor o Tony curtis. A Hollywood crew arrives in a quiet English town to shoot a period movie. When one of its members is poisoned, Miss Marple will be in charge of investigating what has happened.
DEATH UNDER THE SUN (GUY HAMILTON, 1982)
Peter Ustinov reprized role as Poirot in this film. Now the action is at a balkan hotel (recreated in Mallorca). Poirot will soon discover that the elite guests share a deep hatred for Arlena, an actress. When she is murdered, everyone becomes a suspect again with their particular motives for having killed her.
THE TRAIN AT 4:50 (GEORGE POLLOCK, 1961)
We go back in time with this adaptation that was the director's first adventure George Pollock and actress Margaret Rutherford. They were released adapting a story about Miss Marple but teaching the bases for the rest of the works: costumes, humor and enemies in the shadows.
margaret rutherford was the most famous face in film for Miss Marple, whom she played four times. In this story it is Miss Marple herself who, on a train journey, is a fleeting witness to a murder committed in a car of a parallel train. But there is no corpse and the authorities will believe that it is only the imagination of an old woman fond of detective stories. So she will decide to investigate on her own.
TEN NEGRITOS (RENE CLAIR, 1945)
Written in 1939 it was one of the brightest and best selling books from Christie and remains one of the most popular and famous. It is also one of the most adapted. This is one of the most official and was directed by the French René Clair. Much later in 1987 he had a Russian version that also highly respects the original novel.
Ten unrelated people meet on a mysterious islet off the English coast by a certain Mr. Owen. This is the owner of a luxurious mansion, but his guests do not know him. After the first dinner, and without having seen their host yet, the ten diners are accused by recording of having committed a crime. One by one, from that moment on, they are killed for no apparent reason or explanation.
POSITION WITNESS (BILLY WILDER, 1957)
It is based on the play by Christie of the same name. And Billy Wilder succeeded with his film adaptation and performances of Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich and especially Charles Laughton, a work of art of the seventh art. Tells the story of Leonard vole (Power). Vole is a nice and friendly man, who is accused of the murder of a wealthy lady who had left him as heir to a large fortune.
The circumstantial evidence against him is pretty clear, but eThe prestigious criminal lawyer Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Laughton) believes he is innocent and agrees to defend him by all means. Vole is married to a German nurse (Dietrich) whom he met during the war, and he will find in her the most adverse witness for the prosecution.
The film got six Oscar nominationsBest Movie, Best Director, Best Leading Actor (Charles Laughton), Best Supporting Actress (Elsa Lanchester), Best Sound, and Best Editing, but failed to achieve any.