Plot
Peter Ustinov began his long association with the Hercule Poirot character of murder mystery novelist Agatha Christie with this lavish but financially disappointing follow-up to the popular Murder on the Orient Express (1974). During a luxurious pleasure cruise down the Nile aboard a lavish vessel populated with wealthy passengers, widely despised heiress and home wrecker Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles) is murdered. Also aboard is famed Belgian detective Poirot (Ustinov) and his taciturn traveling companion, Colonel Race (David Niven). Poirot undertakes an investigation into Ridgeway's killing. Among the colorful suspects are Salome (Angela Lansbury) and Rosalie Otterbourne (Olivia Hussey), Doctor Bessner (Jack Warden), Mrs. Van Schuyler (Bette Davis), Miss Bowers (Maggie Smith), and Jacqueline De Bellefort (Mia Farrow). As more bodies pile up, however, it appears that nearly everyone aboard has a motive. The script for Death on the Nile (1978) was adapted by Anthony Shaffer, the writer of Sleuth (1972) and the identical twin brother of Amadeus (1984) author Peter Shaffer. ~ Karl Williams, RoviReview
A prototypical Agatha Christie adaptation, Death on the Nile is a classic mystery with an all-star cast of recognizable names and faces. Continuing in the vein of Murder on the Orient Express, a murder has occurred during a river cruise, making everyone onboard a suspect, and, as the eminent detective Hercule Poirot observes, everyone had either an opportunity or a motive to do the dastardly deed. Death on the Nile features Peter Ustinov in the role of Poirot and he gives an uncharacteristically subtle, low-key performance, leaving the histrionics to the rest of the cast which features David Niven, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith, and George Kennedy, among others. This is Ustinov's first appearance as Poirot and he seems to be feeling out the role and leaving the plot to carry the film. Like most works by Agatha Christie are on some level, the plot is somewhat formulaic. However, the mystery is well-constructed as one would also expect from a Christie story, but there is a lot of information to digest in order for the viewer to be able to participate in the solving of the crime and the resolution of the story. By necessity most of the action takes place on the ship, but the other Egyptian locations lend an exoticism to the film and set the period well. ~ Dan Friedman, RoviCast
- Peter Ustinov - Hercule Poirot
- Jane Birkin - Louise Bourget
- Lois Chiles - Linnet Ridgeway
- David Niven - Colonel Race
- Bette Davis - Mrs. Van Schuyler
- Mia Farrow - Jacqueline De Bellefort
- Angela Lansbury - Mrs. Salome Otterbourne
Credit
Brian Ackland-Snow - Art Director, Terry Ackland-Snow - Art Director, Dan Carlin, Sr. - Art Director, Anthony Powell - Costume Designer, Chris Carreras - First Assistant Director, Ted Sturgis - First Assistant Director, John Guillermin - Director, Malcolm Cooke - Editor, Nino Rota - Composer (Music Score), Brian Ackland-Snow - Production Designer, Terry Ackland-Snow - Production Designer, Peter Murton - Production Designer, Jack Cardiff - Cinematographer, Lord John Brabourne - Producer, Richard Goodwin - Producer, Anthony Shaffer - Screenwriter, Agatha Christie - Book Author| Death on the Mountain (1961 Film), Death on the Fourposter (1963 Film) | |
| Death on the Nile: The Assassination of Anwar Sadat (Film), Death on the Set (1936 Film) |
Copyright © 2012 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.
