Death On The Nile

Some bestsellers are not only popular with the public, but have also been adapted for film and television. Agatha Christie's novel Death on the Nile, published on November 1, 1937 in the United Kingdom by Collins Crime Club, was not only a huge worldwide success when it was released, but also gave rise to an excellent film directed by John Guillermin and released in the United States on September 29, 1978, starring Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot (who also played the famous detective in Evil Under the Sun (1982) and Appointment with Death (1988)). Appearing in no less than forty novels written by Agatha Christie between 1920 and 1975, he is certainly one of the readers' favorites along with Murder on the Orient Express (1934). 

It is therefore easy to understand the desire of director Kenneth Branagh to offer his version of these two world-famous novels and already adapted to the cinema not only by updating these adventures of Hercule Poirot but especially by surrounding himself with an excellent cast as much for Murder on the Orient Express) (2017) and Death on the Nile and by interpreting the character of Hercule Poirot himself. To compare the adaptation of Death on the Nile exceeds not only that of the film for Murder on the Orient Express) but proves once again that Kenneth Branagh is also good actor and director. We also find Michael Green as a screenwriter, Patrick Doyle as a composer and Haris Zambarloukos as a director of photography. The result is a real continuity between the two films and a perfectly distilled atmosphere that neither the true fans of Agatha Christie's novels nor the film enthusiasts will deny. Death on the Nile.

The structure of the story of the film Murder on the Orient Express) and Death on the Nile is based on identical foundations and on the principle of Agatha Christie's whodunit, namely who killed a very rich young bride during a luxurious crusade on the Nile.   Belgian detective Hercule Poirot's Egyptian vacation on a glamorous steamship turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when the idyllic honeymoon of a perfect couple is tragically interrupted. Set against an epic backdrop of vast desert vistas and the majestic pyramids of Giza, this story of passion and jealousy features a cosmopolitan group of travelers and enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing until the perfectly delivered finale.

However, Death on the Nile is truly original as it begins with a long scene shot in sumptuous black and white and set in the Belgian trenches during the First World War. We learn through this why Hercule Poirot wears a beautiful mustache and especially where he decided to become one of the greatest detectives using his deductive skills to unmask one or more killers hiding among several people in a closed place whether it is a train or here a boat.  Death on the Nile also highlights the beauty of the many landscapes of Egypt (Aswan, Abu Simbel ..). Michael Green's script succeeds in perfectly transcribing the psychology of the characters and above all shows once again that appearances are often deceiving. 

However, the novel makes very little room for the setting and the local color. On the other hand, as always with Agatha Christie, the secondary characters all have a real personality, which makes the novel very lively. Kenneth Branagh takes great pleasure in portraying Hercule Poirot and in showing how this excellent detective proves to be a keen observer of the smallest clue. As director and producer, he also benefits from a sumptuous cast that includes Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Kenneth Branagh, Russell Brand, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders and Letitia Wright. While Death on the Nile could have been a simple rip-off of Murder on the Orient Express, Kenneth Branagh seems to have taken into account the criticisms of his first adaptation of Agatha Christie's cult novel and delivers a perfectly mastered production that captures our attention from the first minute to the tragic end. If you look at it, this film is also a tribute to the great films of the 70's in which the main qualities of a film were first of all its script, a committed director and an impeccable cast. The IMAX version of the film brings a real added value as this film allows us to spend an excellent moment of cinema and to be totally immersed.

While Death on the Nile could have been a new American blockbuster with many spectacular special effects to spoil the many weaknesses of a scenario adapting without real inventiveness a popular and well-known bestseller, the film is instead oriented towards a real sobriety. Kenneth Branagh's direction shows that he does not try to put himself forward at any time, but rather gives way to the spectator by presenting his numerous flaws and above all a tragic romantic past that made his character Hercule Poirot seem marked by tragedy and wanders in a solitary manner in a world that he knows is dangerous and in which his permanent quest is to bring out the truth.

Death on the Nile
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Produced by Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Mark Gordon, Kevin J. Walsh
Screenplay by Michael Green
Based on the novel Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Starring Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Kenneth Branagh, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, Letitia Wright
Music by Patrick Doyle
Director of photography: Haris Zambarloukos
Editing: Úna Ní Dhonghaíle
Production: Scott Free Productions, TSG Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, The Mark Gordon Company
Distribution: 20th Century Studios (USA), The Walt Disney Company France (France)
Release date: February 9, 2022 (France), February 11, 2022 (USA)
Running Time : 127 minutes

Seen on February 09, 2022 at Gaumont Disney Village, IMAX Room Seat E19

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