Hercule Poirot, on vacation in Egypt, finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery in Death on the Nile. New to 4K UHD from Kino Lorber.
The Films
Murder Mysteries are my cinematic catnip. Since seeing Clue as a kid, the concept of solving a crime has been an intriguing one. I love the genre and one of its greatest heroes, Hercule Poirot, especially the greatest version played by David Suchet in the long-running BBC series Poirot. Though many have played the French (though he called himself Belgian) detective through the decades. None with such revelry and a puckish wit than Peter Ustinov (he starred in over five adaptations). The screen legend’s first entry was his best Death on the Nile. The John Guillermin-directed adaptation has some of the most alluring aspects of Agatha Christie’s series… exotic locales, a cast of shady characters, and not one but multiple murders at the center of a luxurious cruise on the Egyptian river gone awry.
A Rich Socialite, Linnet (Lois Chiles), steals her best friend Jacqueline’s (Mia Farrow) fiancée, Simon (Simon MacCorkindale). As they are on vacation in Egypt Jaqueline stalks the couple, leading Simon and Linnet to employ the vacationing Poirot (Ustinov) to help. Poirot isn’t just pulled into an affair of the heart but murder as Linnet ends up dead on a luxury cruise traversing the Nile. As the bodies begin to pile up, so do the suspects. In fact, the only person that Poirot can trust is an insurance investigator (David Niven) who was charged with watching over Linnet.
Much like its processor, Murder on the Orient Express, this Agatha Christie adaptation is long on character and witty banter. The adaptation from Anthony Shaffer gives the kind of dialogue that’s fitting for the screen legends the film employs. The murder is fairly straight ahead is not unlike a specific Christie novel (which will not be ruined here if one has not seen or read the novel). Director Guillermin and cinematography legend Jack Cardiff ensure the film is more than a travelogue but never overwrought. The film moves brisker than its 140-minute runtime would have you think.
Like many Christie films, it is the cast that entices one to watch. What a cast. Led by star Ustinov, they are an utter delight. From true Hollywood royalty (Bette Davis) to English Greats (David Niven, Maggie Smith) to 70s stalwarts (Olivia Hussey, George Kennedy, Mia Farrow, Jane Berkin, and Jack Warden), the film covers all the bases. Though again, it should never be understated, they are the attraction here. They are the special effects and spectacle.
Yes, Death on the Nile may be a bit long in the tooth, but it’s as entertaining a murder mystery as has been produced.
The Transfers
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is a beautiful representation of this gorgeously shot film by cinematography legend Jack Cardiff. The 35mm shot film on location around Egypt and at Pinewood studios looks appropriately bright, awash in beautiful colors. The Dolby Vision encoding helps bring out the subtle contrast between light and shadow. The 4K Transfer is razor sharp with beautifully rendered fine detail, making this a worthy upgrade from Kino’s previous Blu-ray release from 2020. Bravo to the boutique label for continuing their truly marvelous upgrades to 4K UHD and specifically the Agatha Christie Adaptations.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
- Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
- Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson
- The Making of Death on the Nile
- Archival Interview with Peter Ustinov
- Archival Interview with Jane Birkin
- Theatrical Teaser and Trailer
The archival Audio Commentary from 2020 by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson begins with introductions before diving into the 4-film cycle of Agatha Christie adaptations from EMI and producers Richard Brabourne and Richard Goodwin. Some of the other details include the first film, Murder on the Orient Express, and how big a success the first film was; the reasons why Death on the Nile wasn’t a smashing success; a larger discussion of the style and career of director John Guillermin; the work of cinematographer Jack Cardiff; the adaptation by Anthony Shaffer – including a discussion of Shaffer’s career at the time and how faithful of an adaptation the film is; the work of Peter Ustinov – including a discussion of what separates he and Finney in their adaptation; a discussion of the various Agatha Christie adaptations after Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express including the TV versions, et. al.; a discussion of the David Suchet version of Hercule Poirot; a discussion of Poirot as a character in the hands of various actors; a larger discussion of the various stars that appear in the film, their career history, their work here, and much more; and much more.
The Making of Death on the Nile (23:32) – this archival making-of featurette is from the era in which the film was produced. Shot on film at Pinewood Studios and on location around Egypt, this featurette is the kind of EPK we rarely get, if at all. Ones that feature the all-star cast and behind-the-scenes crew discussing the replacement of Finney with Ustinov, Agatha Christie’s initial hesitance (before her passing) to film adapting her most famous character, the cast’s characters, and selling the film itself. Featuring interviews with director John Guillermin, production designer John Murphy, stars Peter Ustinov, David Niven, Jon Finch, and George Kennedy.
Archival Interview with Peter Ustinov (8:46) – this archival interview, done at the time of the film’s release for Spanish Television, features Peter Ustinov speaking Spanish. The duo discusses filming on the Nile on Location, taking over the role from Albert Finney, the film, and its themes. In Spanish with English Subtitles.
Archival Interview with Jane Birkin (4:28) – this archival interview, done at the time of the film’s release for Spanish Television, features Birkin and the same interviewer from the Ustinov interview. The interviewer asks his question in both Spanish and English, and Berkin responds in English. The actress discusses her bag (which isn’t her famous Hermes bag but a fig bag) and her role in the film.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Death on the Nile [Teaser] (1:14); Death on the Nile (2:51); Murder on the Orient Express (2:38); Evil Under the Sun (3:13); Endless Night (3:13); The Mirror Crack’d (2:48); Ordeal by Innocence (2:06); Ten Little Indians (1:28);
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber has given us another successful 4K UHD upgrade for the 70s Christie adaptation Death on the Nile. Highest Possible Recommendations!!