Murder on the Orient Express
Murder on the Orient Express is a movie based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. Several films have been made over the time.
The story is: Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective is called on an urgent case from Istanbul to London. He succeeds to find a place on the famous and fully booked train Orient Express, where he is approached by Mr. Ratchett. Mr. Ratchett believes his life is in danger and asks protection to Poirot, that refuses. The same night the Orient Express gets stopped in Yugoslavia because of the snow and Mr. Ratchett found dead in his cabin. Hercule Poirot is asked to investigate the crime.
In 1974 the fist movie based on the Agatha Christie's book Murder on the Orient Express was made. This movie is amazing, with Albert Finney portrayed Hercule Poirot.
The Cast is:
Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot
Lauren Bacall as Harriet Belinda Hubbard / Linda Arden
Martin Balsam as Signor Bianchi
Ingrid Bergman as Greta Ohlsson
Jacqueline Bisset as Countess Helena Andrenyi
Jean-Pierre Cassel as Pierre Paul Michel
Sean Connery as Colonel Arbuthnot
John Gielgud as Edward Beddoes
Wendy Hiller as Princess Natalia Dragomiroff
Anthony Perkins as Hector McQueen
Vanessa Redgrave as Mary Debenham
Rachel Roberts as Hildegarde Schmidt
Richard Widmark as Lenfranco Cassetti
Michael York as Count Rudolf Andrenyi
Colin Blakely as Cyrus B. Hardman
George Coulouris as Dr. Constantine
Denis Quilley as Antonio Foscarelli
Vernon Dobtcheff as Concierge
Jeremy Lloyd as A.D.C.
John Moffatt as Chief Attendant
I have watched this movie several times and love it. I believe it is, so far, the movie that mostly matchs the original novel.
In 2001 the same movie was remastered with David Suchet as Hercule Poirot.
The cast is:
David Suchet as Hercule Poirot
Tristan Shepherd as Lieutenant Morris
Sam Crane as Lieutenant Blanchflower
Toby Jones as Samuel Ratchett
Brian J. Smith as Hector MacQueen (as Brian J Smith)
David Morrissey as John Arbuthnot
Jessica Chastain as Mary Debenham
Stewart Scudamore as Concierge
Serge Hazanavicius as Xavier Bouc
Eileen Atkins as Princess Dragomiroff
Susanne Lothar as Hildegarde Schmidt
Denis Ménochet as Pierre Michel (as Denis Menochet)
Barbara Hershey as Caroline Hubbard
Hugh Bonneville as Edward Masterman
Marie-Josée Croze as Greta Ohlsson
Stanley Weber as Count Andrenyi
Elena Satine as Countess Andrenyi
Joseph Mawle as Antonio Foscarelli
Samuel West as Dr Constantine
I personally find the interpretation of David Suchet too emotional.
In the same year, 2001, a made-for-television movie was made. This version is set in the present day and has a smaller cast. You can see Poirot using a Laptop or watching a VHS. It is a good movie, quite enjoyable to watch it, even though the actors are not presented as in the original novel.
The Cast is:
Alfred Molina as Hercule Poirot
Meredith Baxter as Mrs. Caroline Hubbard
Leslie Caron as Sra. Alvarado
Amira Casar as Helena von Strauss
Nicolas Chagrin as Pierre Michel
Tasha de Vasconcelos as Vera Rossakoff
David Hunt as Bob Arbuthnot
Adam James as William MacQueen
Dylan Smith as Tony Foscarelli
Peter Strauss as Mr. Samuel Ratchett
Fritz Wepper as Wolfgang Bouc
Kai Wiesinger as Philip von Strauss
Natasha Wightman as Mary Debenham
Very recently, Murder on the Orient Express has been proposed again in the cinema. This movie presents a modern Poirot, not close as the original one from 1974 to the Poirot described in the book.
The Cast is:
Kenneth Branag as Hercule Poirot
Tom Bateman as Bouc
Penélope Cruz as Pilar Estravados
Willem Dafoe as Gerhard Hardman/Cyrus Bethman
Judi Dench as Princess Dragomiroff
Johnny Depp as Edward Ratchett/John Cassetti
Josh Gad as Hector MacQueen
Derek Jacobi as Edward Henry Masterman
Leslie Odom Jr. as Dr. Arbuthnot
Michelle Pfeiffer as Caroline Hubbard/Linda Arden
Daisy Ridley as Mary Hermione Debenham
Olivia Colman as Hildegarde Schmidt
Lucy Boynton as Countess Helena Andrenyi/Helena Goldenberg
Marwan Kenzari as Pierre Michel
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Biniamino Marquez
Sergei Polunin as Count Rudolph Andrenyi
Miranda Raison as Sonia Armstrong
In this version, Poirot is completely different from the original Poirot in the book, starting from the Poirot's height, hair, moustache, .... Also with regard to the resolution of the case, however faithful to the original material, the story takes place too fast and, for who do not know the story, some passages remain unclear. The full story rotates to much around the Poirot character and the one of the other passengers is in this version secondary.
I would like to conclude the article with a comparing-picture between three of the the most famous Hercule Poirot actors.
Which one do you like more ?
