Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Ever since I watched Kenneth Branagh's mediocre Murder on the Orient Express, I've been meaning to check out Sidney Lumet's version of Agatha Christie's famous novel and now that I have, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. Not that Lumet's film isn't good, it is, but it just isn't as good as 12 Angry Men or Dog Day Afternoon. 

I think it's kind of pointless to tell you what the movie is about, but just in case you don't, it is set in the 1930s and follows the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) as he finds himself travelling on the Orient Express. One of the passengers, Mr Ratchett (Richard Widmark), asks Poirot for protection but he declines. The next morning, Mr Ratchett is found dead in his compartment and Poirot is asked to solve the murder before the train arrives at the next station. 

Being Lumet's film an incredibly faithful adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel, having read the book takes away all the mystery from the story. The thing here is that Lumet is a masterful storyteller and he is able to deliver the complex story Christie wrote, a story that gets thicker and thicker as it develops, in such an intriguing and gripping way that will keep you glued to the screen from the beginning until the very end. Also, the several plot twists I knew were coming are pulled off beautifully. Which is something Branagh's version kind of did too.  

The characters are the biggest difference between this version and Branagh's. Although most of them have very little screen time, their introduction is handled very well, and their characterization is quite impressive. 

And the credits go to the cast for it. With the exception of Albert Finney whose performance as Hercule Poirot didn't really convince me as he tries to be very accurate to the character that Christie wrote delivering a quite obnoxious Poirot but ends up exaggerating a little --I highly doubt that the Poirot from the novel would tear up a menu of a restaurant and throw the pieces up in the air--, the all-star supporting cast, including Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Perkins, Sean Connery, and more, is fantastic. Each of the actors delivers an unforgettable character and each one of them makes the film more intriguing as they all add a sense of mystery and suspense with their performances. 

EMI Films

At last but not least, there's the visual aspect of the film. The cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth is very atmospheric and colourful; the locations and sets are great and so are the costumes and makeup. The musical score too is mysterious and fits the film very well.