Verdict
Summary
Even at 140 minutes, the richly produced Death on the Nile feels compact, offering stunning on-location scenery of the Great Pyramids of Egypt and other intimate scenes shot at Egyptian tourist spots, which could never be done today. I far and away prefer this to the shiny, but artificial remake. Kino Lorber reissues Death on the Nile in a two-disc 4K Ultra HD disc, plus a Blu-ray combo pack, and it has never looked or sounded better in a new 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. Fans of the film and of the Poirot series should take note.
Plot:
A cruise along the Nile in Egypt turns into a whodunit when a wealthy woman is murdered on board the ship.
Review:
Fate gathers elegant “hoi polloi” aboard a luxury cruise on the Nile River in Egypt with occasional tourist stops along the way, and every eye is on wealthy and beautiful Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles) who is on her honeymoon with the penniless Simon (Simon Mac Corkindale) whom Linnet “stole” from her friend Jacqueline (Mia Farrow) who was engaged to Simon before Linnet fell in love with him. It’s a no-brainer that Simon left Jacqueline for Linnet; he instantly upgraded and climbed the social and economical ladder. Jacqueline surprises them by booking passage on the same ship, and she’s like a plague they can’t shake. It seems everyone aboard the ship has ties to Linnet in one way or another: Her shifty lawyer (George Kennedy) is there, plus a renowned doctor (Jack Warden) whose reputation has been called into question by Linnet’s family, and there is a scorned servant (Jane Birkin) of Linnet, as well as a family (Bette Davis and Maggie Smith) who was financially ruined by Linnet. It is most fortuitous that there should also be aboard the ship the renowned Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov, who would go on to play this character a number of other times) because wherever he goes, death seems to manifest, and indeed it does this time: Linnet Ridgeway is murdered, and the suspects are aplenty!
Even at 140 minutes, the richly produced Death on the Nile feels compact, offering stunning on-location scenery of the Great Pyramids of Egypt and other intimate scenes shot at Egyptian tourist spots, which could never be done today (the Kenneth Branagh 2022 film overused CGI to recreate a lot of what this film did perfectly for real). The highlight of this movie is how real and beautiful it looks, but the cast is obviously a boon, offering a plethora of classic actors doing what they do best. Angela Lansbury, David Niven, Jon Finch, and Olivia Hussey are also in the mix, and the direction by John Guillermin is solid. The score by Nino Rota is good, and there’s really nothing to complain about. Agatha Christie’s novel is well adapted for this lavish film. I far and away prefer this to the shiny, but artificial remake.
Kino Lorber reissues Death on the Nile in a two-disc 4K Ultra HD disc, plus a Blu-ray combo pack, and it has never looked or sounded better in a new 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. Fans of the film and of the Poirot series should take note. Special features include an audio commentary by three film historians,plus a making-of feature, interviews with Ustinov and Jane Birkin, plus trailers, a two-sided sleeve, and a slipcover.
