Product Description

Peter Ustinov makes his debut as Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, in this lavish and star-studded follow-up to MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.

As Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board and every elegant passenger becomes a prime suspect. Can Poirot identify the killer and motive before the ship of clues reaches the end of its murderous journey?

Bette Davis, David Niven, Angela Lansbury, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow, George Kennedy, Olivia Hussey, Simon MacCorkindale, Jane Birkin, Jack Warden, and Lois Chiles co-star in this sumptuous Oscar-winning classic, adapted by Anthony Shaffer (SLEUTH) and filmed on location throughout exotic Egypt.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29403 in DVD
• Brand: USTINOV,PETER
• Released on: 2001-02-27
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 140 minutes

Amazon.com
Following Albert Finney's quirky and compelling performance as Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, in 1974's Murder on the Orient Express, Peter Ustinov capably took over the role in this 1978 adaptation of Christie's river-bound whodunit. While on a pleasure cruise along the Nile with a taciturn companion (David Niven), Poirot slips into action following the murder of a much-despised heiress (Lois Chiles). There's no shortage of suspects... until, that is, they also start dying off, obfuscating the investigation by suggesting that several killers may be at work. With a disciplined screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, the film is solid enough (certainly better than its 1981 follow-up, Evil Under the Sun) and is graced immeasurably by a glittery cast including Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow, Olivia Hussey, Jack Warden, and Angela Lansbury. Directed with customary efficiency by John Guillermin (King Kong, The Towering Inferno). --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

A Sinister Shipboard Slaying
Agatha Christie wrote "Death on the Nile" in 1937, one year after "Murder in Mesopotamia", and to all appearances "Death on the Nile" was intended as a prequel to "Murder in Mesopotamia", which itself was a prequel to the 1934 classic "Murder in the Orient Express". The three stories make up a satisfying trilogy of mysteries as Poirot tours the Near East finding murder everywhere he goes.

All three of the stories follow Christie's tried-and-true formula: She introduces the cast of suspects, gives each of them a dark secret and a motive to lie, and piles up the circumstances in such a way that the flying fickle finger of suspicion points to every one of them at some time or another. She compounds the confusion by supplying false leads and deliberatly glossing over hot clues. In each case Poirot holds his cards close to his vest, tantalizes the reader/listener with cryptic comments, and finds the most inconsequential-appearing facts to be highly significant. Eventually Poirot airs everyone's dirty laundry, explains his chain of deductive reasoning, reconstructs the crime in all its improbable complexity, and gets a confession.

Of the three stories, however, "Death on the Nile" presents the most feasible modus operandi for the murder, as well as the most likely motivation for murder. This is a roudabout way of saying that "Death on the Nile" is the most realistic of the three.

The Peter Ustinov movie stays faithful to the plot and gives the viewer some excellent scenes of Egyptian ruins along the Nile. The star-studded cast turns in good performances. Having first seen David Suchet as Poirot, I could not help but be somewhat disappointed with Peter Ustinov as Poirot. Of all the Poirot movies starring Ustinov, however, this is the best.

Elegant Fun
If you can accept this adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile" in the spirit it was intended, you'll have a good time. Faithful followers of her great books may find a lot of little details to nit-pick over but as a fun murder mystery this one is truly grand.

The production is visually pleasing and the star-studded cast are all fun to watch. At its center is Peter Ustinov's fine portrayel of Christie's greatest creation, Hercule Poirot. His interpretation of the Belgian detective with the little grey cells is both smart and humorous. The film is great fun for murder mystery fans.

On vacation in Egypt, Poirot overhears one conversation after another about the rich and selfish Lynette. It seems almost everyone has a reason for wanting her dead. Among Lynette's many trophies is her best friend's boyfriend. She is suing a sexpot writer for slander, is on the verge of finding out her attorney is swindling her, and is keeping her servant girl from happiness with another. Poirot knows this trip to Egypt will be no vacation when Mia Farrow, the jilted lover of Lynette's husband, tells him: "If love can't live in your heart, evil will do just as well."

The period production is sumptuous in its presentation of both Egypt and their excursion by boat down the beautiful Nile River. It is resplendent and elegant fun and the cast is allowed to play it out with gusto. Ustinov gives Poirot a droll humor even after a close brush with a cobra, planted in his cabin by the murderer.

Angela Lansbury and Betty Davis both ham it up in appropriate fashion and Lois Chiles is good as the not so deep Lynette. Jack Warden, George Kennedy, Maggie Smith, Olivia Hussey, and John Finch join David Niven, as Poirot's old pal, in a great ensemble cast of movie legends.

If you have a couple of hours to kill and want an old-fashioned and entertaining murder mystery to pass the time with, this one will definitely do the trick. This trip down the Nile is a lot of fun.

Murder Mystery Superb!
I'm an Agatha Christie fan, and DEATH ON THE NILE is also one of my favorite movies. In this follow up to the fascinating MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, Peter Ustinov plays a more dapper Hercule Poirot, who is only one of the passengers on a steamer going down the Nile in Egypt. Rich and much loathed newlywed Linnet Doyle and her husband Simon are aboard, and when Linnet is murdered, it seems that everyone had a motive for doing her in. Tremendous fun and guessing follow as Poirot and Colonel Race, played to a T by David Niven, try and sort out the clues as two more people are killed. Stellar story and acting, with a wonderful cast that includes, Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith, Simon MacCorindale, George Kennedy, Olivia Hussey, and Jane Bilken make up the guilty suspects. Great murder mystery in an exotic location. Enjoy this gem.