Murder on the Orient Express (1974) * * * 1/2

 

Directed by:  Sidney Lumet

Starring:  Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Jacqueline Bisset, Michael York, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Perkins, John Gielgud, Martin Balsam, Rachel Roberts, Wendy Hiller, Denis Quilley, Colin Blakely, Ingrid Bergman, Richard Widmark

There is nothing quite like an all-star cast having a ball with an Agatha Christie murder mystery.   This cast not only knows how to stage a murder, but they do it with panache and style.   Murder on the Orient Express is an achievement in simply keeping the names and players straight while working with all of the moving parts of a complex murder aboard the snowbound Orient Express train.  In the center is Albert Finney, whose Hercule Poirot has slicked back black hair which seems glued on to his head, beady eyes, a semi-handlebar mustache, and a nose for deceit.   Nothing escapes this man.   His interrogation style is to lure the suspect into a false sense of security (or insecurity) so they say more than they should.   Also amusing is Mr. Bianchi (Balsam), the Orient Express' head honcho and friend of Poirot's who believes they all did it.

The victim is the cold and despicable Ratchett (Widmark), a shady American with a past to hide who is found stabbed twelve times in bed in his cabin.   The suspects, and there are plenty, include:  A loud widow (Bacall) who insists a man broke into her cabin in the middle of the night, Ratchett's dutiful manservant (Gielgud) and secretary (Perkins), a British officer on his way back from India (Connery), the officer's secret fiancee (Redgrave), a Hungarian count (York), his wife (Bisset), a Russian countess (Hiller), her maid (Roberts), and a Swedish missionary carrying around a heavy amount of guilt (Bergman).   Poirot delights in prying these suspects loose from their secrets.   Finney has such fun playing Poirot he can barely contain himself.   When he comes across clues which will help break the case wide open, he jumps and laughs.   This is a man who loves his work.

Murder on the Orient Express is directed by Sidney Lumet, no stranger to directing big-name actors all looking to take their turn to shine.   Lumet was one of the masters.   His filmography is a diverse and complex mix of genres of which he was equally adept at presenting to audiences.   The train itself is lavish and the scenery is majestic.   Most of the action takes place inside the stalled train which is awaiting rescue while it is stuck on the tracks.   The pressure is on Poirot to solve the case before help arrives and the messy case is ultimately turned over to the Yugoslav police.   No need to worry.  Hercule Poirot, the world-famous detective, is on the case which is not the news the murderer (or murderers) wanted or expected to hear.