Murder on the Orient Express

Great vintage movie from the 70s with many stars now elderly or gone. The story based on teh Agatha Christie novel, plays well and the cast was superb. A good old fashioned mystery movie worth watching.

Reviewed by: RevitMurder on the Orient Express, was one of Agatha Christie's greatest mysteries. It was inspired by the Lindbergh kidnapping in 1932, written in 1933 and published in 1934. This movie, staring Albert Finney as Poirot, was the first and by far the best of three movies based on Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. It was released in the United States in November of 1974. The other two movies, the second staring Alfred Molina as Poirot and the third staring David Suchet as Poirot, have been reviewed under those headings.This film was directed by the gifted Sidney Lumet. Its star studded cast included: Albert Finney as Agatha Christie's famous detective Hercule Poirot, Lauren Bacall as Martha Hubbard, Sean Connery as Col. Arbuthnot, Ingred Bergman as Greta Ohlsson from Sweden, Wendy Hiller as Prices Dragomiroff, Anthony Perkins as Hector McQueen, Ratchett's secretary, Jean Pierre Cassel as Pierre Michel, Sir John Gilgud as Beddres, Richard Windmark as Samuel Ratchett, and several more filling all twelve available births in the Calais Coach. After the first stop of the train Martin Balsam as M. Bouc, a director of the Orient Express Compagnie International des Wagons-lits was the only passenger in the second class car. Twelve is an important number in this mystery; it is also the number of tried and true men in a British jury.The story begins when Poirot, who had just completed a little affair in Syria and had planed on spending a few days in Stamboul (Istanbul), received a telegram from London asking him to return home with all speed. He immediately booked passage on the Orient Express to Calais; it was the fastest and most luxurious train in the world. At the Tokatlian hotel he met an old friend, who was a director of the Orient Express and would join him on the trip to Calais. They boarded the train which traveled at high speed but stopped in the middle of the night between Vincovei and Brod in north-central Yugoslavia. A heavy snow storm built up so much snow that huge drifts from the high ground slid down surrounding the train preventing it from moving forward or backward and prevented anyone from leaving the train. The next morning Ratchett was found dead in his cabin with twelve stab wounds. M. Bouc pleaded with Poirot to investigate and solve the case explaining that the Brod police lacked the experience.Poirot soon discovered that Ratchett was really Cassetti the man responsible for the Armstrong kidnapping, the murder of little Daisy Armstrong, and a total of five deaths resulting from that crime. Hours and hours of questioning followed, and even though it all took place in the train's atmosphere of luxury and glamour, tensions mounted. Soon it became apparent that rescue by a rail mounted snow plow was near and they would have to face the police from Brod.Poirot asked all of the passengers in the Calais Coach to gather in the dinning car where he would reveal the solution to the crime. In a long monolog Poirot described two solutions for the crime and asked M. Bouc, a director of the line, to choose the one that would be presented to the Brod police. The first and simplest solution was murder by an unknown, but possibly Mafia related, person who boarded the train at the Belgrade or Vincovei station wearing a Wagons-lits conductor's uniform with a pass key in his pocket. He repeatedly and violently stabbed Ratchett who was under the influence of a sleeping drug and left his compartment through the pass door to the next compartment where he lost a button from his coat and deposited the dagger in the occupant's luggage. At the next station he removed the conductor's uniform, which he wore over his regular clothes, and departed the train. The second solution involved more people and scandal and although deserved, a repulsive murder. Twelve people from the Calais Coach who had their lives destroyed by the kidnapping and murder of little Daisy Armstrong collectively planned and carried out the sentence on Cassetti that the courts passed but failed to execute. M. Bouc chose one of the two solutions, at which point Agatha Christie's story ends with Poirot saying, "having placed my solutions before you, I have the honor to retire from the case..."If you add this disc to your collection you can repeatedly consider and reconsider all of the facts, weigh the emotions and come to your own conclusion; and then compare your conclusion with the one in the movie. We know that Dame Agatha Christie viewed justice as not always being identical to the law. This is truly a great story, written by one of the greatest mystery writers of all times. It was made into a terrific movie with a stunning cast and deserves a place in the history of cinema and in your library of Great Movies. It has definitely earned five stars.

Several different movies have been made based on this book. This movie is the best.

Big difference from previous editions. The best of all Agatha Christie's movie adaptations in 4k making thishigh quality production look better than ever. Entire cast were superb and Albert Finney was magnificent in his portrayal of Hercule Poirot. Expertly and effectively directed by Sidney Lumet.

Love the movie if you are in agatha christi stories

Kino Lorber Studio Classics released on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray this popular 1974 adaptation of the well-regarded Agatha Christie mystery novel starring Albert Finney as Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot, on board the titular train in the 1930's who becomes involved with investigating the murder of a wealthy but hated American businessman (played by Richard Widmark) and the various fellow passengers and suspects whose motivations become quite surprising. Co-starring Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Sir John Gielgud, Michael York, Jaquelline Bissett, Anthony Perkins, and Martin Balsam.Looking superb in a new 4K remaster, a definite upgrade from the previous Paramount Studios DVD and Blu-ray, porting over those extras and now including a new audio commentary with Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathanial Thompson. Comes with a slipcover.Good film has a fine cast and direction (by Sidney Lumet) impressively produced, though David Suchet owns the part due to his definitive portrayal in the British TV series, where he filmed the entire canon. Finney's performance still works though, even if both he and director Lumet did not return for the sequels.