Teresa Reviews “Death on the Nile” (1978)

Teresa reviews “Death on the Nile” (1978) and found it a delightful, if murderous, way to enjoy the ancient monuments of Egypt.

Fidelity to text: 4 guns.
It’s very close, allowing a complex novel to be simplified into a coherent movie. All the important people remain, plus an added cobra, although how the murderer found a cobra onboard a ship is a good question.

Quality of movie on its own: 4 guns.
Gorgeous Egyptian settings, all-star cast, great lines, and a leisurely cruise down the Nile to enjoy them.

Read more of Teresa’s Agatha Christie movie reviews at Peschel Press.

Also, follow Teresa’s discussion of these movies on her podcast.

I enjoy leisurely movies that don’t hit me over the head with explosions and frenetic action. If you insist on a bang a minute, then you might think this version is slow. With one major exception, I did not.

The pacing was calm yet inexorable, giving each member of the big cast time to come to life. Village yokels got a few moments to comment on Linnet Ridgeway’s fabulous wealth and fabulous looks. Barnstable, Ridgeway’s new butler had a moment in which he learned how demanding the new mistress of the manor would be. The impression — and it’s correct — is that Linnet Ridgeway is smart, capable, doesn’t suffer fools gladly, demands what she wants out of life, and has little patience for anyone who doesn’t jump to her tune.

Linnet Ridgeway doesn’t seem to have anyone who genuinely likes her until we meet her friend Jackie. In the novel, Jackie and Linnet met at school and became dear friends. Money didn’t come between them, despite Jackie’s poverty and Linnet’s wealth. It shows a human side to Linnet. Jackie asks Linnet to hire fiancé, Simon Doyle, because he needs a job and then they can marry. Then, sadly, Linnet reveals her true nature.

She’s Linnet Ridgeway and she gets what she wants and she’s decided she wants her best friend’s man. There’s a beautiful scene in the novel where Linnet asks Poirot for help (Jackie is stalking her and Simon) and Poirot recounts the parable of Nathan telling King David the story of the rich man and the poor man’s ewe lamb. Like King David, Linnet doesn’t want to hear that she could have chosen not to steal someone else’s true love. But she wanted what she wanted and so she did it anyway and then tried to justify her actions to herself — and Poirot — after the fact. Regrettably, this scene did not make it into the movie. I would have preferred the director cut a few minutes of leisurely Nile scenery from onboard the paddle ship Memnon (starring as the S.S. Karnak) and film Poirot’s diamond-hard assessment of Linnet’s character. It would have gone a long way to explaining more of Jackie’s resentment and the plan she concocted. It was also a nice demonstration of the bubble Linnet lived in.

Yes, she does the technically correct thing for Louise, the maid. But Louise didn’t think so. Yes, Linnet’s lawyers are cheating her. Yes, the German doctor might be a quack, based on what he did to a friend of Linnet’s and thus her ruining him and his clinic. Yes, Miss Bowers’ family was ruined by Linnet’s father, forcing her to act as a dogs-body to the harridan Mrs. Van Schuyler (Maggie Smith and Bette Davis who get some of the best lines in the film). Yes, Salome Otterbourne (a terrific Angela Lansbury) libels Linnet.

Yet, watching Linnet in action made me think “she had it coming.” As Poirot will tell you, he disapproves of murder. People shouldn’t be murdered for being world-class entitled jerks. But it’s equally clear that if Linnet had been a decent friend, she wouldn’t have been shot to death at close range. She’d still have to manage her maid, lawyer, assorted lawsuits, libelous novels, and angry relatives but she’d be alive to manage them. She had more than enough money to throw at those problems and make them go away.

Other than that missing scene, everything works. The all-star cast performs at the top of their game. First and foremost, the paddle ship Memnon stars as the Nile cruise ship Karnak. What a beautiful, luxuriously appointed ship although I doubt the crew below decks got gorgeous paneling and plush carpets in their quarters. She was built to sail in calm waters as evidenced by all the glass bric-a-brac on the tables and at the bar. The Mediterranean Sea is a lake compared to the Atlantic. Sailing the Nile must be like riding on well-greased train tracks. Not so much as a ripple disturbs the ship. Sometimes, we even catch glimpses of the staff it takes to run a ship like her, catering to the luxury tourist trade.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Peter Ustinov as Poirot. He doesn’t fit the mental image I’ve developed, particularly with the aid of David Suchet. I knew he had to be better than Tony Randall or Austin Trevor. Lucky for me and all of you, Ustinov makes an admirable Poirot. He was witty, sly, observant, clever, and thought on his feet without ever mugging for the camera. I’ve got five more Ustinov outings ahead of me so I hope he can keep up his performance.

Ustinov is ably assisted by David Niven as Colonel Race. Agatha never did much with Colonel Race, which was a pity. A dashing adventurer with a hidden past? Give me more! The added scene with the cobra showed a flash of what Colonel Race could have been. He doesn’t hesitate and whips out his sword-cane to slay the cobra and save Poirot. Were you surprised Colonel Race carries a sword-cane and knows how to use it? I wasn’t. He’s a crack shot too, but he knows which is the correct weapon to use and a sword is handier with a cobra than a pistol when everyone onboard is already on edge.

Other than Colonel Race and Poirot, this is really an actress’s movie. Simon Doyle, commie Ferguson, quack doctor Bessner, and shyster Pennington paled in comparison to the ladies who chewed the scenery with gusto.

And the clothes! The costume designer made sure each of the actresses stood out and their clothes expressed their essential nature. Anthony Powell won a well-deserved Oscar for his designs. He draped Salome Otterbourne in scarves, a turban, far too much costume jewelry, and capacious handbags in which to stow likker. Mrs. Van Schuyler was swathed in elaborately overdone lace dresses and a black ribbon choker three inches wide to conceal her crepey neck. Miss Bowers, her companion/warden, wore wonderful mannish outfits that perfectly expressed her no-nonsense views. The pair of them made me think of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, although I don’t think that was intentional. Linnet Ridgeway flashed in the most expensive clothing — that liquid silver dress! — while Jackie was more subdued and obviously poorer. Rosalie Otterbourne did her best to compensate for her mother’s flashiness. Compared to the other women, she approached dowdiness, and yes, there’s a hint of genteel poverty. Even the maid, Louise, was well-turned out in a very smart uniform.

The climax was a bit truncated compared to the novel, but everything you need was there. Motivation, resentment, rationalization, and the willingness to do anything for love all played their part. Wow. Don’t miss this one.