Looking at the different sides of Kenneth Branagh’s take on Agatha Christie’s most famous tale.
When I first heard that Kenneth Branagh was going to be adapting Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, my reaction was a mix of excitement followed swiftly with disappointment as the project landed straight into development status on IMDB, suggesting that was the last anyone would be hearing about it. Even when Angelina Jolie was attached to the film in a key role I thought that any moving forward with the project was strictly due to her involvement and was sure to evaporate immediately after she left the production. Although the film eventually found its impressive cast and went before the cameras, my impression was that 21st century audiences wouldn’t be interested in a big-screen Christie outing. Nonetheless I was excited that the film was a reality and I couldn’t wait to see how one of Britain’s finest actor/directors would interpret a work that had been so beloved for decades. What I didn’t expect was a film which not only celebrates the grandness of cinema, but also the wise soulfulness of one of the greatest authors of all time.
In Murder on the Orient Express, the world-famous detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) finds himself aboard the titular luxury train on a continental journey in the dead of winter. Traveling with him are a variety of passengers including a husband hunting socialite (Michelle Pfeiffer) a young doctor (Leslie Odom Jr.), a Spanish missionary (Penelope Cruz) and a host of others. When a slightly dodgy American (Johnny Depp) is found murdered in his bed while the train is caught in the midst of an avalanche, the task of finding the killer among the glamorous and eclectic group falls squarely on Poirot as he embarks on one of the most surprising cases of his career.
On its own, Murder on the Orient Express reinforces why going to the movies is a practice that should never be abandoned. There’s not one practical or physical aspect of the film which has not been given the greatest care or attention to. Everyone is dressed to the nines in the best and most stunning period garb costume designer Alexandra Byrne could find. The costumes had to be top notch in order to fit in with the elegant trappings of the Orient Express herself, which was recreated down to the last possible detail (from elaborate desserts to flowing champagne), sumptuously conveying the sense of continental train travel during the 1930s. The experience is only enhanced by Patrick Doyle’s dreamy score, which moves the story along changing shape according to the various emotions playing out on the screen, but staying true to its lush roots. The profound impact of the music, almost a character in its own right, is felt all the way through until the movie’s closing theme; a Doyle-scored, Branagh-penned ballad titled “Never Forget.” Performed by Pfeiffer, the song takes Christie’s work to another level and makes for the perfect end to Murder on the Orient Express.
Branagh’s decision to shoot on 65 mm film may well be the wisest move he ever made regarding the project. With nearly every top filmmaker switching to digital, even the actual ability to shoot on film has become a rarity. The director makes a decidedly strong case for celluloid here however through a collection of large, majestic shots featuring snow-covered mountains and more intimate ones whereby the richness of color was never sharper. Close-ups of characters mix the cinematic with the soulful and a number of surprisingly poignant black and white flashback shots have the ability to transport. Yet it’s the impressive tracking shots Branagh has constructed here which add a real flair as they contain simultaneous amounts of action, multiple characters and a sort of musical understanding of the camera, which Branagh clearly possesses.
Amidst the undeniable glamor and movie spectacle of Murder on the Orient Express, a deeper subtext begins to take shape, particularly with regards for the characters. Although most of the individuals aren’t on screen for long periods of time, their various traits speak to the film’s era in ways which go beyond the movie’s beautiful shine. There’s the German Professor Hardman’s (Willem Dafoe) racist nature. “Like should be seated with like,” he proclaims in reference to having to share a table with Odom Jr.’s Dr. Arbuthnot. It’s a sentiment echoed by Mr. MacQueen (Josh Gad) whose alcoholism is swept to the side by those around him. There’s Mrs. Hubbard’s (Pfeiffer) scandalous existence as a lone woman traveling the globe in a time when women of her stature were kept by men and the casual acceptance of Countess Andreyni’s (Lucy Boynton) dependence on Barbital. “I take oceans of it,” she coos. While all of this is more or less considered trivial in today’s world, Murder on the Orient Express does a solid job of making sure the decade of Christie’s novel is represented truthfully with respect to the way society operated during such a time.
One of the chief concerns about Branagh taking on Murder on the Orient Express had less to do with adapting the novel’s various twists and turns to the screen and more with the capturing of Christie’s sensibilities as a writer. Branagh’s version remains in tune with the mechanics of the story so well, even opening it up at times for some additional red herrings. Yet it’s the way Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green explore the deep motivations behind the murder when the film takes on an air of poignancy. When the killer is revealed and their reasons laid out, Murder on the Orient Express becomes a comment on pain, grief, loss and the act of killing itself. There’s a dark melancholic sensitivity that takes place when the reviewing why what has transpired had to happen, which even makes the detective himself question his own philosophies. “I have always wanted to believe that man is rational and civilized,” he says. “My very existence depends upon this hope.” Eventually, when the flashback of the murder is played back for the audience, it’s hard not to feel emotional as the film shows how this act of killing brings with it an emotional release and a freedom the killer had been searching ages for.
It’s always obvious when a cast is fully embracing the material they’re working with and that’s certainly the case with the actors here. Each person makes the most of his or her role, expanding it in ways through movements and gestures which add depth to even the smallest of parts. Special notice goes to Depp, Gad and Cruz, each of whom have scene-stealing moments. But it’s Pfeiffer, and Tom Bateman, as the head of the train line, who are both able to actually provide enough flesh to their characters and take them on a true journey. Branagh meanwhile, makes for as dynamic a leading man as ever. Watching him operate as Poirot, interrogating suspects and putting the pieces together with wit and sass (“It appears there is no end to the lies manufactured just for me,” he states at one point) is greatly balanced with moments showing off his humorous side, including bursting with laughter while reading A Tale of Two Cities.
Right from the beginning, an outcry was heard regarding Branagh’s casting as Poirot with many proclaiming that no one could touch David Suchet’s portrayal after having played him for so many years on television. However, Branagh’s thorough studying of the character and his psyche is so thoroughly impressive, that he only serves to elevate the film as it skillfully ventures into Christie’s dark view of the tortured human soul. It was with the greatest surprise and pleasure when after concluding its theatrical run, Murder on the Orient Express’ box-office take exceeded $350 million leading to plans for Branagh to resurrect the detective once again next year for an adaptation of Christie’s Death on the Nile. Not bad for a movie which this critic felt would never even see the light of day. The success shows that even in the age of Marvel and Blumhouse, there’s still an appetite for the kind of lavish cinematic escapism and tantalizing acts of murder which only tales like Christie’s can manage.
The Package
Among the highlights of the disc’s many extras are a brief look at the life and impact of Agatha Christie, an insightful commentary between Branagh and Green in which they dissect the film’s iconic character even further and a handful of deleted scenes; some of which are so exquisite, you cannot help but wish they were included in the final cut.
The Lowdown
As gorgeously entertaining as it is wise and poetic, Murder on the Orient Express captures the fun of the movies and the spirit of Christie.
Murder on the Orient Express is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
