Maybe that woman’s husband was tired of her nagging and wanted a younger, hotter replacement. Maybe a jealous rival accused that woman. We’re told that but people lie all the time. Except that the Poirot we all know would realize that we don’t actually know that woman was an adulteress. Poirot is more sanguine because hey, it’s another culture and that woman knew the rules and transgressed anyway. They watch a native woman being pursued by an angry mob led by her husband, intent on vigilante justice. Murder, or a quaint native custom?Then, Poirot eavesdrops on Mary Debenham and John Arbuthnot in a souk in Istanbul. If Poirot had been less harsh, would that have happened? Leaving the young officer’s wife a widow and probably penniless to boot? Maybe not.

The officer snatches a pistol and blows his brains out, spattering blood and brain matter on Poirot. Poirot (naturally) solves the crime and confronts the young, adulterous officer about his failings. The woman’s death was accidental but the officer with whom she’d been having an affair lied and lied and lied, thus complicating the investigation. Why is Poirot a well-dressed ball of rage? The film opens with him solving a supposed murder in Palestine involving a British officer. Expecting the perfectibility of humanity “if only everyone followed this set of rules” is an idiot’s game. I believe what we’re seeing is Poirot being forced to see the limitations of human justice systems and the fact that humans are inherently messy and flawed. He’s got reason to be, but at the same time, I couldn’t accept the climax in the bar car where he rants about individuals taking justice into their own hands. Here, however, he’s not just grumpy over human foibles. I’ve seen them all, so I can say, yes, David Suchet is Poirot. He’s definitive and it’s hard now to think of anyone else being Poirot other than him. “Orient Express” is full of beautifully composed scenes such as this one.David Suchet does a wonderful job portraying Poirot. Read more of Teresa’s Agatha Christie movie reviews at Peschel Press.Īlso, follow Teresa’s discussion of these movies on her podcast. The train looks great! It’s nice to see stokers too, showing how trains are powered. Quality of movie on its own: 3 1/2 knivesīeautifully filmed, dressed, acted, and a terrific score. Arbuthnot taking justice into his own hands. Teresa reviews “Murder on the Orient Express” (2010) and found this version forgot the true victims in the Daisy Armstrong case.Īdd a suicide (caused by Poirot), a stoning (which he disregards), Ratchett supposedly repenting, and Col.

Murder on the orient express suchet