Be Reel: No Mystery Surrounding the Success of Agatha Christie’s 1934 Story, Murder on the Orient Express

20th Century Fox’s 2017 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel, Murder on the Orient Express, keeps viewers on the edge of their seat as they watch Detective Hercule Poirot, portrayed by Kenneth Branagh, try and solve a murder while on a train ride across Europe. The remake of the 1974 film, directed by Branagh himself, follows the detective as he investigates characters, including those most notably portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, and Leslie Odom Jr, and solves the mystery before the trip is scheduled to resume.

The modern rendition of the 83 year old story provides viewers with suspense, surprises, and an ending that, having not read the novel before seeing the movie, was contrary to that of what I expected. The movie’s complex storyline is pieced together through a number of scenes, each one seemingly devoted to a specific character, that paint the pictures of each of their lives and their pasts. These scenes, laced with fantastic acting on the actors and actresses parts, tell the story in such a way that rejuvenates the popularity of the almost century-old novel.

Although an old tale, the film asserts the importance of justice-- an idea that is very prevalent in today’s society. Although hidden by the aspect of revenge throughout the story, justice is the ultimate goal of Detective Poirot. By the end of the film, he succeeds in his goal, but not without questioning how what he does is similar to revenge itself and whether the two are different at all. The detective’s internal debate is one that the audience is able to relate to and can apply to modern-day issues such as the question of how to deal with terrorism and those who impose it upon others.

Murder On the Orient Express is not an old tale, but rather presents an old idea that has been important throughout the history of the world. It is an exciting film that proves the importance of good judgement when faced with difficult circumstances and forces the audience to question the negative connotation that revenge typically has. Overall, I would recommend watching the film as it is both entertaining and prevalent to our lives today.

Rating: Good, Good

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI5dSBCymMI