Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
1.85:1 (16x9 Enhanced)
Dolby Digital 5.1
Paramount Home Entertainment, $14.99

In 1935, eccentric Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) boards the plush Orient Express to return to England to solve a case, but a snowstorm and a murder keep him from stepping off the luxury train. Sidney Lumet’s glossy and entertaining adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery Murder on the Orient Express posits Poirot as chief inspector of the murder of Mr. Ratchett (Richard Widmark), who is revealed as a ruthless kidnapper who was murdered while hiding under an assumed name.

When the travelers are trapped in a heavy snow, the opulent Orient Express becomes a holding tank for the passengers, who reluctantly submit to questioning by Poirot. Statements unfold, motives appear, links are formed and suspects rise to the surface as the glamorous passengers (played with verve and aplomb by Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Michael York, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, John Gielgud and other luminaries) are cornered, and the seasoned detective eventually comes to a startling conclusion.

This stylish film is graced with sumptuous production and costume design by Tony Walton and elegant cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth, BSC (A Night to Remember, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Superman). Unsworth’s approach was to create a soft, diffused gaze with subtle but often high-key lighting to enhance the lavish world of the 1930s aristocrats aboard the famous coach. Working on location in Turkey and France and on soundstages in England, Unsworth created a lush and occasionally eerie visual tone that gives the film an unusual quality; it pays homage to romantic black-and-white films of the 1930s while using a full scale of pastel colors in the scheme. 

Paramount Home Entertainment recently introduced Murder on the Orient Express on DVD with solid but occasionally uneven results. Overall, the picture transfer is pleasing and faithful to Unsworth’s lighting and color scheme. There is little chroma noise or artifacting on most of the transfer, but some of the darker, contrasting sequences — particularly the flashback that opens the film — exhibit excessive grain and source-material deterioration. The audio track, highlighted by Richard Rodney Bennett’s lavish score, has been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 well, adding an excellent dimension to the film for home screenings. A restored monaural track is also included. 

This package also features new documentary segments. Agatha Christie: A Portrait is a 10-minute interview with Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard, which features rare stills and anecdotes about her life and career. In the 50-minute documentary The Making of Murder on the Orient Express, Lumet, Walton, Bennett, Bisset, Connery, York and producers Lord John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin share extensive information about the production; subjects include obtaining the rights to the novel and designing, casting, shooting, scoring and releasing the film. These interviews shed a good deal of light on the particular difficulty of recreating the famous train, and the pressures of working with such a large and dynamic cast. Also included is the film’s amusing theatrical trailer.

Murder on the Orient Express was nominated for six Academy Awards, including one for Best Cinematography. (Only Bergman took home the gold, for Best Supporting Actress.) Although 30 years have passed since the film’s theatrical release, the meticulous craftsmanship of Unsworth, Walton, Bennett and Lumet and the strength of the high-voltage cast keep the picture fresh. This DVD preserves the air of mystery and romance required to bring Christie’s frothy “whodunit” to life, and first-time viewers and seasoned fans alike will enjoy going along for the ride.

— Kenneth Sweeney