MURDER ON THE LINKS

UK, 1996, 93 minutes, Colour.

David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Diane Fletcher, Damien Thomas, Ben Pullen, Kate Fahey, Sophie Linfield, Jacinta Mulcahy, Bill Moody, Bernard Latham, James Vaughan.
Directed by Andrew Grieve.

This is a rather lavish production in the television series of Agatha Christie murder mysteries featuring David Suchet as Poirot.

While the title might seem mundane, the setting is actually the French resort of Deauville, hotel, mansions, the railway station. In fact, audiences will enjoy the different locations for this film. It opens with newsreel footage and a scene of the narrator speaking his commentary. The excerpt finishes with a close-up on the face of the little daughter involved in a murder case, her mother killing her father, involved with his business partner.

The action takes place 10 years later, a focus on a businessman and his family, the focus on his adopted son and the young man’s relationship with a singer and then with a neighbour. The businessman is found dead on the golf links with a knife in his back. His wife has been tied up in an abduction situation.

The action is rather complex, with two of the characters admitting to guilt to protect the other. And, Captain Hastings becomes infatuated with a young French singer. The initial newsreel case comes to its fulfilment in the episodes in this mystery.

1. The popularity of the Agatha Christie murder mysteries? Television series with David Suchet as Poirot?

2. The French setting? Deauville as a resort? Hotels, golf links, mansions? The railway station? The visit to London? The musical score?

3. The newsreel opening, the visuals, the murder case, the wife, the long focus on the little daughter? The voice-over and the announcer? Editing? Poirot later visiting and looking at the footage?

4. Hastings and Poirot going to France? Jokes about sports and golf links? Hastings’ golf clubs? The name of the hotel? Settling in? The singer, Hastings being fascinated? The sad song? Paul Renaud and his seeing Poirot, the confidential talk, asking his protection?

5. Renaud and his wife, his jewellery business, Santiago, success, sending his stepson? Jack, working for his stepfather, resentment? The romance with Isabella? Breaking it? Taking up with Martha? Martha’s mother and her approval? The chuffeur taking Jack to the train, his departure, his return? Allegedly staying at Cherbourg, changing his mind, lying about his return? The stationmaster seeing him?

6. Hastings, his game of golf, the ball in the bunker, the discovery of the dead body? The knife in the body? The issue of the knives, Jack and his gifts, his mother, Isabella, Martha? The final revelation?

7. The story of the wife tied up, the abduction? The news of her husband’s death? The parallel with the initial story and newsreel? The same method?

8. Poirot and his investigations? The French police, the superintendent, the sparring between Poirot and the in superintendent? Double vanity? The wager about the pipe and the moustache?

9. Hastings, his encounter with Isabella, walking and talking, the lunch, her getting the information, to the police precinct, her taking the knife? His shielding her from Poirot?

10. The tramp in the shed, the change of clothes, the dead man and his coat, the letter in the coat, B.D.? Identification?

11. The interrogations, the truth about Paul Reynaud, his involvement in the previous case? His wife knowing, concocting the plan? Martha overhearing it, the wall and people listening in?

12. Jack confessing, going to court? Isabella arriving in the court, saying she was guilty? In prison?

13. The wager between the French superintendent and Poirot? Clipping his moustache? The bringing of the pipe?

14. The revelation of the truth? Martha guilty? The truth about her mother and blackmailing Reynaud? Jack and Isabella each protecting the other?

15. Poirot, helping Hastings, getting Isabella – and the romantic ending