EVIL UNDER THE SUN
UK, 1982, 117 minutes, Colour.
Peter Ustinov, Jane Birkin, Colin Blakely, James Mason, Roddy Mc Dowell, Sylvia Miles, Dennis Quilley, Diana Rigg, Maggie Smith.
Directed by Guy Hamilton.
Evil Under the Sun is the fourth of the popular series of Agatha Christie films from the 70s and the 80s, produced by John Brabourne. The big-budget star-cast films began with Sidney Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express, starring Albert Finney. Peter Ustinov took the role in Death on the Nile, directed by John Guillermin. Guy Hamilton made the first Miss Marple film, The Mirror Crack'd, with Angela Lansbury. He also directed this film with Peter Ustinov reprising his Poirot role.
The star cast is good - Diana Rigg and Maggie Smith stand out and have a very enjoyable time with bitchy repartee and a Cole Porter song. The locations are attractive, the musical medley from Cole Porter's score is attractive and cleverly uses. The film is more straightforward than Death on the Nile - there are no visualisings of possibilities, the flashbacks are all authentic. There is a long explanation scene which does not take itself too seriously and can establish itself as the way Poirot solves murders. Peter Ustinov is once again excellent in portraying a genial, very pompous Poirot. His going for a swim is well worth seeing!
1. The popularity of Agatha Christie's novels over the decades? The appeal of the mystery, the characters, the situations, clues, the unravelling of the mystery and the presentation of the solution? The essence of murder mysteries? Poirot as idiosyncratic detective?
2. The film tradition of Agatha Christie's work; the exotic settings, the crime, the watertight alibis, the dropping of clues, the gradual detection and final explanation? How well do Agatha Christie's novels transfer to the screen for dramatic presentation?
3. Peter Ustinov's presence and style as Poirot? Appearance, manners? His work for the British at the opening of this film? His being put on the case of the stole jewellery? His inquisitiveness, listening to people's conversations? His challenging people? Their response to him and feeding him false clues? His working out the puzzle? Explanation of the crime, motivation? The comedy sequences - repartee, use of the English language, the swimming sequence etc?
4. The impact of the prologue: the English setting, the murder, the police van? The clues - the way that it was linked with the principal murder and the final solution?
5. Poirot and his investigations of the jewellery, the discussions with Sir Horace Blatt and the fake jewel? His visit to the island? His observing the characters? His being prepared for murder?
6. The interaction of the characters? Their various clashes? The contrived characterisation and situations? The emergence of the victim? The long elaboration of equal motives for all? The victim flaunting her affair - and her death?
7. The various alibis and the detail establishing these? How plausible and credible? The clues actually given - but the audiences being put off? The need for audiences' alertness?
8. The stereotypes in the characterisation - enough for establishing the characters, the personalities of the stars in acting them, idiosyncrasies for their potential for being the criminal?
- the Redferns and their clashes, her reticence and dress, eccentric manner, vertigo etc? His elaborate flirting with the victim? The irony of the revelation of the truth and their being unmasked - and their changing their appearance? Their resentment and being caught?
- the American director and his wife? His reticence and pressure on the actress, his wife's rather loud manner?
- Rex and his biography, bitchiness?
- Sir Horace and his resentment, his ship?
- the actress's husband and his subordinate role, his resentment towards his new wife? His daughter and her hatred?
- Daphne and her management of the hotel? Her past, clash with the actress and the brittle repartee, the Cole Porter song? Her helping Poirot with the investigation? Her mistaken solutions?
9. The entertainment value of the murder mystery - an exercise in ingenuity, style, escapism?
