Murder on the Orient Express

Annotation for KRRR! 2018 by Martin Kos

Last year, another version of Agatha Christie's classic novel Murder on the Orient Express was released in cinemas, this time presented to audiences in film form by Kenneth Branagh. In addition to directing, he also played the main role of Hercule Poirot, the world-famous Belgian detective with the meticulously groomed iconic moustache. As the title suggests, Poirot is faced with the challenge of discovering among the first-class passengers who killed the American businessman Ratchett during the night. On a luxury long-distance train that is unexpectedly stopped by a snowdrift on the track, he only has a limited time to investigate the whole mystery. The murderer must be known by the time the track is reopened and the local police take over the case.

Although the film relies in its narrative structure, similar to the 1974 version directed by Sidney Lumet, primarily on the initial concept with a strong plot stemming from the original novel, it approaches the central narrative motif from a different perspective. Thanks to this, the film ultimately achieves a significantly different effect. Whereas Lumet's Murder on the Orient Express already presents a framework in the opening montage into which the individual pieces gradually fit together smoothly, the current version hides it from us for a very long time. Where Lumet's film smoothly concludes what has already been indicated, Branagh uses a moment of surprise, skillfully amplifying – for a viewer unfamiliar with the original – an already unexpected point.

The methods of working with the distribution of information, which form the basis of detective stories, come to the forefront of our attention, together with performative aspects. In the 1974 film, the emphasis was primarily on the information communicated – what each person tells Poirot, or what they avoid saying. When watching last year's version, it is at least as important not only what the individual characters communicate, but also how they communicate it and what they allow Poirot to see (and vice versa). The framing detective line thus becomes for Branagh largely a means of preparing an impressive performance against the backdrop of the luxurious train and the freezing surroundings, in which the star cast participates.

Every movement and every gesture significant to the final shape of the story will undoubtedly stand out all the more on 70mm film. As will the enchanting shots of the environment through which the train travels across the European continent, and the imaginative use of stylistic devices.