The new Murder On the Orient Express proves to be a memorable ride with Kenneth Branagh as conductor…
While I may indulge in a dramatic romance or laugh-out-loud comedy once in a while, give me a well-crafted thriller any day! This week there’s a touch of class and good old-fashioned gothic intrigue in cinemas with Kenneth Branagh’s Murder On the Orient Express. A sophisticated adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel, this remake is proof that some stories and genres just never get old. Like cheese or wine, the whodunit thriller seems to be one of those classes of stories that just gets better with age, but what’s particularly interesting about it is that its audience consists mostly of women.
Is this revelation really all that shocking, though? It might be strange to think, but the “Golden Age” of detective literature, which spanned from the 1920s through the to the ‘50s, was dominated by female writers and stories that were small enough to be published in magazines and periodicals, a media form that was completely public but mostly subscribed to by women. Of course, the stories had to offer a voyeuristic sense of adventure as well as exciting plots and characters. Is it so surprising then that that period of history was dominated by names such as Agatha Christie, Christianna Brand, and Dorothy L. Sayers? For the bored housewife these sorts of stories were a favourable pastime, offering escape into a world of mystery, excitement, and –depending on who you were reading – class or sin and the genre has only flourished with the advent of cinema.
There are multiple levels on which you can enjoy Murder on the Orient Express. The first –of course- is the exciting detective story itself. For famous detective Hercule Poirot (played by Kenneth Branagh), a lavish train journey turns into a hunt for a murderer when one of the passengers is killed and he discovers that everyone on board has a motive. The film is a wonderful return to basics with all the classic tricks of the genre working to create suspense, confusion, and excitement. We’ve got plot misdirection, red herrings, double identities, and the timeless race against the clock, all shot in a very sophisticated way against a lavish background that makes you want to time travel.
That’s the second level of enjoyment: the breathtaking attention to detail and the authenticity of the set, costumes, and makeup. While you spend a fair portion of the film hypnotised by Branagh’s majestic facial hair, the rest of the time is spent marveling at the lavishness of the train itself as well as the sharp and beautiful costumes of all those on board. It’s an especially beautiful marriage between the written and visual at work on this film with a script that’s filled with sharp and sophisticated dialogue matching everyone’s outfits perfectly.
The final level is the turn of events. Not only is the ending unlooked for and unfathomed by everyone, it’s depicted in a way almost akin to a Shakespearean tragedy, bringing this whole different level of genre into the mix and showing off Branagh’s penchant for serious drama. Let’s not forget that this is the man who brought us adaptations of Hamlet (1996), Henry V (1989), Frankenstein (1994), and Sleuth (2007). He obviously knows what’s he’s doing.
The poster might scream, “camp murder mystery”, but Murder On the Orient Express proves to be more than just another thriller. Branagh’s sophisticated take on a classic is proof that some genres are here to stay and there are stories out there that will undoubtedly outlive us all!
Seen Murder On the Orient Express? Let us know what you thought!
