Murder On The Orient Express

[poliphilo]

David Suchet's Poirot started out in 1989 as a charmingly detailed light comedy turn. It has gained substance with the years- and now the fussy little man is old and weary.  He doubts himself and his work- and only his childlike catholic faith sustains him- that and the raging bonfire of his passion for justice. Where once he toddled off screen like Charlie Chaplin, now he exits in hidden tears. It is a remarkable transformation- and I can think of nothing in television history to compare it with. It's as if the series started off Wodehouse and ended up Dostoevsky. Everyone knows whoddunnit on the Orient Express, so why not- to save redundancy-  turn this most famous of murder mysteries into Crime and Punishment?  Why not?  Because the material is just too flimsy to sustain the weight.  That's the sensible answer. But the sensible answer is wrong.  And the reason it's wrong is because Suchet- with his command of stillness and his furious eyes- is one hell of an actor. 

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Yes - I haven't seen this one yet, as we were still eating while it was on last night to had to record it, but the trajectory you're describing there is very accurate for what I have seen of some of the more recent stories. It's surprising if you tune in expecting it to be unchanged since the late '80s, but if you've watched all of it (which, except for the most recent batch of stories, I have), it is actually extremely impressive. Agatha Christie never really attempted any consistent character development for Poirot, but the team behind Suchet's Poirot have discovered a natural trajectory for him anyway. I think it adds an enormous amount too what could (as you suggest) otherwise end up just being formulaic and repetitive.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I have all except the most recent episodes on DVD. I've always loved Suchet's Poirot. In Orient Express he goes deeper than ever before. It's a tremendous performance.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Yup, same here! I put the recent ones on my Amazon wish-list before Christmas, soo. Nobody bought them for me, but hey - I'm an adult and can get them for myself! :-) Anyway, we should hopefully be watching Murder on the Orient Express shortly - probably not tonight, because of Upstairs, Downstairs, but soon!

[sovay]

It's as if the series started off Wodehouse and ended up Dostoevsky.

Fascinating. I've expected for years he'd be better when it came to Murder on the Orient Express than even the famous film, but not quite in which direction. It had better broadcast here soon.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There are only six more titles to go and he'll have filmed the entire canon. There have been doubts about the last six being commissioned, but I believe- with the success of the latest films- the future looks bright.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

David Suchet is an amazing actor, and I've always felt the power of his eyes. He IS Poirot, as Basil Rathbone (and then Jeremy Brett) WAS Sherlock Holmes. I also have not seen his turn as the Belgian detective in this, yet. But I hope to. very soon.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

No other actor has come close. Albert Finney's performance was peculiar and Ustinov's was charming but wrong.