I absolutely worship Agatha Christie and am addicted to reading, watching and listening to everything she ever did. This year alone, I think I read at least twelve of her novels and (re-)watched a handful of movies that are based on her legendary writings. This woman truly was a genius and there are few creative minds that I respect and admire more! It's only been a few months since I watch "Death on the Nile" for the fourth time, but for some inexplicable reason this was just the first time that I laid my hands on "Evil under the Sun". From many viewpoints, this film is extremely similar to the aforementioned "Death on the Nile" (1978) and, to a lesser extent, "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974). All films feature a sizeable cast of characters, of which each and every single one is eccentric and on the verge of loathsome, and - in good old Agatha Christie tradition - they also all have the profile as well as the motives to be a potential and secretive murderer. All three films also take place in a confined and inescapable location (a train, a cruise ship or in this case a remote tropical island) and it takes a relatively long time before the pivot murder is being committed, allowing more than enough time to elaborate on all the suspects' motives and their feelings of hatred towards the murder victim. In this tale, which was moved from the English coast towards a high- society island resort in the Adriatic Sea, the brilliant detective Hercule Poirot investigates the whereabouts of a valuable diamond. The beautiful and famous actress Arlena Marshall is also on the island to spend her honeymoon with her new but much older new husband Kenneth and step-daughter Linda. Poirot quickly notices that literally everyone on the island bears a deep grudge against Arlena, whether it's because of historical feuds, her adulterous nature or her stubborn business decisions. When Arlena's body is eventually found, strangled on the beach, all suspects quickly provide Poirot with waterproof alibis. I'm not entirely sure if Mrs. Christie would have appreciated the fact that her story was transferred to a more tropical location, since she was so typically British with regards to her locations and character drawings, but at least director Guy Hamilton splendidly makes use of the holiday resort setting and masterfully directs the extended A-listed cast. Peter Ustinov literally merges with his Poirot character and many of the great names in the supportive cast clearly had an excellent time appearing in this grotesque whodunit. The 1945 film "And Then There Were None" inarguably remains the greatest Agatha Christie adaptation, and personally I was more blown away by "Murder on the Orient Express" as well, but "Evil under the Sun" nevertheless comes highly recommended in case you're looking for something to watch on a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon.
Review of Evil Under the Sun
