Based on Agatha Christie’s 1937 novel of the same name, Death on the Nile is a murder mystery feature Christie’s beloved Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

In Death on the Nile, the super sleuth is faced with the challenging task to solve a murder aboard a steamship. Wealthy heiress Linnet Ridgeway Doyle (Lois Chiles, Moonraker) has just married Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale, The Sword and the Sorcerer), a man who had been recently engaged to Jacqueline “Jackie” de Bellefort (Mia Farrow, Rosemary’s Baby). Simon who had been working for Linnet, had an affair with her, fell in love and decided to wed, dumping poor Jackie in the process. Feeling dejected, Jackie stalks Simon and Linnet all throughout Egypt where they are on their honeymoon touring the area on a Nile paddle steamer, the S.S. Karnak. On their trip along the Nile, Linnet has managed to make a few more enemies. Linnet’s own maid Louise Bourget (Jane Birkin, Blow-Up) is mad at her because she refused to give her money for an upcoming wedding that she was promised. Linnet’s lawyer Andrew Pennington (George Kennedy, Death Ship) is upset because she refused to sign some papers regarding her fortune. Pennington was a crook and was trying to have her sign some papers before she even read them!  Just about everyone on the steamship loathes Linnet for one reason or another, each having a reason to murder her. And that is precisely what happens; Linnet is killed in the middle of the night on the steamship via a bullet to the head while sound asleep. Among the suspects besides Linnet’s maid and lawyer are her doctor Ludwig Besser (Jack Warden, 12 Angry Men) Mrs. Salome Otterbourne (Angela Lansbury, The Mirror Crack’d ) or possibly Marie Van Schuyler(Bette Davis, All About Eve) who was interested in Linnet’s fine jewels. Would she kill to own them, however?   

 Hercule Poirot, who coincidentally was having a pleasant vacation on the same steamship as Linnet, now must identify the killer before the ship reaches its destination. Colonel Race (David Niven, Murder by Death), a friend of Poirot is also there to help solve the crime. After questioning all the passengers and gathering all the clues, Poirot discovers who the murderer was and how it was done, which is a big surprise!

Filmed for seven weeks in Egypt, Death on the Nile is an excellent well-acted, well-directed film. It has some Hitchcockian touches that added to the atmosphere. The film has a great ensemble of legendary cast members including Lois Chiles, David Niven, Mia Farrow, George Kennedy, Angela Lansbury (Miss Marple herself!), Jon Finch and iconic actress Bette Davis. Peter Ustinov was perfect as Hercule Poirot, every bit as good as David Suchet and Albert Finney when they also played the Belgian detective. The film is nearly two and a half hours long, but the characters are interesting and zany enough to keep you glued to your seat. The cinematography by Jack Cardiff is outstanding, capturing some incredible scenic shots of Egypt such as the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, and temples at Abu Simbel and Karnak. The scenery is breathtaking!

Death on the Nile gets a long-awaited domestic release from Kino Lorber. The image was sourced from the same 2K master that StudioCanal used for their 2017 Region B release. The picture quality is superb with rich, vibrant and bold colors. There are excellent details throughout the presentation ranging from the steamship’s interiors the actors clothing. The outdoor scenes with all its panoramic views of Egypt under deep blue skies are just sparkling. Black levels are on point and skin tones look quite healthy. I did not notice any print defects or damages.  All in all, the film looks like it was made this year as opposed to 1978.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. track is strong with dialog, action noises and the excellent musical score by Nina Rota coming in rich and clear. No drop-offs, hissing or other audio issues were detected. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

This release has a healthy number of extras as well. For starters, we are treated to another wonderful audio commentary recorded by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thomson. They discuss the making of Death on the Nile, the production, filming locations and the actors involved; it is everyone one could ask for in a commentary.

There is a making of featurette the focuses on the shooting of Death on the Nile as well as clips from interviews with various cast and crew members.

Another featurette, an interview with actress Jane Birkin, reflects on the film. A Peter Ustinov interview is included as well, where he discusses the Poirot character. This interview is in Spanish and English, with English subtitles at certain points.

A trailer for Death on the Nile and other Kino Lorber releases are included for this release. Evil Under the Sun, The Mirror Crack’d, Witness for the Prosecution, Endless Night, Ordeal by Innocence, and Ten Little Indians consist of the other trailers.

I just love Death on the Nile and its follow-up Evil Under the Sun, another superior mystery film with Peter Ustinov again playing Belgium detective Hercule Poirot. They make for a great double feature on movie night! Both films are a couple of favorites of mine and happy to see them both on Blu-ray in North America. With regards to Death on the Nile, this is nothing short of a great presentation, second to none with superb audio and video, with some fantastic extras that make this release highly recommended!

Death on the Nile (1978)

Director- John Guillermin

Cast- Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow

Country of Origin- US

Distributor – Kino Lorber

Number of Discs – 1

Reviewed by – David Steigman

Date-10/17/20