Evil Under the Sun (1982)

Mostly for Poirot completists and admirers of then-trendy, all-star ensemble casts from the 1970s and early '80s, Evil Under the Sun finds Peter Ustinov in his second outing as Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective (three years after 1978's Death on the Nile). As the title promises, the action this time takes place on an Adriatic island (though Christie fans will surely balk at the switch from the novel's setting on the English coast), where a famous stage star (Diana Rigg) is murdered, and the list of likely suspects is unusually high. The parade of legendary performers--Roddy McDowall, James Mason, Sylvia Miles, Maggie Smith, Jane Birkin--plus Ustinov's energetic performance keep things hopping. But Anthony Shaffer's lazy screenplay and director Guy Hamilton's superficial approach nudge everything (action, characters, tone) toward campy, near-parody, with bitchy sniping, tacky costumes, and an obligatory soundtrack of Cole Porter tunes. It's only in the last lap that the film transcends such obviousness and finds its way back to the glories of detective fiction. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

IN A WORD - FABULOUS!

A first rate cast, great script based on Agatha Christie novel, Cole Porter music - what more could anyone want. Visually stunning - it plays like a watercolor come to life. Vastly entertaining. January 2, 2009

Delicious Evil

If you are a mystery buff, if you like Agatha Christie, Peter Ustinov, or Maggie Smith; if you like Dianna Rigg or Roddy McDowell; any of the above is an excellent reason to buy this DVD. Even if you are a Cole Porter fan. This is a fun, fashionable, tongue in cheek version of Christie's Hercule Poirot at its best. It plays with the viewer. Look for the name, Cole Porter, in the guestbook of the resort known as Daphne's Island. The beauty of the Mediterranean almost overwhelms the story. The soundtrack is, you guessed it, all Cole Porter. Savor this delightful mystery, worth watching time and again. December 31, 2008

Probably the Best

Probably the best of all the Hercule Poirot screen adaptations, and that's saying something because Suchet is really, really good.

I don't know what's wrong with the "official" reviewer. There is nothing "lazy" about this screenplay. The electric verbal sparring between Daphne Castle (Maggie Smith) and Arlena Marshall (Diana Rigg) can attest to that, as can the venomous wit of the Gardners towards the outlandish Rex, and the cutting and feisty attitude of Linda Marshal, who manages to be sympathetic despite a semi-serious attempt to get an innocent man hanged. The pace is somewhat slow, but the same could be said about several great movies. The director decided to play up the gorgeous Cole Porter soundtrack and beautiful island setting, and far be it from me to begrudge him this very understandable artistic decision. In retrospect, the viewer will find no dialogue to have been wasted and no scene to have been gratuitously overlong.

The "camp" criticism comes (I guess) from the somewhat over-the-top nature of the characterizations. Diana Rigg is rather ostentatiously prissy throughout her short-lived part--as is Roddy McDowell for that matter. Mr. Redfern is gratuitously "beefy" and Mr. Marshall is almost comically upright; hence we have the classic "camp" archetypes of the flamboyant homosexual, the hulking gigolo, the insufferable diva, and the staunch, unshakable "square" (who, in real camp films, is bound to end up in a thong). The problem with this criticism is, of course, that despite their eccentricities, all of the characters wind up being believable except perhaps Arlena, and she does not get enough lines to become tiresome. Her job is to establish why an entire island would want to kill her and she does so quite effectively. Aside from Ustenov's Poirot, Maggie Smith's Daphne Castle is more genuinely likable and alive than any other character in the book or the various adaptations of all kinds thereof; and all of the other characters are very real and entertaining, while none tires in the least.

As for the plot being contrived and implausible, the entire mystery genre is a contrivance. The common characteristic of all mysteries is that their plots, upon close scrutiny, are ridiculous. The point is to finesse these contrivances so that the audience overlooks them and/or accepts them; and the devices used to justify the obviously incredible situation in which the characters end up are ingenious and effective (and a primary source of the movie's deviations from the book). To complain of contrivance in a mystery is similar to complaining to a fantasy writer that dragons don't really exist. The more relevant demands one must make of a mystery movie are that its solution must stand up to scrutiny (It does so seamlessly), it must be elegant and not forced or obvious (It is a masterful union of artistry and necessity), and the story itself must possess enough literary substance so that it could work even without the added aspect of the logic puzzle (and indeed, it loses nothing even after you know the answer).

In short, this is, IMO far better than the Suchet counterpart (which is closer to the book, except for the forced injections of Japp and Hastings). It is probably better than any Suchet, and even better than the book, from which again, it does deviate considerably. December 2, 2008

Excellent movie

Peter Ustinov put on a great performance as Hercule Poirot. Maggie Smith also had a stellar performance. I would recommend this to anyone.

Bob
East Wenatchee, WA November 7, 2008

Evil Under the Sun - the movie

Received the movie in a timely manner and in good condition. Would buy from this seller again. August 31, 2008

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