Search - Death on the Nile on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1978 DVD Release: 02/27/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Studio: Anchor Bay Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Mystery, Detective Film, Ensemble Film, Whodunit See Also: Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile, Death on the Nile [Widescreen]

Peter Ustinov began his long association with the Hercule Poirot character of murder mystery novelist Agatha Christie with this lavish but financially disappointing follow-up to the popular Murder on the Orient Express (1974). During a luxurious pleasure cruise down the Nile aboard a lavish vessel populated with wealthy passengers, widely despised heiress and home wrecker Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles) is murdered. Also aboard is famed Belgian detective Poirot (Ustinov) and his taciturn traveling companion, Colonel Race (David Niven). Poirot undertakes an investigation into Ridgeway's killing. Among the colorful suspects are Salome (Angela Lansbury) and Rosalie Otterbourne (Olivia Hussey), Doctor Bessner (Jack Warden), Mrs. Van Schuyler (Bette Davis), Miss Bowers (Maggie Smith), and Jacqueline De Bellefort (Mia Farrow). As more bodies pile up, however, it appears that nearly everyone aboard has a motive. The script for Death on the Nile (1978) was adapted by Anthony Shaffer, the writer of Sleuth (1972) and the identical twin brother of Amadeus (1984) author Peter Shaffer. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Peter Ustinov - Hercule Poirot
Jane Birkin - Louise Bourget
Lois Chiles - Linnet Ridgeway
David Niven - Colonel Race
Bette Davis - Mrs. Van Schuyler
Mia Farrow - Jacqueline De Bellefort
Angela Lansbury - Mrs. Salome Otterbourne

=Death on the Nile contains an impressive amount of extras, but these features are fairly light on compelling content. The highlight is a 24-minute behind-the-scenes documentary that covers various aspects of the production. Much of the material here comes from interviews with stars such as Peter Ustinov and David Niven. The information presented is mildly interesting, but it merely covers the surface of the story. The disc also includes brief interviews with Ustinov and Jane Birkin. The eight-minute conversation with Ustinov occurs in Spanish, but is available with subtitles. The four-minute interview with Birken is difficult to follow because it mixes English questions by the reporter with a Spanish translation. The "Talent Bios" section lists the actors by their character names under the heading of "Suspects, Victims, and Innocent Bystanders." The Ustinov biography is very extensive, covering his lengthy film career. Smaller biographies and film lists exist for the other major actors in the story. The final special feature is the theatrical trailer, which exists in a grainy widescreen transfer.
The 1.85:1 widescreen anamorphic transfer presents the exotic locales of Egypt in a bright and colorful manner. The blue skies look wonderful, and the dark waters of the Nile are impressive. The print does contain a significant level of grain, but this is understandable considering the age of the film. The 2.0-channel mono audio transfer emanates clearly from the front speakers, but it suffers from the limitations of its format. No real depth exists in the transfer, lessening the effect of several suspenseful scenes. ~ Dan Heaton, All Movie Guide