Review: 'Evil Under The Sun' Shines in This Special Edition

With the smash success of "Murder on the Orient Express" and the lesser, but solid, box office take of "Death on the Nile," EMI (after a few false starts) embarked on adapting Agatha Christie's 1941 mystery "Evil Under the Sun" for the screen, once again casting Peter Ustinov as the great Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Anthony Shaffer, who wrote "Nile" and helped on "Orient Express" (uncredited), was tapped to write the screenplay (with an uncredited Barry Sandler), and Guy Hamilton, fresh off "The Mirror Crack'd," would direct.

Once again, a fantastic cast of venerated thesps would be assembled, including Maggie Smith and Jane Birkin (both of whom also starred in "Death on the Nile"), as well as Diana Rigg, Roddy McDowall, James Mason, and Sylvia Miles - and also Colin Blakely and Dennis Quilley (who were both in "Orient Express"). Fresh faces included Nicholas Clay (coming off a hot turn as Lancelot in John Boorman's "Excalibur") and Emily Hone. Who, you ask? This film "introduced" Hone, yet she went on to make only one more feature. When you witness her bland performance you will understand why.

What makes "Evil," released in 1982, more enjoyable than "Nile," although I am a fan of both films, is that "Evil" has a wicked sense of humor and some great moments of camp. No performance (except Hone) drowns in melodrama or banality. Many comical scenes that are not in the novel were added for the film and enhance it greatly, as does the lovely location (also changed from the book) to the fictional kingdom of Tyrania (filmed in Majorca, Spain).

The plot – which actually mirrors that of "Death on the Nile" in a way that would give a major reveal away, so I will shut up about that – has the great Poirot, who oddly is now prone to seasickness (he seemed fine going down the Nile) being asked by his millionaire friend (Blakely) to locate an expensive diamond his mistress absconded with. That mistress is the famous actress Arlena Stuart Marshall (a divine Rigg), who is checking into a hotel on an island in the Adriatic owned and operated by her once hoofer rival, Daphne Castle (Smith, delightful) – who was gifted the swanky hotel by the King of Tyranny for her... services.

As is often the case in Christie stories, many future murder suspects have also assembled, all with valid motives to kill a certain someone. They include, Arlena's current cuckolded husband (Quilley) and his dull daughter (Hone); Arlena's dashing lover (Clay) and his frail and pale wife (Birkin); a hack writer working on a salacious biography about Arlena (McDowall); and a pair of sycophantic Broadway producers (Mason and Miles). From the description, you can probably guess who ends up a cadaver. Oh, and this time everyone seems to have an alibi! Sacre bleu!

Smith and Rigg are the standouts, and I wish the creatives had given them more drama, more sparring matches, and, perhaps, something novel – an actual bonding scene. And also, a full-on musical number. What we do get is an amusing, if too brief, "You're the Top" moment. Rigg plays the Broadway bitch (her words) to the hilt. And Smith is comic genius, especially when she tries to out-sleuth Poirot.

McDowall goes full-on mean queen, while Miles delivers every line in her inimitable dry style.

Clay was this installment's eye candy for women and gay men, and the director allows ample opportunity to showcase this perfectly physiqued actor in his skimpy black bathing suit. This queer cinephile loves when the tables are turned and men are made to be the sex object!

Once again Kino Lorber does an excellent job with their presentation.

The visual transfer might be better on this Blu-ray than on any of the previous Christie film. The gorgeous shots pop magnificently. The locale looks so inviting, you'll wish you were there (despite the murder).

The DTS-HD Master channel track sounds clear and crisp, with the Cole Porter score standing out the way it should.

The Special Features are below par, though. There's a terrific vintage 15-minute "Making of" doc with behind-the-scenes footage and some cool interviews, as well as the trailer. In addition, and quite enjoyable to listen to, is an Audio Commentary track with film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell,, and Nathaniel Thompson, in which they chat about every aspect of the film, as well as how they think this adaptation is actually superior to the novel. But it's a shame that the few still-living cast members could not be coaxed into chatting.

While "Orient Express" remains the jewel in the Christie adaptation crown (the original, not the remake), "Evil Under the Sun" is a lush, clever, and entertaining gem that is more than worth the sit.

"Evil Under the Sun" Special Edition
Blu-ray
$17.97
https://www.kinolorber.com/film/evil-under-the-sun-special-edition