The Well Schemed Plans Of The Angry Mob…
So before we begin there is a long several minute sequence between Poirot and a passenger with a knack for sharing his dessert. You can watch this yourself. It’s long so… Skip.
Suddenly Poirot can’t sleep. Speaking of this scene apparently all the diner car chat with his friend and Mr. Dessert made Poirot think of his lady. And we get to see her via picture he has. Charlotte.
Considering film teams love working in real photos in as props? I wonder… Is this the photo of a past actress who played Charlotte in one of the over dozen Poirot movies? Is she related to Mr. Branagh?
Anyway every time something happens in the car it gets Poirot up. The sleeper car guard establishing the alibi of the kill of our angry gun totting American? Check.
Yeah yeah. First incident has the guy knocking on his door just to get the sign of he’s not dead. Also to get Poirit to check the time in his cabin. After that it’s Dame Judith Densh, then a random Victorian era streaker running away in full clothes…
If you watch enough Victorian era stuff (oh wait. This isn’t Victorian era… The movie is about to date itself shortly)… Anyway if you know the era you know where my bad joke is headed.
So the murder. It already happened under the cover of night. And if everything went off without hindrance then all is well… Except no. The Goddesses of Nature are about to throw a monkey into the plans of the angry mob.
A violent thunderstorm rages in the Alps as they pass through. By the way this movies visual SFXs are awesome. It brings the experience to life so well. Anyway…
A fluke one in a million bolt of lightning seems to bring a mountainside of snow down upon the train. Trapping it. Which means any plans to spirit the body off at the next stop? Dashed.
Poirot, master detective, immediately knows that a cold passenger room (felt from under the door) means a dead passenger. He breaks into the room as the steward fetches the Train Conductor and the Train Physician.
The death piles on more problems for the conductor. With a car full of angry business and rich types, and the rescue team from the next station in its way after the Express failed to arrive? He needs a bright sunny spot to change his dim fortunes. He needs Poirot.
Poirot is reluctant to intervene. He is dead set on taking the last of his rapidly fleeing holiday. But the conductor talks him into it. Finding out that all the cars were locked down when it was sleep time, he deduces he can work with the conductor.
Why? Because he was asleep in a different car. That’s why. Also the cars were locked down? That doesn’t explain the random streaker that seemingly left the car during the night… Ehh…
So it seems to be a baffler, but I’ll spoil it. The body seemingly was torn up by a killer who frantically stabbed the guy a dozen times to death. Except it seems it could just as well been a lynch mob.
One killer making a dozen angry stabs. Or a group of people taking turns to stab him like he was a under pinata. The latter happened by the way just so we are clear on this.
He was drugged to keep him from resisting, or shooting anyone with his gun. It explains the constant door opening and closing that kept Poirot up all night. And means the car security was involved. Questioning the man’s assistant proves he was hated by many.
From the assistant he gets some random hate mail made to throw any investigation off track. Investigating the car reveals the drugging, and the fact the victim was capable of self defense with his gun.
It also shows that a group did it. Because they ended up cluttering the room with random nonsense to aim suspicion at… Anyone maybe. But all these attempts fail with Poirot’s OCD.
Oh wait. The Time period. We find out that the assistant of this guy was hired by him as he fell into hard times. Having gone into debt becoming an Ex-Pat and fleeing America during Prohibition so he could stay a drunk…
So this movie is set between Prohibition and World War II. Same as Death On The Nile. Only A Haunting In Venice takes place after World War II. I’m sure other versions are set in the Victorian Era. Like the Albert Finney & Alfred Molina versions.
Oh. One possible clue. Ashes in the dead man’s ashtray. Meaning something was burned. Probably the vote by the mob as to whether or not to kill the angry evil well armed American. But we shall see…
Anyway the rescue team has arrived, and it’s time to let them know there is a dead man on the train. Anyway the investigation continues tomorrow as we continue Orient Express. See you.
Pop Goes the Darke Raven 