Evil Under The Sun
EVIL UNDER THE SUN – DVD Movie
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 widely known and esteemed 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 conductor 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 it is way back to the glories of detective fiction. –Tom Keogh
Evil Under The Sun Pic
Evil Under The Sun Photo
Evil Under The Sun Pic
Evil Under The Sun Image
Most helpful client reviews
39 of 40 persons found the following review helpful.
 Campy Christie Classic
By Francis M. Hough Jr.
EVIL UNDER THE SUN holds perhaps the campiest dialog and most over-the-top performances of the four sparkling, huge budget adaptations of Agatha Christie mysteries (ORIENT EXPRESS, NILE, MIRROR, and this one) made by the same producers. Somehow, it all works better here with it is exquisite locations, lyrical Cole Porter score, and knockout Anthony Powell costumes which are genuinely breathtaking.
As always in a Christie mystery, no one seems competent to have done the crime (despite every one having a viable motive), and it’s up to Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov who plays with the part more than ever in his broadest interpretation of the role in five tries – two films and three made-for-TV movies) to sort things out. He does so in a beautifully played denouement at the film’s conclusion which makes everything clear.
The new DVD release is to be cherished for it is very completely filled colors (the VHS tape seemed washed out and vaguely unfocused) and clear sound (though mono, it seemed marvelously rich and full). It’s a terrific addition to anyone’s mystery library and remains my bestloved of the Christie adaptations. (I would like to see MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPESS get a widescreen DVD release galore day, however.)
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful.
Off to summer camp
By Michael M. Wilk
I am very thankful to my dear, multi-talented friend Sun for introducing me to this delightful, exceedingly campy film. Based on the Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot whodunit, it makes for an pleasurable 2 hours. “Evil” boasts a terrific cast, a witty script, lovely Majorca locations, a delightful Cole Porter score, and a great deal of of the funniest costumes seen on film. The suspense factor is practically nonexistent, but who cares? The story takes place at a resort isle in the Adriatic, run by ex-chorus girl Daphne Castle, played by Maggie Smith. One of the guests is Smith’s old rival, Arlena Marshall, a bitchy, Gertrude Lawrenceish musical comedy stage star, played by the gorgeous, extremely pleasing Diana Rigg (that’s Dame Diana Rigg to you, nowadays). Arlena has made a lot of enemies, a lot of of whom occur to be staying at the same resort. There’s Odell and Myra Gardner, theatrical manufacturers that Arlena left in the lurch when she left a show they had produced, due to “health” problems; Rex Brewster, a flamingly effeminate columnist whose biography of Arlena she will not concede him to publish; her stepdaughter Linda; Sir Horace Blatt, from whom she accepted a extremely pleasing diamond and then jilted him; Daphne, who has carried a torch for Arlena’s husband; and Christine Redfern, the plain-Jane wife of studly Patrick Redfern, with whom Arlena is having an affair. Arlena is found strangled to death on the beach, and it is up to Hercule Poirot to find out who the murderer is. The performances, as I said before, are a lot of fun. Roddy McDowell lets it ALL hang out, finish with Tallulah Bankhead voice, James Mason and Sylvia Miles are outstanding as the bickering Gardners, Ms. Miles specially hilarious as a shrill-voiced harpy (her voice could shatter glass). Maggie Smith, Peter Ustinov as Poirot, and Nicholas Clay and lovely Jane Birkin (so frumped-up in this film, you wouldn’t know her), Colin Blakely, Denis Quilley, and Emily Hone as Arlena’s stepdaughter round out this terrifi cast. The score, made up of well-known and not-so-well-known Cole Porter tunes, is a delight, and then there are the costumes! Anthony Powell, with a strong sense of camp, designed the outrageous, black, white, red, and navy blue costumes that are a homage to legendary MGM architect Adrian, known for his exaggerated silhouettes, oversized decorations, and stark contrasts. The direction, by Guy Hamilton, who also has the James Bond classic “Goldfinger” to his credit, is capable. The picture and sound quality on the DVD are great, the colors crisp and clean, the sound fine and clear. I highly commend this film to anybody who has a good sense of “camp”-it’s like being at a catty, 2-hour-long cocktail party!
10 of 10 persons found the following review helpful.
 Murder is ‘just one of those things’
By C. J. Hormann
Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, ‘Evil Under The Sun’ is brought gloriously to life, in this movie from the early 80′s. It features Peter Ustinov in his second showing as the legendary Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot along with a cast of actors who camp it up for all they are worth.
The plot follows the classic Christie template (see Death on the Nile, Murder on the Orient Express) of a group of persons assembled together, with one being exceptionally nasty and unlikeable and (surprise, surprise!!) is murdered, with all of the remaining characters having a motive for putting this person out of the way. While this movie doesn’t move too far away from the template, it rewards the viewer with an intriguing yet fun couple of hours.
The performances from all of the actors on board are magnificent – yes they are over the top (especially Roddy McDowell’s bitchy Rex Brewster and Sylvia Miles’s droning Myra Gardener) but that makes them all the more endearing. Maggie Smith is plainly having loads of fun as the hotel proprieter, Daphne Castle, and her scenes with Ustinov have outstanding energy. However Diana Rigg all but steals the film as the “ageing” actress, Arlena Marshall, a prize and completely ostentatious vamp. Ustinov is again on fine form as Poirot and relishes the prospect to add his stamp to a reputation already memorably portrayed on screen by Albert Finney.
This film offers a outstanding probability to actors out of their normal milieu (the aforementioned Smith and Rigg, as well as the luminous Jane Birkin) and is almost worth looking at for that alone. Added to that is a outstanding soundtrack of Cole Porter numbers which indelibly places this movie in the 1930′s. While it does deviate from the setting and characters of Christie’s source novel, that doesn’t detract it from being an superb addition to the canon of Christie films.
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