How Death On The Nile Changes The Original Murder Mystery Book
Kenneth Branagh's Death on the Nile is a dazzling spectacle, but how much does it change Agatha Christie's original 1937 murder mystery novel?
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Death on the Nile.
2022's Death on the Nile is a direct adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic novel, but how does it change from the original murder mystery book? Kenneth Branagh's latest Death on the Nile iteration opened to decidedly mixed reviews following its February 11th, 2020 release date, with many critics citing the film's insistence on utilizing an old-fashioned style at odds with a lively cast of contemporary stars. As a result, Branagh's Death on the Nile introduces several sweeping changes from the original Christie source material that conspire to blunt the effect of an otherwise classic whodunnit story.
First released on November 1st, 1937, Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile is considered one of her finest novels spanning a long and illustrious career as a mystery writer. Death on the Nile marks the 18th of Christie's Hercule Poirot novels and sees the titular detective deduce a series of murders aboard the Karnak as it travels down the river Nile. In addition to Branagh's retelling, Death on the Nile has received several other adaptations, including John Guillermin's dazzling 1978 film, a BBC radio adaptation, a graphic novel, and even a sleuth-themed video game.
Despite a clear affinity for Christie's iconic story, Artemis Fowl director Kenneth Branagh still makes wholesale changes to his version of Death on the Nile. The biggest deviations from the original murder mystery book arrive in the form of character edits, with several new faces aboard the Karnak in addition to two notable omissions. Here's every way Death on the Nile changes the original Agatha Christie novel, as well as what Branagh's movie gets right.
One of the biggest changes to Death on the Nile's 2022 story is the character of Bouc, who does not appear at all in the original novel. Tom Bateman's Bouc, however, is carried over by Branagh from 2017's Murder on the Orient Express, with the British-born director reportedly so impressed with Bateman's performance in his first Poirot movie that he wrote a part for him in Death on the Nile. In the context of the story, Bouc replaces the character of Tim Allerton, allowing Bateman to resume the sidekick role he performed so compellingly in Murder on the Orient Express. However, the changes to Bouc's role in the tale do not stop there, with Bouc also being the final victim of Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer) and Jacqueline de Bellefort's (Emma Mackey) murderous spree. Bouc takes over this unenviable role from Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo), the final death in Christie's original Death on the Nile story ending.
Salome Otterbourne is another character change from the original Christie book, with Okendo's version of the classic character plying her trade as a jazz singer. This is a stark departure from the original Death on the Nile story, in which Otterbourne is a lascivious drunk who accidentally hinders Poirot's investigation. Otterbourne is originally also Doyle and de Bellefort's final murder victim, although in Branagh's 2022 film, she is allowed her dignity and life, closing out the movie singing for an un-mustached Poirot as they rekindle their budding romance.
In an attempt to play on Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders' iconic comedic talents, Branagh's 2022 Death on the Nile movie sees Mrs. Bowers and Marie Van Schuyler enjoy a romantic relationship as a lesbian couple. The 2022 movie does keep Bowers' prior job as Van Schulyer's dedicated nurse from the original book, but elevating their relationship allows a hilarious back and forth between the two secret lovers that Christie's original book does not contain. While many of Branagh's character changes were lambasted by critics upon release, this is one characterization edit to the Death on the Nile novel that the director deserves great credit for.
One of the stark contrasts between Branagh's Death on the Nile and Agatha Christie's original book is how much the 2022 film delves into Poirot's (Kenneth Branagh) demons. Death on the Nile explores the origin of the mercurial detective's iconic mustache, as well as the trauma from his past as a soldier in World War I. Additionally, the Death on the Nile movie also inserts Poirot into several conversations and situations he was not privy to in the original book, allowing for the story to be told almost entirely from Poirot's perspective in a way Christie's book cannot.
In addition to Bouc making it across the shared Hercule Poirot universe to star in Death on the Nile, his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening) is also an entirely new character designed for the film. Euphemia is used as a vehicle for the 2022 adaptation's narrative, with her smothering nature a key factor in Bouc's Death on the Nile demise as he shot through the throat after walking away from their argument. It is also Euphemia's red paint that allows Simon to fake an injury (as opposed to the stolen nail polish in the original book), allowing him to avoid capture longer than he otherwise would have against the perceptive Poirot.
While the sweeping changes to Death on the Nile's original story are not always for the better, Branagh's film successfully translates the best element of Christie's book. Death on the Nile does a phenomenal job of weaving Christie's original mystery through its new characters while still retaining the key plot beats that made Christie's murder mystery such a smash hit in 1937. This arrives in the form of Jacqueline and Simon remaining the scheming villains who attempt to steal Linnet’s money in an almost perfect play-by-play from Agatha Christie's murder mystery.
Jacqueline still pretends to shoot Simon in the leg during an argument, giving Simon time to sneak away, kill Linnet, and then shoot himself (this time for real) to cement his alibi. With Jacqueline detained for shooting Simon, and Simon supposedly injured at the time Linnet was killed, they are both cleared of suspicion. This oversight by Poirot allows Simon and Jacqueline then kill twice more to cover their tracks, just as in Christie's story, first murdering Linnet’s maid for trying to blackmail them, and then a third witness who is revealed to be Bouc in the final unveiling.
Branagh's Death on the Nile also manages to infuse its narrative with the same mysticism and awe that made Christie's novel such a compelling read in 1937. Set against a backdrop of pre-war tension in the late 1930s, the Death on the Nile sequel perfectly manages to translate the opulence, fear, and contrast in wealth between the Karnak's characters and the wider populace, as well as presenting Egypt as the almost otherworldly proposition it was to foreign visitors at the time. Branagh's Death on the Nile is by no means a perfect movie, but it does accurately capture the essence of Christie's seminal murder mystery book.