‘Evil Under the Sun‘ (1982) is my favorite film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novels in which the role of Hercule Poirot is played by Peter Ustinov. The script is well written, the narrative is clear, the dialogues are humorous and the detective mystery has a more than satisfactory solution. The film direction is signed by Guy Hamilton, who in the previous decades had directed four of the James Bond films. The moving of the story to the Mediterranean adds a touch of exoticism and allows filming under a truly scorching sun and a much more intense light than in Devon, where the action of the original novel takes place. Although the cast is not a cluster of first-rate stars as it was in the previous films in the series, we are dealing with some excellent performances and first of all with a Peter Ustinov at his best, giving life to an intelligent, spoiled, self-absorbed Poirot, but with enough reasons to be so.
Agatha Christie’s novels use a formula that defines the setting and the story. The films inspired by these novels have worked on this formula from different perspectives, but have remained faithful to it in most cases, and this is the case here too. The closed geographical perimeter (an island in this case), a fixed number of characters who are all or almost all potential suspects, clearly socially positioned typologies that define their relationships, but which are more than once shrouded in mystery or veiled in lies. Among them, the Belgian detective with his famous moustache moves with a mixture of social awkwardness and acuity of observation. The clues accumulate even before the crime is committed. In fact, the first corpse in ‘Evil Under the Sun‘ appears in the scene that opens the film, and its connection to the rest of the story is clarified only towards the end. What begins as an investigation into insurance fraud inevitably turns into a murder investigation, but this time Agatha Christie and Guy Hamilton introduce a new element. The classic scene in which Poirot solves the riddle by reasoning occurs earlier than usual. His arguments, however, are only logical. In the absence of material evidence, guilt cannot be proven. And then, Poirot uses his psychological resources to force a confession. The detective is not only a brilliant logician but also a profound connoisseur of human nature.
In addition to Peter Ustinov, in good form and still willing to play a role that will bore him a bit in the next films, the cast includes Maggie Smith, to whom we recently said ‘farewell!’, James Mason who was maintaining his style and professionalism towards the end of his career, Jane Birkin in the very special role of a young woman who hides many secrets, and Diana Rigg, a high-quality actress who gained fame in one of the best series in the history of the BBC. The soundtrack is made up of songs by Cole Porter, which contribute to the soft-retro atmosphere. ‘Evil Under the Sun‘ is excellent entertainment, recommended not only to fans of Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot.