The Nile company spent seven weeks on location in Egypt, with plot excursions to Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Abu Simbel-scenery galore.
Superior except- Where Death on the Nile does excel is in the scenery, spectacular indeed, shot by Jack Cardiff, one of the great color cinematographers ( The Red Shoes, The African Queen and his one Oscar win, Black Narcissus). Murder is superior in every detail and aspect regarding production, acting, script and score even the all-star level, with perhaps a deliberate avoidance of duplicate big-name appearances, is noticeably less brilliant.
The obvious, summarizing comment is that it isn’t as good as Murder on the Orient Express, made four years earlier-not a great film itself, but, at the time, the largest British movie money-maker, ever. It is easy to write about the 1978 screen version of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. “Do not allow evil into your heart, it will make a home there.” -Hercule Poirot
