Definitely Suchet. Whoever reads a Poirot novel for the first time, he imagines someone exactly like Suchet. I also love his acting, giving importance to the small details.
I agree. But there are some adaptions that Ustinov's versions are much better. For instance, Evil under the sun, Appointment with death and Death in the Nile. These films were much more well-done, at least in my opinion.
And, I agree with you, Tommy_A_Jones about Suchet as Japp.
It is interesting. I have just scrolled back to 2013's comments, and aside from lamenting the departure of many interesting forum participants, I see that similar feelings and impressions have been expressed to those which members are expressing now. Have a look - it is the same cycle of opinions going round and round. What would make this forum good is if a moderator were to read back through the years also, and to sum up the consensus, even express the consensus as a statistic - e.g. 80% prefer Poirot - and also identify any gaps in what comments and opinions have been supplied - and then throw out a question to those visiting the site in order to try to fill that gap. In a similar vein, I find it dispiriting when members are being asked which novels they would like to see adapted by the BBC when to my certain knowledge participants have been volunteering comments and giving their verdict on this very topic for the last year. Can't the moderators read back and digest what has been said?
With Death On The Nile and Evil Under The Sun Suchet and Ustinov draw IMHO, in Dead Man's Folly Ustinov as he also is in Appointment With Death IMHO, and David Suchet do better than Ustinov in the other 2 Ustinov did, I think it unfair to say one is better than the other but both are better than Finney who is better than Molina
I prefer Suchet. But I liked much the Ustinov version of Evil Under the sun, Appointment with Death than Suchet's. Although, as I said, Suchet is my favorite one.
I feel Suchet looks the part more than any other Poirot. However, I like Ustinov's acting, and I definitely prefer the scripts of the old movies to the new ones! Though even in the old movies I disliked some of the changes from the book (e.g. in Appointment with death, staging the action in Qoumeran instead of Petra weakened the story, and I felt that the evilness of Mrs Boynton was watered down). I liked Finney in "Orient Express" - he certainly looked the part more than Ustinov.
I like this version much more than Suchet's version, It ties things up for instance it made me think The Killer was Cope's Accomplice years ago which I found satisfying
Having only recently joined this forum after years of reading it please forgive me for reviving this topic but I couldn't help myself. For me, Finney and that version of Murder on the Orient Express is, as a piece of work, sublime. I absolutely love it. However in general I would have to say Suchet gets closes to the character, but in fairness he had longer to hone it, not only because of his length of tenure but also because of the format, tv rather than film. But his version of Murder on the Orient express, I think, was abysmal, wether by direction or script or whatever, they got the tone so wrong. I haven't seen the new one yet so wait with a mixture of anticipation and fear to see how our Ken deals with it.
I loved Finney in "Orient Express". I thought Ustinov was a great actor and his movies very enjoyable (especially "Death on the Nile" and "Evil under the Sun" but he wasn't really the embodiment of Poirot as Agatha Christie portrayed him. Suchet was certainly the closest to the original, but Finney gave a wonderful performance.
Ustinov had the Voice and Mannerisms and I think was a Brilliant Poirot.
Yes! But he didn't look like Poirot. Poirot is something of a dandy, and Ustinov often looked like an unmade bed. However, he really got into the part. I just watched "Dead man's folly" again, and he is great.
Having only recently joined this forum after years of reading it please forgive me for reviving this topic but I couldn't help myself. For me, Finney and that version of Murder on the Orient Express is, as a piece of work, sublime. I absolutely love it. However in general I would have to say Suchet gets closes to the character, but in fairness he had longer to hone it, not only because of his length of tenure but also because of the format, tv rather than film. But his version of Murder on the Orient express, I think, was abysmal, wether by direction or script or whatever, they got the tone so wrong. I haven't seen the new one yet so wait with a mixture of anticipation and fear to see how our Ken deals with it.
I think if Suchet did "Orient Express" when the series was at its peak, before the series changed in Season 9, it probably would have fared better as a film and not have those ridculous changes that we have now.
\\If Suchet had done The Big Four as a series and The Labours of Hercule like the Short stories and Cards On The Table before the Change it would have been better.
The Makers Changed, Gone was the Cosy Family Feel with Hastings, Japp and Miss Lemon, Gone were the Opening Graphics although the The Mysterious Affair At Styles didn't have them either, The Adaptations looked much Grander and lost something sometimes although I love some of the Episodes from Series 9 onwards.
Suchet's performance is the most faithful to the character and my personal favourite! I confess its been quite a while since I've seen a Ustinov Poirot as Suchet has dominated the screens as he has done so much, but I do remember watching Ustinov's Death on the Nile, and quite liked it.
Comments
I agree. But there are some adaptions that Ustinov's versions are much better. For instance, Evil under the sun, Appointment with death and Death in the Nile. These films were much more well-done, at least in my opinion.
And, I agree with you, Tommy_A_Jones about Suchet as Japp.
With Death On The Nile and Evil Under The Sun Suchet and Ustinov draw IMHO, in Dead Man's Folly Ustinov as he also is in Appointment With Death IMHO, and David Suchet do better than Ustinov in the other 2 Ustinov did, I think it unfair to say one is better than the other but both are better than Finney who is better than Molina
Ustinov had the Voice and Mannerisms and I think was a Brilliant Poirot.
\\If Suchet had done The Big Four as a series and The Labours of Hercule like the Short stories and Cards On The Table before the Change it would have been better.
The Makers Changed, Gone was the Cosy Family Feel with Hastings, Japp and Miss Lemon, Gone were the Opening Graphics although the The Mysterious Affair At Styles didn't have them either, The Adaptations looked much Grander and lost something sometimes although I love some of the Episodes from Series 9 onwards.