MovieChat Forums > Murder on the Orient Express (1974) Discussion > Question about the ending (*SPOLIER ALER...

Question about the ending (*SPOLIER ALERT!*) for those who have seen it!


In the last 20 mins or so when Poirot told everyone in the train car how he envisaged the murder, that ends with Bianchi (Martin Balsam) saying that he elected the "first option". Then everyone is pleased that the case is solved also as Poirot has said that there must've been a man in the train guard's uniform. I've seen the Blu-ray twice as I fell asleep the first time & so I replayed it the following night but just don't get the ending! McQueen (Perkins) stood up & took a bit of a bow when Bianchi said he elected the first option too. Please someone help me here!

Thanks.

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Poirot knew that the passengers had killed the man. He also knew that they planted evidence that suggested that there was an unknown assailant that did the deed and escaped. Because he felt the man deserved he got, he left it to the man in charge of the rail line to decide which explanation would be given to the police. He decided that the "simple" explanation would be given. This of course made everyone happy as they would be getting away with murder.

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Yes I thought that the element of them getting away with it was there- thanks! I musn't fall asleep during such a film again lol!

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Because he felt the man deserved he got, he left it to the man in charge of the rail line to decide which explanation would be given to the police.


Not just that. In the book, Christie (mostly through Poirot, but also through a couple of other characters, too) really hits the reader over the head with the fact that Ratchett would have been executed in the United States if he hadn't used his money and connections to escape justice.

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