Murder on the Orient Express (2017) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A detective investigates an isolated train murder and must choose between legal truth and morally justified revenge.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

The Train of Strangers

Poirot solves a theft in Jerusalem and boards the Orient Express with help from Bouc. The passengers are introduced, while Ratchett's threats establish an atmosphere of danger.

Key Events

• Jerusalem Theft Solved — Poirot solves a theft before preparing to return to London. Characters: Hercule Poirot Location: Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• Bouc Secures a Berth — Bouc arranges Poirot's accommodation aboard the Orient Express. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc Location: Istanbul railway station
• Passengers Assemble — Poirot meets the passengers and Ratchett's traveling companions. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc, Caroline Hubbard, Edward Ratchett, Hector MacQueen, Pilar Estravados, Gerhard Hardman, Biniamino Marquez Location: Orient Express passenger car
• Ratchett Requests Protection — Ratchett asks Poirot for protection after receiving threats. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Edward Ratchett, Hector MacQueen Location: Ratchett's compartment

Snowbound Murder

An avalanche strands the train, isolating the passengers from outside help. Ratchett is murdered after Poirot witnesses a mysterious figure in a red kimono.

Key Events

• Avalanche Stops the Train — An avalanche derails the engine and strands the passengers. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc, Caroline Hubbard, Edward Ratchett, Hector MacQueen, Pilar Estravados, Gerhard Hardman, Biniamino Marquez Location: Mountain railway
• Red Kimono in Corridor — Poirot hears strange noises and sees a figure in a red kimono flee. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Caroline Hubbard Location: Orient Express corridor
• Ratchett Found Murdered — Ratchett is found dead after being stabbed repeatedly. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc, Edward Ratchett, Hector MacQueen Location: Ratchett's compartment
• Investigation Begins — Poirot and Bouc begin interviewing passengers and examining the train. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc, Caroline Hubbard, Hector MacQueen, Gerhard Hardman, Pierre Michel Location: Orient Express compartments

A Victim's Dark Past

Poirot examines the evidence and discovers that Ratchett concealed a criminal identity. The murder becomes connected to a devastating family tragedy rather than a random attack.

Key Events

• Burned Threat Revealed — Poirot reconstructs part of a burned threatening note. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Edward Ratchett Location: Ratchett's compartment
• Ratchett's True Identity — Poirot deduces that Ratchett was responsible for a child's kidnapping and murder. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Edward Ratchett Location: Orient Express observation car
• Evidence Is Planted — Poirot finds a monogrammed handkerchief and conductor button in Hubbard's cabin. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Caroline Hubbard, Pierre Michel Location: Caroline Hubbard's cabin
• Disguises Found — The conductor uniform and red kimono are discovered planted in Poirot's luggage. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Caroline Hubbard Location: Poirot's cabin

The Circle Tightens

Planted evidence, Hubbard's attack, and a series of interrogations deepen the mystery. Poirot uncovers links between the passengers and the family affected by Ratchett's crime.

Key Events

• Hubbard Is Attacked — Hubbard is stabbed from behind but cannot identify her attacker. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Caroline Hubbard, Bouc Location: Caroline Hubbard's cabin
• Hidden Connections Surface — Interviews reveal that many passengers were connected to the affected family. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Hector MacQueen, Gerhard Hardman, Hildegarde Schmidt, Pilar Estravados, Biniamino Marquez, Caroline Hubbard Location: Orient Express dining car
• Poirot Is Shot — A passenger shoots Poirot in the shoulder during an interrogation. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc, Hector MacQueen, Gerhard Hardman Location: Orient Express corridor
• False Confession Exposed — Bouc incapacitates the shooter, while Poirot realizes the shot deliberately missed. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc, Gerhard Hardman Location: Orient Express corridor

Justice Without Balance

Poirot confronts the passengers and reconstructs the collective murder. He ultimately chooses a deliberate lie, accepting moral ambiguity before leaving for another case.

Key Events

• Passengers Confronted — Poirot gathers the passengers outside and reveals their concealed identities. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc, Caroline Hubbard, Hector MacQueen, Pilar Estravados, Gerhard Hardman, Hildegarde Schmidt, Biniamino Marquez Location: Snowbound railway embankment
• Collective Murder Revealed — Poirot concludes that the passengers jointly stabbed Ratchett as revenge. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Caroline Hubbard, Hector MacQueen, Pilar Estravados, Gerhard Hardman, Hildegarde Schmidt, Biniamino Marquez Location: Snowbound railway embankment
• Poirot Tests Their Morality — Poirot offers the conspirators a chance to kill him, then reveals the gun is unloaded. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc, Caroline Hubbard, Hector MacQueen, Pilar Estravados, Gerhard Hardman, Hildegarde Schmidt, Biniamino Marquez Location: Snowbound railway embankment
• A Necessary Lie — Poirot tells the authorities that a lone killer escaped, allowing the passengers to remain free. Characters: Hercule Poirot, Bouc, Caroline Hubbard, Hector MacQueen, Pilar Estravados, Gerhard Hardman, Hildegarde Schmidt, Biniamino Marquez Location: Orient Express railway line
• A New Case Arrives — A British Army messenger asks Poirot to investigate a death on the Nile. Characters: Hercule Poirot Location: Orient Express station

Story Breakdown

• Poirot Boards the Train — Poirot leaves Jerusalem and joins Bouc aboard a crowded international train.
  • Jerusalem Theft — Poirot demonstrates his detective abilities by solving a theft at a religious site.
  • Passenger Introductions — The passengers and Ratchett's threatening circumstances are established.
• The Train Becomes Trapped — An avalanche isolates the train and removes the passengers' access to immediate outside assistance.
  • Mountain Avalanche — The engine is derailed and the train becomes stranded.
  • Red Kimono — Poirot sees a mysterious figure running through the corridor at night.
• Ratchett's Murder — Ratchett is found stabbed, transforming the journey into a locked-train murder investigation.
  • Compartment Crime Scene — Poirot and Bouc inspect the murdered passenger's compartment.
  • Threatening Note — A burned fragment helps Poirot identify the victim's concealed past.
• The Evidence Misleads — False clues and staged attacks attempt to divert Poirot from the larger conspiracy.
  • Planted Handkerchief — A monogrammed handkerchief and a conductor button appear in Hubbard's cabin.
  • Hubbard Attacked — Hubbard is stabbed from behind and cannot identify the attacker.
• The Passenger Conspiracy — Poirot discovers that the passengers share connections to the family harmed by Ratchett.
  • Interrogation Network — Questioning reveals hidden occupations, identities, loyalties, and motives.
  • Deliberate Shooting — A shooter wounds Poirot but intentionally misses the lethal shot.
• Moral Justice Chosen — Poirot reconstructs the group murder and deliberately protects the conspirators from legal punishment.
  • Collective Stabbing — Poirot concludes that the conspirators each stabbed Ratchett once.
  • Necessary Lie — Poirot reports a lone escaped killer theory and leaves for a new case.

Directed by

Kenneth Branagh

Key Cast

• Kenneth Branagh — Hercule Poirot
• Tom Bateman — Bouc
• Michelle Pfeiffer — Caroline Hubbard
• Johnny Depp — Edward Ratchett
• Josh Gad — Hector MacQueen