The Pyramids of Giza are three pyramids located in Giza, Egypt featured in the 2022 film Death on the Nile, directed by Kenneth Branagh and based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie.
Background[]
The Pyramids of Giza are ancient structures built by the Egyptians during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (c. 2575–c. 2465 BCE). They are located on the Giza plateau near Cairo and are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Memphis and its Necropolis". The largest and oldest of the three pyramids is the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), which was originally 146.5 meters (481 feet) high and is the only surviving wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The other two pyramids are those of Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaure (Mykerinus), which are slightly smaller and have complex mortuary temples and causeways. Near the pyramids is the Great Sphinx, a colossal statue of a lion with a human head, which is believed to represent Khafre.
Appearance[]
In Death on the Nile, the pyramids serve as a backdrop for several scenes in the film. The film opens with Poirot attending a performance by blues singer Salome Otterbourne at a London club, where he witnesses the introduction of heiress Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle to her childhood friend Jacqueline de Bellefort's fiancé Simon Doyle. Six weeks later, Poirot meets his friend Bouc and his mother Euphemia in Egypt, where they invite him to join them at their hotel overlooking the pyramids. There, Poirot encounters Linnet and Simon, who have eloped and married, much to Jackie's dismay. Poirot also meets other guests at the hotel, who will later join them on a cruise along the Nile River on board the steamer S.S. Karnak. Among them are Linnet's maid Louise Bourget, Salome and her niece Rosalie Otterbourne, Linnet's godmother Marie Van Schuyler and her nurse Mrs. Bowers, Linnet's financial manager Andrew Katchadourian, Linnet's former fiancé Dr. Bessner.
The film features several shots of the pyramids from different angles and distances, highlighting their majesty and mystery. The pyramids also symbolize the themes of death and immortality that pervade the film, as they are ancient tombs that have survived for millennia. The film contrasts the pyramids with the modern city of Cairo and its bustling streets and markets, showing the contrast between ancient and contemporary Egypt. It also uses the pyramids as a metaphor for the complex relationships and secrets among the characters, as they have hidden chambers and passages that conceal their true nature.
