Salome Otterbourne is a character featured in the 2022 mystery film Death on the Nile, directed by Kenneth Branagh and based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. She is portrayed by Sophie Okonedo, who received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
Background[]
Salome is a famous jazz singer and the aunt of Rosalie Otterbourne, a young woman who travels with her on board the Karnak, a luxury steamer cruising the Nile River. Salome is a bold, free-spirited woman with a worldview way ahead of her time. She is also romantically interested in Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective who investigates a series of murders on the boat. Salome's role in the film has been praised by critics and audiences for being a refreshing and original addition to the story, as well as for Okonedo's charismatic and nuanced performance. Some have also noted that Salome represents a positive portrayal of a black woman in a period piece, as she is shown to be confident, independent, and respected by others.
In contrast to her novel counterpart, who is an alcoholic and an erotic novelist being sued by Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle for libel, Salome is depicted as a successful and respected artist who has no connection to Linnet or any of the other suspects. She is also one of the few characters who survives the film, unlike in the novel where she is killed by Jacqueline de Bellefort for witnessing her enter Louise Bourget's cabin. Salome's character serves as a source of comic relief, musical entertainment, and emotional support for Poirot and Rosalie in the film. She also provides some clues and insights that help Poirot solve the case, such as noticing that Linnet's pearls were fake and that Simon Doyle had a limp before being shot.
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