Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, is very much a film of two halves. The initial hour is filled with gunfights, explosions, and bullet time fist fights. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) unravel the sinister plans of Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) and proceed to deal with it in the idiom of Frank Martin, as director Guy Ritchie's pulls every visual trick he knows out of the bag. The pace is fast yet a fairly strong script and superb chemistry between central characters, makes this a cut above the usual PG-13 rated action fodder served to the masses at present. It is beneficial that the bulk of the original cast and crew returned for this sequel as it maintains a strong sense of continuity with it predecessor.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, is very much a film of two halves. The initial hour is filled with gunfights, explosions, and bullet time fist fights. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) unravel the sinister plans of Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) and proceed to deal with it in the idiom of Frank Martin, as director Guy Ritchie's pulls every visual trick he knows out of the bag. The pace is fast yet a fairly strong script and superb chemistry between central characters, makes this a cut above the usual PG-13 rated action fodder served to the masses at present. It is beneficial that the bulk of the original cast and crew returned for this sequel as it maintains a strong sense of continuity with it predecessor.
Inspector Lastrade (Eddie Marsan) is sidelined in this story and Holmes's love, Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) is dispensed with quite early in the proceedings, leaving us with much more interaction between Holmes and Watson. A dynamic that is skewed by Watson's marriage, leading to an unconventional love triangle. Sadly, there are a few weaknesses in the finished film. Gypsy leader Madam Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace) has a great introduction then is left somewhat under developed. Also, the disgraced Colonel and crack shot, Sebastian Moran is similarly vague. He also drops out of the film towards the end, providing a suitable antagonist for a third instalment.
But these issues notwithstanding, the second half, quickly shifts from action to the traditional game of intellectual cat and mouse between our hero and his arch nemesis. It is during these verbal confrontations that the more traditional elements of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work come through. The final battle via a game of chess on a balcony overlooking the Reichenbach falls, is ingenious and enthralling. Guy Ritchie's has certainly found the right mix between old school cerebral sleuthing and contemporary action styles. He also understands that the linchpin of these films is the relationship between leads and he handles this dynamic skilfully. Hans Zimmer's soundtrack once gain embellishes the film and avoids the usual musical clichés associated with this unique sub-genre.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is very entertaining holiday fare and is certainly not an inferior sequel. Twice now director Guy Ritchie has exceeded expectations and made amends for previous sins (need we list them?). Plus, it is always a pleasure to see genre stalwart, rent-a-German and purveyor of Ferrero Roche, Wolf Kahler back on the screen. On a parting note, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is quite surprisingly strong in content. It is interesting to see how Mr. Ritchie has carefully shot and choreographed the violence so as to secure a PG-13 rating/12 Certificate. I was quite surprised about one scene in which Sherlock Holmes is rather brutally interrogated. Although the unpleasantness is justified, viewers should be aware of this hard edge to the movie.
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
For me the inherent appeal of Conan Doyle’s great detective is the way in which it lends itself to continuous reinvention and interpretation. And so, I was greatly surprised by how well director Guy Ritchie handled the 2009 reboot. He in fact did so well, that you could argue it put his career back on track. You won’t find a deerstalker on the head of Robert Downey Jr’s Holmes. This is very much a Holmes for the current times, with bar knuckle boxing, explosions and frenetic chases around a stylised CGI London, but despite how it sounds it works extremely well. The pacing, tone and humour are just right and so the movie avoid becoming a caricature. Under all the modern trappings the screenplay retains the essential elements of source text, such as a densely plotted narrative, cunning mental gymnastics and of course the complex dynamics of the Holmes, Watson relationship.
For me the inherent appeal of Conan Doyle’s great detective is the way in which it lends itself to continuous reinvention and interpretation. And so, I was greatly surprised by how well director Guy Ritchie handled the 2009 reboot. He in fact did so well, that you could argue it put his career back on track. You won’t find a deerstalker on the head of Robert Downey Jr’s Holmes. This is very much a Holmes for the current times, with bar knuckle boxing, explosions and frenetic chases around a stylised CGI London, but despite how it sounds it works extremely well. The pacing, tone and humour are just right and so the movie avoid becoming a caricature. Under all the modern trappings the screenplay retains the essential elements of source text, such as a densely plotted narrative, cunning mental gymnastics and of course the complex dynamics of the Holmes, Watson relationship.
Robert Downey Jr is a far cry from Peter Cushing’s Holmes. He introduces a slovenly element to the character who’s continuously intellectually absorbed at the expense of others and worldly social niceties. Opium addiction is not mentioned this time round. He excels at the things that engage his intellect, including pugilism, so we have some solid set pieces, driven by Holmes pre-fight analysis. Jude Law’s Doctor Watson is an amiable and long-suffering foil, very much in the Danny Glover mould from Lethal Weapon. He offsets Holmes’s intellect perfectly with his common sense and sarcasm. As for the plot, it centres upon an aristocratic serial killer called Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), who is caught and tried, sent to the gallows and placed in his family tomb. However, he subsequently appears to rise from the dead, and returns to his killing spree.
It’s all very fast paced and at times you can see how certain characters are introduced to simply expedite the plot and allow Holmes to do his quota of “sleuthing” before the next action sequence. Sarah Greenwood’s production design is a definite high point with here stylised, even borderline steampunk “Victoriana”. Ritchie attends to the proceeding well and balances the films elements, ensuring that just as things start to get a bit silly, he moves them on to another diversion. There is also a great score by Hans Zimmer which is radically different from the usual Violin driven motifs one associates with Holmes. Rachel McAdams, as American femme fatale Irene Adler, is more than the usual window-dressing female characters have in such movies and as ever Eddie Marsan is extremely watchable as the hang dog Inspector Lestrade.
Considering that Sherlock Holmes was released as the MCU was beginning to get traction with cinema audiences, it does well not to just repackage the great detective as yet another superhero. Yes, there are some very flashy visual affectations and contemporary editing techniques but there is still room for film to focus on the dynamics of Holmes and Watson relationship. There is a definite chemistry between both leads and it is the ongoing examination of relationship that once again underpins the story and makes it worth watching. This coupled with the right tone and visual embellishments meant that Sherlock Holmes found an audience and did well at the box office, with the cast and director returning for a sequel.
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes
It may not come as a surprise to you that Sherlock Holmes is the most filmed fictional character in the history of cinema. His universal appeal has been embraced globally and the great detective has been continuously revisited and adapted over the years. You only have to look at the BBC show Sherlock, to see how the character has been seamlessly re-imagined for a new generation. It is this versatile quality that is perhaps Holmes’ greatest strength. We are all familiar with the logical thinking and prodigious intellect of the sleuth, yet the enigma surrounding his personal life and formative years provides endless scope for exploration. It has proven to be fertile ground for film makers over the last century.
It may not come as a surprise to you that Sherlock Holmes is the most filmed fictional character in the history of cinema. His universal appeal has been embraced globally and the great detective has been continuously revisited and adapted over the years. You only have to look at the BBC show Sherlock, to see how the character has been seamlessly re-imagined for a new generation. It is this versatile quality that is perhaps Holmes’ greatest strength. We are all familiar with the logical thinking and prodigious intellect of the sleuth, yet the enigma surrounding his personal life and formative years provides endless scope for exploration. It has proven to be fertile ground for film makers over the last century.
I therefore would like to focus on a selection of cinematic adaptations which although technically non-canonical, explore the more esoterical aspects of Conan Doyle’s character. Often these films endeavour to link him to iconic cases, notorious events from history or other famed literary characters. Most of these titles will not be of any surprise to hardcore Holmes fans, but may be of interest to those who are not so familiar with this particular movie sub-genre.
Let us begin with Billy Wilder’s The Private life of Sherlock Holmes released in 1970. This astute, erudite and wry exploration of Holmes most secret case and his personal life is beautifully realised. Robert Stephens and Colin Blakely are superbly paired as Holmes and Watson and the dialogue by I. A. L. Diamond is priceless. The narrative explores the distinction between the "real" Holmes and the character portrayed by Watson in his stories for The Strand magazine. The thorny issue of Holmes' sexuality is touched upon with a great deal of wit, sensitivity and wisdom, but there again this is a Billy Wilder film.
When the studio executives took custody of the finished three hour version of the film, they famously decide to excise two subplots and vignettes. Thus the film now only exists in its one hundred and twenty five minute theatrical version. Some of the missing material is available as extras on the current home media releases and is very intriguing. The Private life of Sherlock Holmes is a great achievement and reflects the pedigree of all involved, especially the superb score by Miklós Rózsa. Adapted from his Violin Concerto, Op. 24 it is simply integral to the films success. The music underpinning the film’s bittersweet ending is sublime.
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, directed by Herbert Ross in 1976 is another movie where the complexities of Holmes’ past are explored. This time screenwriter Nicholas Meyer (who adapted his own novel) cooks up a clever scheme in which the great detective ends up on the couch of none other than Sigmund Freud, as he struggles to come to terms with his cocaine addiction. The truth turns out to be quite a revelation and may well raise a smile among Holmes aficionados.
Holmes (Nicol Williamson) and Freud (Alan Arkin) spark well of each other, both exhibiting the quirks and foibles of their characters. Robert Duvall, a fine actor, is curiously ill at ease with the role of Dr Watson, focusing mainly on his diction. The plot also conjectures a clever explanation for Holmes’ obsession with Professor Moriarty and also features some robust action scenes during the film’s climax. Again, it is the attention to detail that shows a real love of the source material by all concerned. The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is an unusual and creative take on Holmes mythology.
Bob Clark's 1979 movie, Murder by Decree, is an intelligent pastiche of both historical events and apocrypha as the Great Detective tackles the case of Jack the Ripper. This premise was the basis of A Study in Terror in 1965, though Clark’s movie is far more polished in terms of suspenseful storytelling and emotional impact. The plot touches upon several popular theories regarding the Whitechapel murders and hints at an establishment conspiracy. It is also a story that shows a very human side of Sherlock Holmes and flies in the face of the misanthropic depictions that film makers usually favour.
It is this deviation from the source material that often divides fans of this particular adaptation. Holmes, played by Christopher Plummer, in many ways flies in the face of preconceived notions of both the characters appearance and demeanour. Yet a colder more rational Holmes, of the ilk of Jeremy Brett or Basil Rathbone, would not have worked in this story with its social conscience and political subtext. However the director superbly counter balances his fiery Holmes with the most stoic and traditional portrayals of Doctor Watson, played with effortless ease by James Mason.
Finally let’s consider Disney Studios take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s character, in Basil the Great Mouse Detective. This innovative animated feature film helped steer the studio back on track, after the failure of The Black Cauldron at the box office. Well written, with a great voice cast featuring Vincent Price in one of his last roles, this film boasts handsome art work, along with an even balance of humour and pathos. It is also one of the first movies to boast computer generated imagery as many of the backgrounds were rendered in this fashion.
The plot centres on Basil of Baker Street who with the help of Dr. David Q. Dawson confronts his arch nemesis Rattigan, as he attempts to take control of all “Mousedom”. In this film, the mouse world seems to run in a curious parallel to Victorian England. Basil himself lives under the house of the great Sherlock Holmes and shares his skills in deductive reasoning. Although this is primarily a family feature film from Disney, there is a lot more depth to it than you would expect and there are many homages and nods to the source material.
As you can see, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective inherently lends himself to constant reinvention and dramatic interpretation. Holmes remains a timeless character due to his mental complexity, fish-out-of-water persona and abiding friendship with John Watson. This tempers his brusque nature and acerbic wit. However Conan Doyle’s true genius lies in the gaps he purposely left in his characters back story, affording future generations the chance to fill those spaces with their own thoughts and ideas.