THE MOVIES OF MY LIFE PHASE ONE: MURDER BY DECREE (1979)

I can claim that, while I am not a Holmesian, I have read every one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories and novels featuring Holmes and Watson.

The thing that kind of annoys me is how so many media interpretations of these characters are...kind of off.  Right from A Study In Scarlet, the duo are treated as energetic and vital people.  I don’t think a lot of movies portray that--it’s one of the great things about the Michael Ritchie films--and tend to give us a staid, contemplative Holmes instead of the physical, vibrant, engaging character Doyle portrayed.  And I really have issues with Watson, a former soldier who Doyle portrays as active and wicked smart only hindered by his war wound; far too many pastiches give us Watson as a dunderhead whose only purpose is to ask questions of his partner and act surprised.

(Given that we’ve had books featuring Irene Adler and Professor Moriarity detecting crimes, I wonder if there are any focusing solely on Watson.  You could place it during Holmes’ ‘death.’  Seriously, this could work!)

The Holmes and Watson of this film are portrayed by Christopher Plummer and James Mason respectively, and while Mason is still of ‘not quite getting it’ variety, the chemistry between the two are palatable....and I love Plummer’s vigorous, droll and righteous Holmes.  The rendition of their friendship is how I imagine the classic duo’s relationship in the original texts. 

What makes this film so fascinating to me is that this is a Holmesian mystery observed through the cynical, paranoid 70‘s.  As such, we’ve got a Holmes that, while investigating the Jack The Ripper murders, becomes involved in a government conspiracy to cover up a royal indiscretion that he ends up agreeing to not make public to save the life of the woman at the center of it all.  It’s a Holmsian film where Holmes solves the puzzle, but does not triumph....quite the contrary, he ends up haunted by his investigation leading to some innocent deaths.

It’s fascinating seeing some of the DNA from Clark’s previous films.  The stalking sequences are right out of Black Christmas, and there’s some gruesome moments that seem torn out of Deathdream.  I also liked the fact that Clark decidedly does not give us an idealized Victorian England--the sequence where Watson is interviewing a prostitute, who is suddenly aware that one of her ‘perfect’ teeth are coming loose is sort of heart-breaking. 

Of course, since this was shot on location in and around London (and Shepperton and Elstree Studios)*, Clark takes advantage of the talent pool and brings some top rate actors.  I was rather shocked to see John Gielgud playing the prime minister, and pleasantly surprised to see David Hemmings in a major role.  And I would be remiss if I did not mention an extended cameo by my beloved Geneviève Bujold, who plays a key figure and manages to convey the fact that her situation has driven her mad without giving into the temptation of playing ‘movie mad.’

This was kind of refreshing, and made me want to visit more Holmesian pastiches (particularly the ones that address the Jack The Ripper case).  I do recommend it.

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*--I do not get calling this a Canuckploitation film.  The only thing Canadian about it is Donald Sutherland, and he’s a minor character at best.