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Rating:  -
Christopher Plummber was great in this movie. You felt like you were there with him.
Rating: -
A very entertaining and well-made film with fine script and acting. This movie was basically remade as From Hell with Johnny Depp several years ago.
Rating: -
Ah, Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective character has enjoyed innumerable media incarnations since his first appearance in magazine format in the 19th century. Basil Rathbone in the 1940s provided the most famous film series, while Jeremy Brett's BBC series in the 1980s was probably the definitive smallscreen version. But those are just two of the most famous examples (since joined by Robert Downey Jr.'s enjoyably testosterone-heavy verson from last Christmas); 1979's "Murder by Decree", an Anglo-Canadian co-production (which would explain the presence of a number of prominent Canadian performers, such as Christopher Plummer, Donald Sutherland, and Genevieve Bujold). Not an adaptation of part of Conan Doyle's canon, rather, an original yarn, "Murder by Decree" is the prominent screen version of one of post-Doyle Holmes authors' favourite story setups: the great detective vs. Jack the Ripper. Spoilers follow.
We open in Victorian London with a night at the opera (for a performance of "Lucrezia Borgia", which is a subtle tie-in to many of the themes of the film itself), a nifty opening that immediately sets the stage for the simmering class tensions that underlay much of the film (though they don't drive the plot). The film opens with Jack claiming his third victim, and the police have been confounded, but they have yet to call on Holmes (Plummer), much to his and Watson's (James Mason) puzzlement. Eventually summoned by an anonymous source, it becomes apparent that the head of the police isn't keen on Holmes' participation. Engaged by a group of businessmen (or are they?), Holmes takes on the case anyway, and finds himself in the middle of a number of conspiracies (the title itself should tell you a lot, though it's actually somewhat misleading in the end).
As far as Ripper-ology goes, this is a filmed version of the Prince Albert Victor/Masonic conspiracy theory (Sutherland is Robert Lees, the psychic, in a cameo; Bujold is Annie Crook), the one more famously seen in Alan Moore's "From Hell" and its cheap film adaptation. This version instantly wins points from me by casting the murdered women as dowdy/unattractive women over 40 (well, apart from Bujold, but she's a long way from a supermodel too), like they were in real life, rather than in "From Hell" the film, where they're all sexy twentysomethings. There's no glamourization of poverty and prostitution here, the same sort of thing that Moore the author was keen to avoid in his writing. And their take on the conspiracy itself even makes a modicum of sense, since it actually brings up how absurd the idea that any sane person in Westminster or Buckingham Palace would regard a handful of prostitutes as a major threat to the monarchy. In this version, the higher-ups merely think it's "inconvenient", and two fairly deluded Masons take this as a sanction to get rid of the supposed problem, which the others then have to cover up to save the Order's face. Actually, it's very Watergate, which makes sense given the time of production.
This is perhaps the best entry on the supremely odd resume of the now-late director Bob Clarke, who had previously made the slasher film "Black Christmas", and whose subsequent efforts would include the infamous sex comedy "Porky's" and its sequel, and the cult classic Christmas film "A Christmas Story" (and "Baby Geniuses", but let us honour the dead and never speak of that again). Plummer is a fine Holmes, though a bit more emotive than many will be accustomed to; personally, I thought it was appropriate to give him a bit of humanity. A lot of his portrayals tend toward him being a walking brain and far too aloof. James Mason makes a bid to quietly steal the show as Watson; physically he's in the Nigel Bruce mould, but he's quite competent and not played exclusively for laughs, which is rare enough. Sutherland is fine in a cameo that seems mainly to serve to keep people guessing whether he'll turn out to have a more substantive part. Bujold has only one scene, but it's a crucial one, and very well-handled. Sir John Gielgud cameos as Lord Salisbury, honestly seeming a bit flat. A group of solid British actors fill out the rest of the cast.
Recommended.
Rating:  -
I basically bought the Lionsgate DVD on a recommendation of a DVD insider who figured the disc to be better than Anchor Bay
It is not. It is the EXACT same disc - the exact same menu, transfer , bonus material and chapter stops. Only this time it came from Lionsgate and not Anchor Bay.
That being said I will say Anchor Bay actually is still the DVD to get because it has the cool booklet
About the movie, well with all the other reviews about it , there is not much to add, but I will say that I do thoroughly enjoy it. Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes, James Mason as Dr. Watson & a good supporting cast such as David Hemmings keeps the film going. It is Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper blended with Govt. corruption of sorts.
Is it the best Holmes film ? Arguably maybe it is , but to me, I would not go that far. It certainly is an excellent well done movie, but I have a stronger passion for Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. Maybe it is the best post Rathbone. Bob Clark's best movie - that is quite possible.
Very gothic, good atmosphere and pace make this one an easy keeper..
This film as well as The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes & The Seven Per-Cent solution are all worth watching / looking into.
Highly recommended movie, and if you were to get the DVD, I would go with the Anchor Bay one for the booklet :-)
Rating: -
This is one of the best Sherlock Holmes films I've ever seen. The cast is a dream come true. Christopher Plumber is remarkably good at portraying Holmes. While staying true to Conan Doyle's description of the character in most respects, he adds a little more emotional depth in this interpretation which is effective in giving the character more dimension and helping the viewers to relate a little better. James Mason as a smarter version of Watson than what we're used to seeing and the exstremely gifted Genevieve Bujold as a mental patient are both expertly cast. The story is very interesting, imaginative, suspenseful and masterfully told in a convincingly Victorian atmosphere. No Sherlock Holmes fan should miss it.Thriller (Cassette/Tape, 9 Tracks, incl. The Girl Is Mine, P.Y.T. Pretty Young Thing, Human Nature, Beat It, Billie Jean etc.)Bell, Book, and Murder: The Bast MysteriesTHE SUN OVER BREDA
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