Customer Reviews

Sherlock Holmes - The Sign of Four

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The late Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is so real, so vital, and so thoroughly mesmerizing that I can never imagine another actor playing the part. The man literally oozes charisma, and his aristocratic, finely chiselled looks perfectly match the Holmes I've always envisioned. Brett also captures the nuances that make Holmes such a memorable creation: the moodiness, the nervous bursts of energy, the unexpected moments of humour, and all his other maddening (but wonderful) eccentricities. Brett also has the perfect speaking voice for Holmes - a perfectly enunciated, slightly fruity, upper class Etonian accent. The death of Jeremy Brett in 1995 robbed us of Holmes' finest interpreter and a fascinating actor.

Happily, however, Brett has left us with a large legacy of performances as the great detective. The British Granada television series, filmed between 1984 and 1994, is now available on video (and occasionally on DVD) and includes many stand-out episodes. The present video is one of several feature-length episodes filmed for the series, and was made in 1987. This was around the period in which Brett's health started to decline (he suffered from a combination of heart disease and depression), but personally I have always felt that he transcended the effects of his illness, and in some ways his performances as Holmes were even more compelling because of it. At times he would have to husband his vocal resources as breath control became a problem, but his portrayal remained compelling right up until the end. Here he looks fine for the most part, and if anything, his slightly red-rimmed eyes and sallow complexion suit the character of Holmes, who was hardly the picture of robust good health himself.

Brett is ably supported by Edward Hardwicke as a sympathetic and intelligent Watson. This is the confidante whom Conan Doyle always envisioned, not the bumbling twit that one remembers from the Nigel Bruce caricature of the 1930s and 1940s.

The rest of the cast is uniformly good, with John Thaw excellent as the nominal villain, Jonathan Small, and Ronald Lacey hilarious in the dual roles of the eccentric (and appallingly hair-styled!) Sholto brothers.

As always in this ten-year series, the direction is top-notch, and the period atmosphere is beautifully evoked. There is also some clever use of shadow and mirrors that add a touch of class to the visual effects.

With great performances and direction to match, why, then, have I not given this adaptation five stars?

My reservations lie with the story itself. The Sign of Four lacks the suspense of say, The Hound of the Baskervilles or the darkly compelling Dying Detective. To be sure, it is a very interesting story with all the usual Conan Doyle flourishes (exotic background, eccentric personalities and a hint of romance), but it all comes to a conclusion much too soon with the anti-climactic narrative from Jonathan Small that occupies the last ten minutes or so of the episode. Nevertheless, there is still much to enjoy along the way in this witty evocation of Doyle's novel. In short, I recommend this episode with the proviso that dedicated Sherlockians also check out many of the other programmes in the series.

This is a teriffic movie, and I find it intriguing that people who claim to have read the book rate this so poorly. Strangely, they complain that Jeremy Brett's illness partly ruins his performance as Holmes. Anyone who has read the original canon knows that illness and Holmes went hand in hand: even though Watson describes him as having an "iron constitution," the man was frequently sick from overwork, drug and tobacco abuse, lack of sleep, and simply from not eating. Brett's illness actually works well with the series - almost as if his real life was mirroring that of the fictional detective - with one exception: Brett gained weight whereas Holmes, when ill, became very, very thin.

This iteration of Sign of Four is a beautifully crafted piece. The period detail can still alarm me with its quality, even after repeated viewings. Viewers are absolutely immersed in the Baker Street of the late Victorian period.

The scenes of Sherlock's physical investigation of crime scenes are well rendered, faithfully presented the "real" Holmes in action, as described by Doyle. We even get to hear some of Sherlock's more quotable aphorisms which seem to be lifted from the actual text. Also, we see a bit of the detective's less pleasant social habits and misogyny - a bit of his darker side.

The only thing that makes this interpretation of the book suffer is that it is **TOO** faithful to the original work. The long passage near the end of Johnathan Small's monologue has always dragged this story a bit and makes screen representations difficult. It's not that the film interpreted it poorly - it's that this passage simply violates the traditional climactic structure of a standard two hour film. This was typical of the Holmes novels, where Sherlock would be "off-screen" for long periods.

This may be my favourite of the magnificent Granada series starring Jeremy Brett, most of which I love; it's definitely the best of the two-hour versions. Watson doesn't get the girl, but the sentimental look on his face when he comments "What a very attractive woman!" at the end is a nice touch, considering that marriage for Watson wasn't really an option in a TV series. Jeremy Brett is brilliant as always; I love the way he speaks to Toby, the dog, and the expression on his face as he comments "It was I who opened it" to the weird Athelney Jones. The chase down the Thames is classic. Holmes is possibly a bit more arrogant and inconsiderate in this adaptation than he was in the book, but Brett was able to do that; sometimes his Holmes shows unexpected flashes of compassion, sometimes he's wonderfully intolerable! This is a good introduction to the series, though one of the shorter classics like "The Red-Headed League" or "The Second Stain" might be even better to whet the appetite.

+++++

This movie is based on the novel "The Sign of Four" (1890) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 to 1930).

This movie begins simply enough with a Mary Morstan (contrary to the editorial review above, this part is played by Jenny Seagrove) who, after the mysterious disappearance of her father, starts receiving each year as a present a rare pearl. Who is the person sending her this gift and why? Mary consults with Sherlock (Jeremy Brett) because all of a sudden the person sending her the gift wants to meet her. Dr. Watson (Edward Hardwicke) also finds this case intriguing and, as well, is smitten with the beautiful Miss Morstan.

As Sherlock and Watson investigate, they uncover an even bigger case involving a hidden treasure and a murderer whose calling card is "the sign of four."

Holmes and Watson also uncover a host of odd characters. They also encounter an odd couple: sailor John Small (John Thaw) and Little Tonga (Kiran Shaw).

This is one of the few stories where Sherlock enlists the help of others to help him solve the case. Specifically, these are Toby and "The Irregulars."

There is also an exciting boat chase where Sherlock gets shot with a poisonous dart.

My favorite Sherlock Holmes' line from Conan Doyle's works is included in this movie:

"Once you have eliminated the impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Brett, as ususal, does a good job of capturing the essence of the famous gumshoe in his performance. Also look for the fine performance of John Thaw as the sailor.

Finally, the costumes, background music, and cinematography are quite well done.

In conclusion, this is a good movie to watch even if you have read the novel it's based on!!

(1987; 2 hr; British drama; made for TV; full screen)

+++++

All the Jeremy Brett renditions of Sherlock Holmes are good. This particular story of a treasure that brings death from a one legged man and a pygmy is more interesting. We follow Holmes as he meets a young woman that catches Dr. Watsons eye but has a odd story to tell of her fathers death. We then find that the meeting of an acquaintance of her father has the police arresting the wrong man. Holmes with the aid of the Baker Street Boys searching the Thames leads to the capture and confession of the true culprit but an incredible telling of the whole history of the treasures change of hands through theft and murder. The DVD copy has a clean picture and the sound is good. It is well worth owning.

Every once in a while, an actor comes along who not only plays the role of Sherlock Holmes, but actually redefines the role. In 1984, veteran actor Jeremy Brett (1933-95) actually did it yet again! And now, these wonderful Granada Television episodes are available on DVD.

This wonderful DVD has a feature length (running time of 1:42) edition of The Sign of Four, which was originally aired in December 1987 as two episodes. In this story, Sherlock Holmes is called upon by a young lady who needs the great detective's help with a mystery. However, when this mystery leads to murder, Holmes must seek to uncover secrets that have lain hidden for many years, and have their roots in treacheries upon treacheries in far-off India. There's a one-legged man who is at the center of this mystery, and he has a murderous friend who may just be the end of Sherlock Holmes!

My family and I loved this DVD, and think that any fan of Sherlock Holmes, or just plain fan of mysteries, will love it, too! By the way, you'll notice Dr. Watson staring out the window at Miss Morstan, later on in the Holmes stories, she and Watson were married!

I think that this is one of the best of the Sherlock Holmes movies. Jeremy Brett seems to capture the character of Holmes better than many an actor. The atmosphere of this film is dark, and mysterious -- it keeps you on the edge of your seat. The movie's plot is engaging, and even if you have read the story, you can't be sure how it will end. Brett is still fresh in the role of Holmes, and seems to absorb the character's personality. This piece remains true to Conan Doyle's style, and preserves the mystery of a foggy London street. This is, thus far, the best of the Jeremy Brett classics I have seen.

The Sign of Four is it self is a very fantastic and bizare case from Sherlock holmes series. The film is well directed by Mr. Peter Hammond. He successfully created the necessary surroundings. Especially in the room and palace like house of Sholto and sons company, as per the story much more expected.
The film is giving full 100% justice to Sir Doyale's writing including dialogs. Brett and Edward Hardwicke with as usual doing well in the film. Tongo character is well makeuped and is as per storyline. Other characters are good. When you first look to Mary Morstan character you feel that it is the appropriate actress for that. It has given me the satisfaction at my best. Worth to purchase and see. If and If not the fans of Brett/Holmes. Thanks for Granada TV.

One of the superior Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes tales, "The Sign of Four" is ingeniously conveyed here with the great Jeremy Brett at the Helm.

This is a Granada (British) production which was originally aired over two separate PBS episodes, shown a week apart, which means that it's a nice, long (but not draggy!), DVD. Here's a much abbreviated version of the story:

A beautiful young lady (who much interests Watson!), comes to Holmes with a sympathetic story... her father, who had been a minor British officer serving in colonial India and whom had finally retired, has been missing in London for years and, now, there may be an end to the mystery in addition to the possibility that she's on the verge of becoming a rich woman. She's received an anonymous note to be available at a certain location to be transported to yet another unknown place to receive her just due and she wants Holmes and Watson to ride along to protect her as well as her prospective interests.

In the end, she meets an eccentric and fabulously wealthy son of her father's companion, who lives in a literal re-creation of Indian Culture. This son has a twin brother (who lives at their family estate, also in luxury), who is unfortunately found murdered, the family fortune in jewels and gold also having been lifted in the process!

It's the difficult job of Holmes, Watson, and the trusty K-9, "Toby" to set the whole mystery straight. This tale is one of the best Holmes films that ever originally emanated from Doyle and this particular rendering is quite excellent.

The cinematography is superb, the sets and locations are spot on and the action remains tight throughout -- no dragging.

Even rabid Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes film purists would probably much enjoy this one if they gave it a chance.

The earlier Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes films were masterpieces of film style and literary adaption. This fine version of a rather strange novel includes many quirky, almost Dickensian characters and keeps you hanging on throughout the twisted plot.