Murder by Decree | | Cast : | Christopher Plummer, James Mason | | Director : | Bob Clark (III) | | Studio : | Anchor Bay Entertain | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | February 09, 1979 | | DVD Released Date : | January 21, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 08, 2005 | | Summary | A MYSTERY CLASSIC!! | Content
 | THIS FILM WILL APPEAL TO BOTH HOLMES FANS AND THOSE INTRIGUED BY THE JACK THE RIPPER MURDERS. IT'S EERIE, CREEPY, HUMOROUS, POIGNANT, WONDERFULLY ATMOSPHERIC AND BRILLIANTLY ACTED. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER IS COMPLETELY CONVINVCING AS HOLMES AND JAMES MASON'S ROLE AS WATSON IS A BRILLIANT STUDY IN UNDERSTATED ACTING. I WAS ESPECIALLY IMPRESSED THAT THE STORYLINE, ALTHOUGH FICTIONAL, WAS VERY ACCURATE IN THE DEPICTIONS OF THE NON-FICTIONAL WHITECHAPEL MURDERS ATTRIBUTED TO JACK THE RIPPER. THE THEORY PUT FORWARD IN THE FILM AS TO THE MURDERER'S ACTUAL IDENTITY WAS VERY POPULAR AMONG 'RIPPER' AFFICIONADOS. |
| Rating | | | Date | September 17, 2004 | | Summary | Holmes and Watson; Plummer and Mason: An Excellent Film | Content
| In my view this is one of the best Sherlock Holmes movies yet made, with a strong, literate story, an outstanding cast and great atmosphere. London prostitutes have been gruesomely slaughtered by Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes enters the case. The street women are scared to death but seem to be protecting someone. One, Mary Kelly, wants to help. Another, Annie Crook, has gone missing. The more Holmes probes and searches, the more it appears that some in high places are interfering with his investigation. Annie Crook is found and the secret discovered, but not before more lives are wasted and a secret which could shake the throne is uncovered. Justice more or less triumphs, but for Holmes and Watson it is a sad, bittersweet victory.
The movie features, in my opinion, outstanding interpretations of Holmes and Watson. Christopher Plummer gives Holmes not only brilliance but also humanity. He responds deeply to the terrible injustice he finds behind the Ripper killings. Mason plays Watson as an equal partner, with humor, wisdom and courage, and with none of the blundering and bluster that Nigel Bruce imprinted on the character. The cast features Genevieve Bujold as Annie Crook and Susan Clark (great in Night Moves) as Mary Kelly. David Hemmings, Anthony Quayle, John Gielgud, Frank Finlay and Donald Sutherland give a lot of depth to the movie.
As by way of a modest spoiler, the people who made From Hell by rights should have given a modest credit line to director Clark and writer John Hopkins. One other fascinating point concerns Clark. For some reason, this appears to be by far the best movie he ever made. Clark, shortly after Murder by Decree, gave us one of the broadest and corniest movies around, Porky's, and seems to have stayed more or less at the Porky's level ever since.
If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes along with first-rate acting, I think you'll like this film. The DVD transfer is very good. |
| Rating | | | Date | September 05, 2004 | | Summary | A Sherlock Doyle could have been proud of | Content
| Christopher Plummer captures Sherlock Holmes. Holmes was a complex character, often seemingly aloof and yet full of passion when properly provoked. In the closing scenes and particularly in the scene in the asylum, Plummer plays Holmes to perfection. Mason is a fabulous Watson. Although perhaps a bit older than Watson is generally portrayed, Mason and script and director avoid the common sin of showing Watson as a dim-witted sidekick. Watson is a partner here, and one who holds his own during investigation and action. Forget the historicity of the conspiracy theory, this is just enthralling film-making and story-telling. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 04, 2004 | | Summary | Holmes vs. Conspiracy? | Content
| Taken separately, Plummer (too emotional) and Mason (too old) are miscast. But, their chemistry is excellent, though not as good as Rathbone and Bruce (fourteen films)or Cushing and Mills ("Masks of Death"). Frank Finlay may just be the best Lestrade. Most of the Holmes vs. Ripper film is quite good. Then comes the ending, with just about every discredited conspiracy theory ever offered thrown into one long-winded emotional speech by Holmes. Did the writers forget that in the stories brother Mycroft Holmes was the government? |
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