Murder by Decree (1979)

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Murder by Decree has Sherlock Holmes and Watson investigate the Jack the Ripper murders in a film that, aside from its impressive cast, could have been made for television in terms of visuals and sound (I find the score particularly sappy and generic). Still, the high concept is a natural, and the film knows its Ripperology, choosing one of the more complex and popular solutions (totally telegraphed by the title, sadly). If you don't know much about the events, it might surprise you. If you do, you're just waiting for Holmes to catch up. (All I know about the Ripper I probably learned from Alan Moore's From Hell series, especially the extensive notes at the back, so that's quite a lot actually.) While James Mason makes a good Watson, Christopher Plummer's Holmes is a rather more human figure than in the stories and most adaptations. Without saying so, the film takes the approach that Watson probably exaggerated in Strand Magazine, and the deductions aren't as fanciful, Holmes himself is a lot more empathetic. Or perhaps it had to be that way so he couldn't stop history from happening. I didn't mind it, but the portrayal comes dangerously close to being Sherlock Holmes only by name. 4 years 11 months ago