Sherlock: A Study in Pink
July 26, 2010This review contains spoilers.
A Study in Scarlet is one of the least adapted stories in the Sherlock Holmes canon. Like most of Conan Doyle’s novel-length adventures, its bipartite structure resists dramatization. The first half of the story depicts Holmes’ investigation; the second half, the murderer’s confession, the tale of a past wrong avenged. Consequently, there are very few screen portrayals of Holmes and Watson meeting for the first time.
A Study in Scarlet, 1887
So I was surprised that Steven Moffat’s script for last night’s Sherlock followed its Doylean source material so closely. We got John’s meeting with Stamford, Sherlock’s beating of corpses, his deductions around Afghanistan, John’s gradual comprehension of his room-mate’s profession, the murder in Lauriston Gardens, the fruitless chase after a cab, the identification of the cabbie as the murderer, and his terrifying choice of poison pills. Also, I failed to notice a particularly skilful pun on the word ‘ring’, noted by Tom Sutcliffe in today’s Independent here.
For the obsessive aficionado (that’s me), there were a wealth of Holmesian in-jokes, often playing with Conan Doyle’s notorious inconsistency. So we found out that Mrs. Turner lived down the road from Mrs. Hudson, that Sherlock knew a waiter called Billy, and that John’s wandering war wound was a symptom of his PTSD. There were more straightforward quotations as well, like naming one victim James Phillimore and using the wonderful telegram from The Creeping Man : “Come at once if convenient – if inconvenient come all the same S.H.” Sadly, these quotations were sometimes diluted by the updating. Slice it where you like, “The game is on” just isn’t as dramatic as “The game is afoot”!
Like the Universal Rathbone-Bruce films which inspired this series, A Study in Pink boldly stole and reframed detail from the original adventures. However, it also demonstrated its awareness of previous adaptations. In interview, Moffat and Gatiss have mentioned their love for The Spider Woman (1944) and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). From the former comes the idea of serial suicides, from the latter Mycroft’s recasting as a sinister representative of the government.
The Spider Woman, Roy William Neill, 1944
I was especially impressed by the two central performances, and am excited to see how they will develop over the coming weeks. Freeman was intelligent and empathetic as John Watson. By structuring his entry into Sherlock’s world as a move from ennui to action (wonderfully realized in the transference from crutch to service revolver), the script gave us a compelling reason for his becoming part of this partnership.
Cumberbatch is potentially one of the great Sherlocks. Physically perfect for the role, the planes of his face convey the detective’s strangeness and inscrutability. Importantly, though, Cumberbatch isn’t a cold fish. We frequently see Sherlock excited and amused, allowing us to understand his passion for the grotesque. Also, I covet his coat enormously.
Unsurprisingly, Moffat chose to leave the second part of A Study in Scarlet alone. However, this left the motivation of the murderer weak. While Conan Doyle’s cabbie was full of pathos, Moffat’s is an arrogant psychopath bordering on cliche. It was difficult to believe the connection to Moriarty, which came off seeming like a tenuous attempt at arc-building.
While I liked the use of Mycroft, I had a major problem with the casting of Mark Gatiss. Maybe it’s just that I can’t separate him from The League of Gentlemen in my head, but I felt that his performance was horribly arch. It was as though he was playing ‘sinister’ in a comedy skit. And giving Gatiss the final line of the episode smacked of self-indulgence, which certainly wouldn’t have been the case if they’d just used another actor.
Some of the hyperactive editing and emphatic ‘whooshing’ on the soundtrack during action sequences (I’m thinking of the chase after the cab) was annoying, and I think this might have been better as a 60-minute episode. Nevertheless, I don’t want to end on a negative note. The next two episodes take The Dancing Men and The Bruce-Partington Plans as their starting points, both of which are much better stories than A Study in Scarlet. I’m looking forward to seeing how the series progresses!
I’ve chosen to avoid talking about the updating of the character in this review as I’ll be writing a guest blog on the subject for the indispensable Sherlocking later this week. Please do let me know what you thought about A Study in Pink by leaving a comment below!
It’s interesting that you mentioned a 60 minute episode might have been better. According to Sherlocking, it seems as though we may be getting the original pilot on the DVD. I’m very curious to see how the original sixty min version compares to the ninety minute film. I really liked what I saw in the pitch video. I’m actually a bit worried that I may end up liking the pilot better. Although don’t get me wrong. I did enjoy the film as well.
As for Mycroft… I didn’t mind Gatiss in the part, but I kept thinking maybe he’d make a better Moriarty. Maybe that’s because like you I keep associating him with a certain part. In my case it’s the creepy curator from Crooked House. Also he didn’t really look the part, or Cumberbatch’s brother for that matter. And I agree that he shouldn’t have gotten the last line. I believe Lestrade had a similar line in the pitch piece.
While I might agree that the game is on doesn’t sound quite as good as the game is afoot, no one would say that anymore. I don’t mind it personally as long as they don’t use it all the time. I mean Sherlock only said the game is afoot once I believe.
Giving the cabby a more in depth back story would have helped yes. I did like how he played on Sherlock’s addictive personality, tempting him as it were. And holmes starts torturing him as he dies, ooooh dark.
Benedict Cumberbatch will hopefully become a classic Sherlock Holmes. I also enjoyed seeing a Holmes who isn’t so cold all the time. I enjoyed his humor, and seeing him laugh and enjoying the game. I also want that coat of his, “makes grabby hands.”
Martin Freeman was a fine Watson as well. Although what was up with him having a sister instead of a brother? Also liked the explanation of Watson’s wondering war wound.
I said much the same thing to someone today, that I’ve got a feeling I might actually prefer the first version! I’m really very surprised that the BBC is releasing it. Like you, I really enjoyed the scenes in the pitch piece. I think it makes a lot more sense ot give Lestrade the final line, and I felt that Rupert Graves got shunted to one side in the second half of Sunday’s episode.
Of course, you’re quite right about “the game’s afoot” being inappropriate for the update. I had resigned myself to “the game is on” becoming a catch-phrase, rather like Matt Smith’s “Geronimo”. Like you, I hope they manage to restrain themselves!
Agree with you about Freeman. And as much as I liked Cumberbatch, I think Freeman was even better. He was utterly convincing as John, and brought a steeliness to the part which I hadn’t expected.
I wonder if the BBC is releasing the pilot, because of the fuss that was made about 800,000 pounds, or whatever it was being spent on an unaired episode. Then again maybe they planned to put it on the DVD anyway. Who knows. The BBc claimed they wanted to make the stories longer, and more complex, hense the reshoot. However, I’m starting to think longer doesn’t equal better. I’m somehow doubting that Mycroft was in the pilot, not sure about Moriarty being mentioned though. Personally I thought shoving both Mycroft and Moriarty into the first ep was a bit much. I thought they would introduce them over a period of time. Ok, we never actually see Moriarty, but still. I’m also wondering if the scenes with Sherlock, and the cab driver were changed a bit. I thought I remember it looking like holmes may have been in physical danger, like he was hurt or something from the promo. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it, so I could be wrong.
So yeah, wondering if the story might have been better the first time around. If that’s the case, I hope it doesn’t ruin my enjoyment of the longer version. I’d like to think I’m clever enough not to be effected, but who am I kidding. This makes it sound like I didn’t really like A Study in Pink. I did, just got teased by the leaked pitch vid, and my curiosity is peaked. I wonder if I should be talking about the pitch piece, seeing as it wasn’t meant to be seen and all.
Yes, no catchphrase please BBC. Do try and restrain yourselves.
You’re quite right about freeman. That was a terrible oversight on my part. He brought a depth to Watson you don’t often see. and you’re right about the stealiness of his character.
It hadn’t occurred to me that the fuss over the money spent on the pilot might have motivated putting it on the DVD. Given that the BBC’s outgoings are under a lot of scrutiny at the moment, you may well have hit upon the reason. Good thinking!
I too have been thinking a lot about the difference between the scenes in the pitch video. And I’m sure you’re right about Mycroft being an addition for the 90 min version. I’m especially interested to compare the direction and camera movements in the pilot, which I suspect may have been more restrained (and thus, in some executive’s opinion, less ‘complex’). Well, I’m very glad it will be an extra on the DVD and not buried in the BBC vaults!
Sherlock Holmes does NOT need a catch phrase. When it comes to it, neither does the Doctor. Sort it out, Moff!
I can understand the Doctor being given one, as a marketing tool and a way of branding merchandise. It’s unimaginative, yes, but understandable. I’d hate to see a catchphrase in Sherlock, though.
That said, I am one of those people who thinks that “Elementary, my dear Watson” is pretty good…
Brilliant analysis of the first episode! I really enjoyed it too – I thought Holmes and Watson were both great (Holmes’s coat just added to his general dishiness and inscrutability), and while I didn’t understand all the references to the original story, my trusty Scientist companion filled me in (he also liked it that ‘the game is afoot’ was referenced, though I’m not sure he minded that it was altered). I did have a hard time believing that the cabbie could really have been so persuasive (surely it was only the gun which actually made his victims obey him?), but I didn’t have a problem with Mycroft (though I haven’t seen League of extraordinary gentlemen) – in fact I quite liked it that his reasoning had such shades of Sherlock’s but that he was a bit ridiculous in comparison.
Didn’t you think that Holmes definitely had characteristics in common with both of the last two Doctors? I thought that before I realised they had a writer in common! Thank you again for putting us on to this series being so good though – I wouldn’t have tried it otherwise
Thanks Alysa – it is, indubitably, a good coat.
Phil Davis’ cabbie was a problematic character. Intention (the idea that he was employing Derren Brown-like suggestion) fell short of execution there. In the original Conan Doyle, the equivalent character’s desperation (he is called Jefferson Hope, but has none) makes his choice of the two pills terrifying. He has nothing to lose if he dies, in fact he wants to die while avenging the terrible wrong in his past. Here, the cabbie’s calculation and control diminished the scene for me.
As to Mycroft, all of the facets of the character you point to are hugely enjoyable, and present in the Conan Doyle. It was more that I felt Gatiss’ performance undermined the character, reminding me too much of his work with the comedy foursome The League of Gentlemen (confusingly, Mycroft is also a character in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but that’s a quite different kettle of fish). It’s a question of dramatic range – I would have liked to see an actor who could handle the absurdity of Mycroft while still being genuinely threatening.
I think there are similarities between this Holmes and Matt Smith’s Doctor. I am no fan of Tennant though, so have a bit of a blind spot there. Glad you enjoyed the episode, let’s hope the others are as good!
[...] had been the subject of much speculation amongst fans, fueled by the glimpses leaked in July. When I initially reviewed A Study in Pink, I criticized some sequences for seeming stretched and wondered if the story [...]