| Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes: | |||||||||||
A Scandal in Bohemia Brett portrays a Holmes of a type not seen before; bordering on arrogant, he will not suffer fools lightly, be they clients or villains. But his sympathies for those who have real need of him and his abilities are genuine, however brusque he appears on the surface. He is not a social worker, and he presses his clients for the hard facts he needs to do his work properly. It is the solution of a mystery for which they have come to him, not hand-holding. There are many subtle indications at his great trust and affection for Watson. The doctor is not a clown figure; he is "Everyman" to the remoter Holmes. |
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| They discuss the letter and the case it brings. Then, suddenly, the hour for the king's arrival is nigh, and Holmes and Watson do a frantic clearing up of their "bohemian" household. His Majesty is perfection in his outlandish costume and boorish manners. Barely acknowledging Watson, who does rise in his presence, the king is shown as cold-blooded, selfish, and thoughtless. Holmes has very little patience with this royal buffoon. He dismisses him peremptorily, barely concealing his mirth at the five botched burglaries. Holmes is so sure of his own powers against Irene that he assures Watson they two will make it to a Tchaikovsky concert two days hence. Holmes as a groom is a delight in his physical aspect, manner and voice. He betrays his real self when he pauses to listen to Irene sing at her piano. We see the slow growth of his admiration for her; he is coming to learn what a truly remarkable woman she is. Her gracious speech and the reward of a sovereign to a supposed poor stranger at first perplexes but then amuses Holmes. We are given a cameo appearance by a certain Southsea doctor named Doyle; Watson at first shrinks from the idea of committing a crime, but bravely accepts it, "if done for a good cause." There is an important dialogue between Holmes, as the wounded clergyman, and Irene in her sitting room, after the false alarm has been discovered. He gives revenge as the reason for the ostensible fire-bomb attack on her. They discuss revenge and what reward it really brings those who seek it, such as Irene is secretly planning. Holmes's speech makes her think about the reason for her revenge against the king's infidelity (it is made clear that he had once promised marriage to her). The next day, as Holmes, Watson and the king find the nest empty of their prey, we see the newly married couple on a Channel boat. They are happy and secure in their love for each other; so much so, that Irene throws the damning photograph of herself and the king overboard. Holmes takes his leave of the king brusquely, refusing to shake hands. His face is sad as he plays the violin, breaking off suddenly to resume the pose in which we first saw him, staring into the fire. This Irene is everything Sherlockians have always wanted the woman to be: beautiful, courageous, witty, kind-hearted. She is a true queen without the title or crown. I wondered to myself why she always wore white: a reference to the Jersey Lily? But there was a purity to all she did; nothing was concealed. If she hated, it was an open, honest hatred. And so too with her love. Both for the unworthy Wilhelm and for her husband Godfrey, she gave her all, emotionally and physically. And in the end, love healed all wounds. She forgave the king's faithlessness because she had a love relationship she could trust. Her marriage with Norton would have been poisoned by the revenge on the king if she had carried out her plan to ruin his engagement. I was delighted to discover just how much of a love story, in the best sense of the word, not just air-headed sentimentality, this cornerstone of the Canon is. I don't think Holmes came to love Irene, certainly not as either the king or her husband did. But he clearly felt something very special for her, a wistful admiration, a sadness for never having spoken with her in his own identity, simply realizing he would never hear her sing again. We have come to learn how multi-faceted Holmes and the other characters of the Canon are. In this version of SCAN, we understand how many of his facets would have matched hers. | |||||||||||
