Truly Dreadful Film

Let's be realistic.

Fantastic!

An absolute waste of money

Well crafted mystery / thriller film, co-produced by the U.K. and Canada, which brings the literary world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous characters: Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson, plus the Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard and Mrs. Hudson, the landlady of the house 221B Baker Street, in which Holmes lives, to the real life case of the infamous serial- killer, Jack the Ripper who terrorized Whitechapel in 1888 (featuring the same premise, but ultimately, with way different results from the previous, 'Sherlock Holmes meets Jack the Ripper' film: "A Study in Terror", released in 1965)."Murder by Decree" is largely influenced by the book, "Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution" by Stephen Knight and "The Ripper File" by Elwyn Jones and John Lloyd, which connected the hideous murders to a Masonic plot involving the Royal British Family, especially the grandson of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert Victor, who secretly married a catholic girl from the working class, Annie Crook, and their newborn baby that could be a threat for the throne of Britain.Bob Clark's direction, filming the John Hopkins' imaginative screenplay, is way vivid (even if some scenes staged, had more of a look and feel from a "made for TV" film) and the production design is astonishing for the 5 millions budget: the invocation of the Victorian Era is top notch, kudos to the art direction, set decoration and costume design, especially in the exterior shots, which the camera captured it wonderfully, giving to this Gothic tale a sense of eeriness and grotesque.Christopher Plummer is a great actor and is always a pleasure to watch him and his portray of Sherlock Holmes here, it's one of the most human and sympathetic renditions of the character ever put on-screen. Not only he's less arrogant and picky, but also way more emotional and sensitive, with a social and political conscience, making him more charming and self aware. His laid-back sense of humor is notorious, too. James Mason is fantastic as his faithful partner, and probably the best (or maybe the 2nd best, only behind André Morell in the excellent "The Hound of Baskervilles", released by Hammer Films in '59) Dr. Watson from the last 5 decades. His rendition of Watson is more a valuable asset, au pair with the way the character was written in the original stories: more concerned, instinctive and sober and less buffoon (like Nigel Bruce played him in the early Sherlock Holmes' movie adaptations starring Basil Rathbone as the title character), but at the same time, maintaining the humorous & witty side of the old Watson. The supporting cast is full of veterans, from Anthony Quayle as the bad-tempered Sir Charles Warren, Frank Finlay as Lestrade (a role he had previously played in the similar, "A Study in Terror"), David Hemmings, Susan Clark, to Sir John Gielgud in a commanding cameo as the Prime Minister and head of the Freemasons, but the highlights in the performances goes to Donald Sutherland (still in "The Invasion of Body Snatchers" creepy mode) as the medium Robert Lees and to the underrated Canadian actress, Geneviève Bujold who offers a tragic / haunting performance as the ill-fated Annie Crook. Her only speaking scene with Christopher Plummer in the Mental Ward, showing her naivety and desperation, was probably the best acted scene in the whole movie and perhaps, where Meg Tilly got part of her inspiration to play her Oscar Nominated role in "Agnes of God" ('85).In short, "Murder by Decree" is a visually engaging film and a winner in terms of storytelling, a genuine product of inspired craftsmanship in every department and a good piece of entertainment cinema, which fully works as a mystery thrilling film without being too obtuse.Highly recommended !!

MURDER BY DECREE is a pretty good exploration of what might have happened had Sherlock Holmes encountered Jack the Ripper. The story had already been done previously in the 1965 film A STUDY IN TERROR, which I found to be this movie's superior, but MURDER BY DECREE still has a lot going for it. It's got a heady atmosphere and some truly sinister moments, like the close-up of the killer's black-iris eyeball, which come courtesy of Bob Clark, the famed director who made the creepy slasher film BLACK Christmas. The look and feel of Victorian London is spot on.It also boasts the finest Watson put on screen to date: James Mason. Mason is one of those impeccable English gentlemen – Peter Cushing was another – who has the ability to make us believe in any character, no matter what film he appears in. His Watson is humorous, kindly, but exceedingly tough, too, a real force to be reckoned with. Christopher Plummer's Sherlock Holmes is less successful. He's not likable, but the neither was the literary Holmes; Plummer is a fine actor, but I don't know. He just doesn't seem as painstaking as some of the actors who have portrayed Holmes on television. He's good, but not Rathbone.The story of the Jack the Ripper murders is very familiar. I've seen plenty of films about him, and most of those have a detective as the central character anyway, so the presence of Holmes doesn't really make much sense here. The main drawback with this film is the running time: it's far too long. When it's moving, with the scenes of detection, of carriages flying past, and the excellent, chase-focused climax, it's good fun; when it slows down, as in the drawn-out asylum sequence, it's a bore. The plot elements don't really go anywhere and the various elements of the mystery – Freemasons, the royal family, etc. – don't gel too much. So this is a film that gets by on atmosphere alone.There are other strengths, though. The supporting cast is fine, with David Hemmings and Anthony Quayle great as stuffy officials, and Frank Finlay splendid as Lestrade. There are some notable cameos from the likes of John Gielgud as the prime minister, Genevieve Bujold as a madwoman, and Donald Sutherland as an eccentric psychic. The comic interplay between Plummer and Mason is splendid, and for me the film's highlight is the small matter of a pea on Watson's plate! As a whole, though, the Johnny Depp-starrer FROM HELL was more to my liking, despite the flashiness and obvious attempts to appeal to the modern audience.

Murder By Decree may not be quite perfect. Donald Sutherland is both underused and out of place in scenes that felt somewhat thrown in, the ending is a little tacky and lacking in mystery and the pacing in the middle has a tendency to be on the stodgy side. It is however still a solid and entertaining film. Murder By Decree is a well-made film, the sets and costumes are very evocative, exuding a gloomy and quite chilling atmosphere, and the beautiful photography does nothing to detract from that. Bob Clark's experience in the realm of horror made for great use, his directing shows him in his comfort zone. The music is very haunting and effectively orchestrated without being overbearing, while the script- while occasionally getting bogged down by politics- is thoughtful and literate with some nice bits of humorous banter between Holmes and Watson, and the story is complicated yet suspenseful and engaging. Apart from Sutherland, the acting is excellent. Genevieve Bujold is the standout of the supporting cast in an eerie performance and John Gielgud, David Hemmings, Anthony Quayle and Susan Clark are also great. The leads are what make Murder By Decree, with Christopher Plummer a very human and commanding Holmes and James Mason perfectly cast as a subtly composed Watson. All in all, a solid and well done film, worth checking out definitely. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Warning, spoilers ahead.Christopher Plummer is one of those actors who seem born to play Holmes. He has perfect facial features and a cold, precise manner. His performance is spot-on as the middle aged Holmes. James Mason is one of the best Dr. Watsons on film. He's no blundering fool, though he's mistaken for one a few times in this film.Enjoy a great teaming of Holmes and Watson, because the story is weak.Possibly to make up for a limp storyline, this film is populated with good actors in bit parts. Two of the smallest parts are Donald Sutherland as psychic Robert Lees, and Geneviève Bujold, appearing for mere minutes, as a madhouse inmate. Toward the end, John Gielgud pops his head in to say "Hi" as the Prime Minister.Anthony Quayle keeps his angry hat on as the head honcho of the police. Inspectors Lestrade (a very fine Frank Finlay) and Foxborough (David Hemmings) come off a lot better, exchanging quips with Holmes and Watson while seeking Jack the Ripper.Though the "Royal Conspiracy" Jack the Ripper theory went through quite a vogue during the seventies and eighties, it has now been completely discredited. They might still have hammered a decent story out of this farrago of nonsense (farragos of nonsense often make great movies), if they had supplied a better ending. In fact, when the "Ripper" is discovered it's disappointing as it was not properly foreshadowed. Nor is the killer one of the big names in the cast, which would have helped. There's a lot of speechifying near the end to clear up what we just saw, but it's lame."Murder by Decree" was first announced with Peter O'Toole as Holmes, which had great potential. With O'Toole as Holmes, Anthony Quayle might have made a noteworthy Watson. Instead, according to the director's commentary, they wanted Laurence Olivier. But bad blood existed between the two "O" actors O'Toole and Olivier, and in the end neither came on board.Still, Plummer and Mason make a fine pairing, and it's too bad they didn't make more Holmes outings before Mason's death in 1984.Unfortunately, this is not the post-Jeremy Brett Holmes where Sherlock can dress like a human being. He gallivants around London in a deerstalker hat and cape meant for country wear -- even flipping his deerstalker on his head while leaving the opera! He looks ludicrous. But his acting is impeccable.