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Home , John Hopkins (writer), Murder by Decree

FILm REYIEWf

Bob Clarks

d. , asst. d. Ariel Levy , 2nd asst.d. Guy Travers, Ken Goch, sc. , ph. Reginald H. Morris, CSC, camera op. James Turrell, sp. ph. ef­ fects Michael Albrechtsen, ed. Stan Cole, CFE, sup. sd. ed. Ken Heeley-Ray, asst. ed. Ian McBride, re-recording mix Joe Grimaldi, Dave Apple by, sd. ed. Patrick Drummond, Wayne Griffin, Dennis Drummond, sd. rec. John Mitchell, p. designer Harry Pottle, a.d.Peter Childs, continuity Marjorie Lavelly, set dec. Denise Exshaw, m. Carl Zittrer, , cost. Judy Moorcroft, casting Irene Lamb, J.p . Christopher Plu.mmer, , David Hemmings, Susan J ames Mason as Dr. Watson, accosted in 's East End by a prostitute Clark, , Sir John Giel­ gud, , , There's no question that Sherlock It is certainly not produced in Mur­ Genevieve Bujold, co-stars Chris Wiggins, Holmes is a folk hero - but as to why, Teddi Moore, Catherine Kessler, Terry der by Decree. a jack-the-rip-off movie Duggan, Peter J onfield, Roy Lansford, that's anything but elementary. The written by John Hopkins, and directed Ron Pember, Ken Jones, exec. p. Len hawklike features and piercing eyes, by Bob' Clark. First with Black Christ­ Herberman, p. Rene Dupont, Bob Clark, dressing gown and pipe, deerstalker cap mas (starring Keir Dullea) and now with p. manager John Davis (U .K.), Ted and magnifying glass - these details are this, Clark seems to have a fascination Rouse (Canada), p.c. A Highlight Thea­ trical Productions Corp . Ltd. and Mur­ so familiar practically anyone would for women being stalked and stabbed. der by Decree Productions Production, recognize him at once. His well-known The fUm cost $5 million, has an illus­ year 1978, 35mm, running time 123 sayings (" It is an old maxim of mine trious cast ( as minutes, dist. Ambassador Films Distri­ that when you have excluded the impos­ Holmes, James Mason as Dr. Watson, butors Ltd. sible, whatever remains, however im­ and with Donald Sutherland, Genevieve probable, must be the truth" from (The Bujold, , David Hemmings, Beryl Coronet) and his lesser-known Susan Clark, among others, in cameo ("The most winning woman I ever knew roles) and is mostly shot in the dark or cinema was hanged for poisoning three little in pea-soup fog , (there are times when it children for their insurance money," is impossible to tell who is doing what canada from (The Sign of Four) are world-weary to whom) and is related in such a frag­ with experience. Perhaps the Holmes' le­ mented and elliptical manner that is of­ gends endure because they capture the ten impossible to follow. social atmosphere of seeming Victorian security and strength, where, in a ro­ Here are just a few of the holes in the mantic chamber of the heart, in a no­ plot: we are asked to believe that the stalgic country of the mind, it is always Duke of Clarence once married a servant 1895, and the world in which we live is girl Annie Crook (Genevieve Bujold) not yet born. Or perhaps it is because and had a child who was raised as a Ro­ Doyle practised an absorbing, unselfcon­ man Catholic. Shortly after this child scious kind of storytelling no longer was born, the Duke tired of his wife ; she much produced. retired first to a Gvnvent , and then, in-

Cinema Canada/49 FILm REYIEWf CLFVflFIED explicably, became a lowgrade prosti­ prime minister of England, and Sir tute in London's Whitechapel area. (Anthony Quayle) the For Sale Those close to the Duke realized that he Commissioner of Police from Scotland had committed a grave indiscretion, and Yard, and explains (complete with flash­ 12-120 Angenieux C-Mount: $1,000. two men in particular (one a court backs) the entire movie as best he (514) 484-8213 physician, the other destined to become understands it. He claims to have proof Wanted: known as ) decided to that the Ripper murders are linked to protect the Duke and the right of acces­ the Duke of Clarence , but all he has, in Alcan variable Speed Crystal Motor for sion to the throne, by incarcerating fact, is a marriage certificate, a medical NPR. (514) 484-8213 Annie Crook in an asylum and killing certificate showing that Annie Crook off any of her prostitute friends in was incarcerated and a birth certificate Brent Armstrong Professional Makeup whom she might have confided. showing there was a child. He has noth­ ing that would stand up in court con­ Conception, design, application for all Thus the string of Whitechapel mur­ cerning the murders. He nevertheless aspects of film. 100 Pem broke St., Kings­ ders begins, and enters agrees to keep his accusations to him­ ton, Ontario. (613) 542-5577. In Toron­ the case . No one explains why Annie self, providing that the prime minister to. (416) 961-2807. Crook is not murdered herself (if you and his men promise never to harm want to stop a story from spreading, Crook's daughter (who turns out to be a surely you begin with the source). No chubby little six year old safely en­ • one explains how one can possibly sconced at the same convent where contain a rumour that is spreading so Annie Crook once stayed). The film is fast in any case . No one explains why outrageously illogical - as no Conan FlDVERTlflnc; the child - who turns out to be female Doyle story ever was. As to the acting, and far removed from any possibility of most of the talent is wasted, with the InDEH claiming the throne - causes the Duke's exception of James Mason who manages friends such consternation. Eventually to impart a dignity to the lines that is Adfilms 16 one concludes that Murder by Decree is not inherent in them. There's an amus­ Airspeed Brokers 34 a dark mystery only because its story­ ing moment where he is trying to Arri/Nagra 45 tellers are resolved not to cast light on stab a pea on his plate while Holmes Bellevue-Patte 51 it. No one explains why the psychic Ro­ tries to engage his attention in conver­ Canadian Film and TV Ass'n 2 bert Lees (Donald Sutherland) who is sation. Finally Holmes reaches over and Canadian Motion Picture Equipment Rental 48 so perceptive in his hallucinations that crushes the pea with Watson's fork, Film Arts 4 he can accurately predict a murder 24 putting an end to the pick-and-miss Frezzolini Electronics Inc. 31 hours before it actually happens, is struggle that has been going on for sev­ Kingsway 43 dropped from the movie early on, eral minutes. Watson, however, is any­ Kodak 5 Mako Films Ltd. 30 having warned Holmes that he "senses thing but grateful; a crushed pea is a Michael Devine 30 grave danger all about him." (You don't destroyed pea. The look of distaste on Motion Picture Guarantors Inc. 47 have to be psychic to come up with his face is probably the highlight of the Oberon Press 20 that line.) Why does the camera twice film . Pacific Cinematheque 4 zoom up to Lee's face ? (Does Clark Murder by Decree is a bad movie that Panavision 7 Proparms 14 think he's telling us something?) Why is currently making a lot of money and Sonolab 52 does he keep cutting away (four times!) has drawn favorable reviews based on Syncro Sound Ltd. 4 to a horse and coach racing through the mental laxity. There is no creative pro­ Trainco Talent 48 narrow London streets, while Holmes gress from Black Christmas to this - ex­ Twenty-Fourth Frame 21 York University I I and Mary Kelly , (Susan Clark) one of cept for the talent that $5 million the other prostitutes sought by the kil­ buys - and as Sherlock Holmes' movies lers, try to get to safety before being go , Murder by Decree is a careless be­ overtaken. The film is visually clumsy trayal of all that is good in the legend. and inconsistent in viewpoint; some­ Sherlock Holmes once said (in The Red times the film is related through the Headed League) " My life is spent in one killer's eye as he stalks with a lumber­ long effort to escape the commonplaces ing gait through the fog and sounds like of existenc€ ." In Murder by Decree he an asthmatic about to collapse ; at other does not escape from the commonplaces points the movie is related from an om­ of bad scriptwriting and clumsy film­ niscient viewpoint. At the fUm's end, making, but he will survive it - he al­ things are in such a muddle that there is ways has. a long scene in which Holmes confronts Lord Salisbury (John Gielgud) the John Hofsess

SO /Cinema Canada