There have been many adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic creation, Sherlock Holmes. The Guinness World Records lists Holmes as the most portrayed fictional character of all time with 75+ actors having played the Bohemian detective.
The portrayals of Sherlock Holmes have varied based on the adaptations. We have seen Victorian Holmes (Vasily Livanov, Jeremy Brett, Peter Cushing, Douglas Wilmer). We have also seen many contemporary Holmes (Basil Rathbone, Benedict Cumberbatch, Arthur Wontner).
There have also been some interesting ones like the Robert Downey Jr. version set in a steampunk England. There have been animated versions (The Great Mouse Detective, Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century to name a few).
When I heard about the latest Russian adaptation, I was not sure if we really need a yet another series based on the world's foremost fictional detective. Will it turn out to be another run-of-the-mill, insipid and boring shows that are made just to capitalize on the current popularity of Sherlock Holmes (like CBS Elementary) without any understanding or affection for the original stories? The answer is a resounding NO.
Andrey
Kavun, director and one of the credited writers, differentiates this
show from others by putting the focus squarely on Dr John Watson. As
played by the late Andrei Panin, we get one of the best Watsons ever
brought to life on screen.
Right from the opening credits (set to a nice soundtrack), it is Dr Watson who takes the center stage with his voice-over.
The first episode “221B Baker Street” is based on A Study in Scarlet, The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton and The Adventure of Black Peter with a minor plot element taken from The Adventure of the Three Gables.
In the opening scene, Dr Watson lands in London with the intentions of starting a private practice and becoming a writer.
While walking down the streets he witnesses a man getting stabbed. He tries to save the man's life, but is interrupted by a young man who is more intent on solving the mystery. This person of course turns out to be Sherlock Holmes (Igor Petrenko).
After giving his eye-witness statement to Inspector Lestrade (Mikhail Boyarskiy) at the Scotland Yard, Dr Watson is approached by Holmes with the offer to share the famous lodgings at 221 B Baker Street.
Dr Watson starts noticing that his roommate has his own quirks and follows him on one of his late night errands. Soon, Dr Watson finds himself rescuing Sherlock from a potentially deadly attack from a gang of ruffians.
Shortly, Lady Emma Neligan (Olga Volkova) visits Sherlock at 221 B Baker Street to retrieve some papers in his possession. She is being blackmailed by Piter Kerri (Aleksandr Ilin), who has knowledge of the letters written by her niece, Luiza Barnet (Elizaveta Boyarskaya) to her lover, Rodzher Smit (Dmitriy Lysenkov).
Piter's wife, Jessica is working for Lady Emma and is suspected to have helped her husband in acquiring the letters. Piter demands a ransom to keep this fact hidden, to prevent Luiza's impending marriage to a man of high standing.
The resulting investigation involves Sherlock solving the mystery behind Piter's murder, for which Dr Watson himself becomes the prime suspect.
Canonical References
1. Sherlock requests Dr Watson to stop using the French perfume “Le Jovial” - Sherlock Holmes states in The Hound of the Baskervilles: “There are seventy-five perfumes, which it is very necessary that a criminal expert should be able to distinguish from each other, and cases have more than once within my own experience depended upon their prompt recognition”.
Click on the link below to buy Vasily Livanov Holmes DVD:
The show is obviously influenced by the Guy Ritchie movies. Igor's portrayal is remarkably similar to that of Robert Downey Jr. In addition, the show makes reference to other Sherlock Holmes adaptations as well.
The boxing match between Sherlock and John is a reference to a similar scene from the critically acclaimed Russian series starring Vasily Livanov and the late Vitaly Solomin. Another nod is the old man disguise adopted by Petrenko's Holmes. Still the most obvious one is Petrenko's version wearing glasses consistently - Vasily Livanov's version too wore spectacles, but on rare occasions.
There is a hilarious tip of the hat to Basil Rathbone, that caught me out of the blue and brought a big smile to my face. I will leave it to the readers to discover this for themselves.
The relationship between Sherlock and Scotland Yard is quite unfriendly. Lestrade and his men surprise Sherlock by being present at 221 B and push him around. This reminded me of BBC Sherlock and specifically, “A Study in Pink” which had a similar scene.
The late Andrei Panin proves to be one of the best Watsons - right along with Vitaly Solomin, Jude Law and David Burke/Edward Hardwicke. He represents the simplicity and integrity of John Watson very well.
The latest Russian adaptation has superb production values. The sets, costumes, cinematography and the soundtrack - all are top notch.
The show has a light tone and a strong sense of humor.
Highly recommended to fans of Sherlock Holmes.
Click here to read all my posts related to Russian adaptation of Sherlock Holmes.
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to this blog by clicking here.
The portrayals of Sherlock Holmes have varied based on the adaptations. We have seen Victorian Holmes (Vasily Livanov, Jeremy Brett, Peter Cushing, Douglas Wilmer). We have also seen many contemporary Holmes (Basil Rathbone, Benedict Cumberbatch, Arthur Wontner).
There have also been some interesting ones like the Robert Downey Jr. version set in a steampunk England. There have been animated versions (The Great Mouse Detective, Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century to name a few).
When I heard about the latest Russian adaptation, I was not sure if we really need a yet another series based on the world's foremost fictional detective. Will it turn out to be another run-of-the-mill, insipid and boring shows that are made just to capitalize on the current popularity of Sherlock Holmes (like CBS Elementary) without any understanding or affection for the original stories? The answer is a resounding NO.
Right from the opening credits (set to a nice soundtrack), it is Dr Watson who takes the center stage with his voice-over.
The first episode “221B Baker Street” is based on A Study in Scarlet, The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton and The Adventure of Black Peter with a minor plot element taken from The Adventure of the Three Gables.
In the opening scene, Dr Watson lands in London with the intentions of starting a private practice and becoming a writer.
While walking down the streets he witnesses a man getting stabbed. He tries to save the man's life, but is interrupted by a young man who is more intent on solving the mystery. This person of course turns out to be Sherlock Holmes (Igor Petrenko).
After giving his eye-witness statement to Inspector Lestrade (Mikhail Boyarskiy) at the Scotland Yard, Dr Watson is approached by Holmes with the offer to share the famous lodgings at 221 B Baker Street.
Dr Watson starts noticing that his roommate has his own quirks and follows him on one of his late night errands. Soon, Dr Watson finds himself rescuing Sherlock from a potentially deadly attack from a gang of ruffians.
Shortly, Lady Emma Neligan (Olga Volkova) visits Sherlock at 221 B Baker Street to retrieve some papers in his possession. She is being blackmailed by Piter Kerri (Aleksandr Ilin), who has knowledge of the letters written by her niece, Luiza Barnet (Elizaveta Boyarskaya) to her lover, Rodzher Smit (Dmitriy Lysenkov).
Piter's wife, Jessica is working for Lady Emma and is suspected to have helped her husband in acquiring the letters. Piter demands a ransom to keep this fact hidden, to prevent Luiza's impending marriage to a man of high standing.
The resulting investigation involves Sherlock solving the mystery behind Piter's murder, for which Dr Watson himself becomes the prime suspect.
Canonical References
1. Sherlock requests Dr Watson to stop using the French perfume “Le Jovial” - Sherlock Holmes states in The Hound of the Baskervilles: “There are seventy-five perfumes, which it is very necessary that a criminal expert should be able to distinguish from each other, and cases have more than once within my own experience depended upon their prompt recognition”.
Click on the link below to buy Vasily Livanov Holmes DVD:
The boxing match between Sherlock and John is a reference to a similar scene from the critically acclaimed Russian series starring Vasily Livanov and the late Vitaly Solomin. Another nod is the old man disguise adopted by Petrenko's Holmes. Still the most obvious one is Petrenko's version wearing glasses consistently - Vasily Livanov's version too wore spectacles, but on rare occasions.
There is a hilarious tip of the hat to Basil Rathbone, that caught me out of the blue and brought a big smile to my face. I will leave it to the readers to discover this for themselves.
The relationship between Sherlock and Scotland Yard is quite unfriendly. Lestrade and his men surprise Sherlock by being present at 221 B and push him around. This reminded me of BBC Sherlock and specifically, “A Study in Pink” which had a similar scene.
The late Andrei Panin proves to be one of the best Watsons - right along with Vitaly Solomin, Jude Law and David Burke/Edward Hardwicke. He represents the simplicity and integrity of John Watson very well.
The latest Russian adaptation has superb production values. The sets, costumes, cinematography and the soundtrack - all are top notch.
The show has a light tone and a strong sense of humor.
Highly recommended to fans of Sherlock Holmes.
Click here to read all my posts related to Russian adaptation of Sherlock Holmes.
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to this blog by clicking here.
Image Sources: Channel One Russia, Central Partnership, Lenfilm Films Studio
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