I've been so excited about the upcoming Sherlock Holmes movie, starring Robert Downey Jr. In spite of the fact that Guy Ritchie directed it. Regardless of the casting of Jude Law as Watson. The latter is very hard to overlook. Still, it promises to be a fusion of a genuinely talented actor with one of the most memorable fictional characters ever written.
Today, when there was word the Latino Review had a picture of the Sherlock Holmes movie poster on its site, I couldn't click fast enough. This is what I saw:
http://www.latinoreview.com/news/first-look-new-showest-posters-of-sherlock-holmes-500-days-of-summer-the-hangover-easy-virtue-6468
Seriously.
One word immediately sprang to mind: no. The second word was: wrong.
What is going on? It looks like a poster to Godfather IV: The Prequel. I understand that there may be some interesting things that can be done by looking at the character from a new angle, but you can't completely recreate the person. Robert Downey Jr. looks dangerous and compelling and handsome---but, that's not Sherlock Holmes.
One summer, I stayed at my grandparents' home in northern Wisconsin. They'd moved there in retirement from Chicago and had a lovely home in the middle of acres of forest. It was very quiet. On their bookshelf was a large yellow and black bound book, A Treasury of Sherlock Holmes. Full-immersion reader that I was and am, I very much felt that I'd spent weeks in the company of Holmes. I couldn't stop reading. I couldn't stop turning the pages. As I stared over and over at the drawings in The Adventure of the Dancing Men, I imagined Holmes beside me, always smelling of wet wool and tobacco. "Well," he might ask sharply, "What do you see?" Of course, just like Watson, I could never figure it out on my own. Sherlock Holmes, to me, was unsmiling, lacking in empathy, and breath-takingly brilliant. His intelligence was almost alien.
Holmes was oblivious to his appearance. He was not dapper or stylish. He did not wear shaded John Lennon glasses. He lived in his mind more than the outside world. If someone just saw the movie poster with no knowledge of the film it's associated with, who would guess Sherlock Holmes?
I'm beginning to wonder if Moriarty isn't somehow involved.
Today, when there was word the Latino Review had a picture of the Sherlock Holmes movie poster on its site, I couldn't click fast enough. This is what I saw:
http://www.latinoreview.com/news/first-look-new-showest-posters-of-sherlock-holmes-500-days-of-summer-the-hangover-easy-virtue-6468
Seriously.
One word immediately sprang to mind: no. The second word was: wrong.
What is going on? It looks like a poster to Godfather IV: The Prequel. I understand that there may be some interesting things that can be done by looking at the character from a new angle, but you can't completely recreate the person. Robert Downey Jr. looks dangerous and compelling and handsome---but, that's not Sherlock Holmes.
One summer, I stayed at my grandparents' home in northern Wisconsin. They'd moved there in retirement from Chicago and had a lovely home in the middle of acres of forest. It was very quiet. On their bookshelf was a large yellow and black bound book, A Treasury of Sherlock Holmes. Full-immersion reader that I was and am, I very much felt that I'd spent weeks in the company of Holmes. I couldn't stop reading. I couldn't stop turning the pages. As I stared over and over at the drawings in The Adventure of the Dancing Men, I imagined Holmes beside me, always smelling of wet wool and tobacco. "Well," he might ask sharply, "What do you see?" Of course, just like Watson, I could never figure it out on my own. Sherlock Holmes, to me, was unsmiling, lacking in empathy, and breath-takingly brilliant. His intelligence was almost alien.
Holmes was oblivious to his appearance. He was not dapper or stylish. He did not wear shaded John Lennon glasses. He lived in his mind more than the outside world. If someone just saw the movie poster with no knowledge of the film it's associated with, who would guess Sherlock Holmes?
I'm beginning to wonder if Moriarty isn't somehow involved.
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I truly did want to be literary and agree with you...but unfortunately, I was blinded by my pheromones and started drooling over Johnny Depp. You are right, of course. I'm so glad you're keeping this blog! I needed a pop culture aficionado friend so I could be a little cooler and hip. Appear brainier at parties. You know.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you were drooling over Johnny Depp when Robert Downey Jr. is the actor being discussed! LOL! Wait for a post about Johnny's upcoming movie Public Enemies and continue drooling then. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting from Rachel's blog, and I have to say, that poster seriously disturbed me... I hadn't even realized that a Sherlock movie was in making. I suppose it is fortunate that I did not have too much time to get my hopes up. Thanks for the fun post!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...HA! I guess I just drool over Johnny Depp period. No matter if I am seeing him or not.
ReplyDeleteHolmes had definite autistic symptoms! I managed to require my forensics students to read at least one of the Holmes short stories. Also when Dave and I went to the Fraiser Museum in Louisville, the traveling exhibit was an original Arthur Conan Doyle mystery. It was a nice surprise!!
ReplyDeleteAh, we've got to make it up to the Frazier Museum soon!
ReplyDelete