The famous works of Arthur Conan Doyle about an extraordinary detective for more than a century find their fans in different parts of the world. Over a hundred years ago, the first adaptation of Sherlock Holmes was presented, and since then their number has been constantly increasing. Filmmakers from different countries demonstrated their vision of the history of the famous detective, but what projects are worth special attention?
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939, USA)
If fans of the famous character set out to find out how many adaptations of "Sherlock Holmes" exist in the world cinema, then they will know that this mark has long exceeded two hundred. Many films were released based on the famous detective story The Hound of the Baskervilles, and one of them was presented by American director Sidney Lanfield in 1939. The film with Basil Rathbone turned out to be close to the original version, but the ending deviated from the original source. Many critics note in the plot obvious inaccuracies and disorganization in the behavior of the key character. Nevertheless, fans of Arthur Conan Doyle and Holmes will certainly be interested to see the adaptation of the late 30s of the XX century.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939, USA)
Following the mentioned “Hound of the Baskervilles”, the following picture was shot with Basil Rathbone in the key role - “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”. The director of the film, also released in 1939, was Alfred L. Werker. This time, according to the plot, the main opponent of the detective is Professor Moriarty, who planned to steal a precious crown from the Tower of London. The antagonist convinces the flautist gaucho to take the life of a certain person, and all this in order to attract Holmes' attention.
Subsequently, Basil Rathbone took part in the filming of another 12 films about a talented detective, becoming for the audience one of the most famous Sherlocks in the world. Despite the fact that the director deviated significantly from the book story of Conan Doyle, his films were one of the highest grossing in the American film distribution of those times.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959, UK)
The visual range of the film, of course, turned out to be quite vivid and memorable, however, this adaptation of Sherlock Holmes is somewhat different from the original. Leading roles were taken by Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, who have often played in common projects. So, what were the main differences from the original source? First of all, the fact that Baskerville was planted not with an ominous note, but with a tarantula spider. At the same time, Sir Henry arrived from South Africa, and not from Canada. The radical differences do not end there, and perhaps for some viewers this only adds to the interest in the picture. Most critics agree that the film was in the spirit of Indiana Jones, that is, it is clearly far from the classic English detective story.
“Sherlock Holmes Private Life” (1970, UK)
The film by Billy Wydler tells about a certain case of Sherlock Holmes, which John Watson once described in detail, but did not publish his notes. According to the plot, only half a century after the death of the detective, this manuscript was found, it turned out that it tells of one of the detective's biggest failures.
Subsequently, Weidler said that he wanted to make the protagonist homosexual, but did not dare to take such a step, and as a result, the character of Robert Stevenson limited himself only to the use of cocaine. It is noteworthy that the role of the elder brother of Sherlock Holmes in the film adaptation was taken over by Christopher Lee, who played Sir Henry in the 1959 draft of the Hound of the Baskervilles mentioned above.
“Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson” (1979, USSR)
Most critics and viewers from around the world agree that the Soviet adaptation is still the most accurate. “Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson” was filmed in 1979 by Igor Maslennikov, who believed that he would work on only two episodes of the project. Fortunately, then the director’s plans did not materialize, because Central Television began to insist on continuing filming. The result was a fascinating series, which contained 11 episodes, and the lead actor Vasily Livanov in 2006 even received the Order of the British Empire, precisely thanks to a successful hit in the image.
Today, the classic Sherlock Holmes among many viewers is associated precisely with the character presented in the Maslennikov films, and the reason for this, of course, is not only successful casting, but also the painstaking work of the director himself.
“Young Sherlock Holmes” (1985, USA)
In the film of the American director Barry Levinson, it is described how at a young age the famous detective first met John Watson. By the clothes and things of a new acquaintance, he was able to accurately determine his name and previous residence.
This film adaptation is noteworthy in that it is the first picture in the world in which there is a hero completely created using computer graphics - we are talking about a knight who came to life in a stained glass window. The leading role in the film was Nicholas Rowe.
Sherlock Holmes (2009, USA)
Robert Downey Jr. is widely known for the role of Iron Man, but in his filmography there was a place for Sherlock Holmes. The best adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's works undoubtedly include this picture of 2009 as well. The project was directed by Guy Ritchie, who had long won the status of a very extraordinary filmmaker, and Jude Law became the partner of Downey Jr. on the set.
The main villain of the detective action movie is Lord Blackwood, who managed to mysteriously escape the death penalty. Despite the fact that the plot is based on the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, the script of the film was completely original. In 2011, Guy Ritchie directed the sequel to the Holmes movie, starring the same actors.
Sherlock (2010, UK)
This series, of course, occupies a special place in the list of all adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. In 2010, the Air Force channel presented three and a half hour television series about the famous detective.
The main role in "Sherlock" was played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who became after this project a Hollywood star of the first category. Martin Freeman, in turn, got the role of John Watson. The successful series, whose action was organically transferred to this century, has become a free adaptation of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle. By 2018, 4 Sherlock seasons were released, and several special issues were also made.
“Elementary” (2012, USA)
In 2012, the piggy bank series about Sherlock was replenished with a new television project. “Elementary” is a free interpretation of Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories. According to the plot, Sherlock Holmes (Johnny Lee Miller) lives in our days, and his assistant in dangerous investigations is a girl named Joan Watson performed by Lucy Liu. Also noteworthy is the fact that the heroes do not live in London, but in New York.
Otherwise, the CBS series is not too far from the original: partners solve mysterious crimes using the deduction method and modern computer technology. By 2018, 6 seasons of the project were submitted, adding to the list of the best television films about Sherlock Holmes.