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Murder by Decree (1979) Anglo-Canadian thriller film involving Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in the case of the serial murderer Jack the Ripper. As Holmes investigates London's most infamous case, he finds that the Ripper has friends in high places. The film's story of the plot behind the murders is taken from the book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution by Stephen Knight, though the names of several of the supposedly guilty parties are changed.

The movie was directed by Bob Clark. It stars Christopher Plummer and James Mason as Holmes and Watson, respectively, and presents a largely different version of Holmes from the Rathbone days, with the aesthete still prevailing, yet tinged with a humanity and emotional empathy. James Mason's Dr. Watson is also a departure. Although he may appear at first to resemble the bumbling Nigel Bruce version of the character, he soon shows his level head and scientific and medical training to be valuable assets. The supporting cast includes Donald Sutherland, Susan Clark, John Gielgud and Geneviève Bujold. Frank Finlay plays Inspector Lestrade, a part he had previously portrayed in the similar 1965 film A Study in Terror.

Reception

The film was nominated for 8 Genie Awards in 1980, of which it won 5, including Best Achievement in Direction (Bob Clark), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Geneviève Bujold) and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Christopher Plummer).

Cast

• Christopher Plummer (Sherlock Holmes)
• James Mason (Dr. John Watson)
• David Hemmings (Inspector Foxborough)
• Susan Clark (Mary Kelly)
• Frank Finlay (Lestrade)
• Anthony Quayle (Sir Charles Warren)
• Donald Sutherland (Robert Lees)
• Geneviève Bujold (Annie Crook)

59 Comments »

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Utterly atrocious

I hate to spend more time on this film than it's already sapped from my
life, so I'll keep it short.1. Sherlock and Watson are essentially played as an effeminate gay
couple. And maybe that's true to who they really are. Who knows? But I
expected them to end up in bed together for some tender makeup sex
after the pea incident, which would have been an interesting touch, but
sadly the writer didn't follow up on that. If you aren't going to
explore that relationship like you would any other romantic
relationship, then just play it straight and focus on the story.2. The idea of having a fictional character investigate a real serial
killer is nauseating. It shows a real lack of integrity on the part of
the writer. If there's evidence, make a documentary, otherwise leave it
alone.3. Sherlock Holmes bases his career on deductive logic, and yet he
relies on a medium without investigating him? We're supposed to believe
that? 4. One baddie hangs himself in a net? The man actually has both arms
and both legs functioning, and somehow all his weight is on his neck?
Nets are unstable, but they aren't magic killing machines.5. As usual, our hero goes into the baddies' lair, tells them
everything he knows, hands over what appears to be the only copy of the
evidence, and … they have a polite debate about manners instead of
killing him. People who control the means of investigation, and who
have no problem with murder and cover-up, just let him walk away. And
I'm the Queen of England.6. I'm no fan of religions or secret societies, but this seems to be an
outrageous and baseless attack on Masons. The world has enough crackpot
conspiracy theories without adding to them.7. The editing was just horrible. A half-hour could have been cut out,
and it would have improved the pacing considerably without losing
anything. The fact that this won the Genie for editing says more about
the deplorable state of Canadian film that year than it says about this
movie.

rgcustomer from Canada - 28 June 2009

The Greatest Sherlock Holmes Film EVER Made!!

I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan and normally I am very much against
Non-canonical Holmes stories. However, when I discovered that there
were two films which placed Holmes in the case of Jack the Ripper I
immediately bought the DVD for this film and I was more than impressed.
The clever plot and the superb acting make this film perfect.Christopher Plummer gives a fine performance as the great sleuth, his
performance as Holmes is almost as powerful as Jeremy Brett's, I was
also impressed to see a rarely seen side to Holmes' character –
emotion. James Mason is also on fine form in the role of the faithful
friend Dr John Watson.The dedication given to the film by the cast and crew is shown, the
camera movements at the scene of the first murder shown in the film is
powerful and extremely suspenseful.This film is a film which should not be missed fans of Sherlock Holmes.

Samuel Meteyard from United Kingdom - 9 May 2009

Murder by Decree

The idea of Sherlock Holmes involved in the case of Jack the Ripper has
always been a fascinating and exciting one, and thanks to Bob Clark's
superb direction and the excellent performances of Plummer & Mason make
MURDER BY DECREE a dandy. This film has the lower classes persuading
Holmes and Watson into finding the one and only Jack the Ripper who is
hurting their small businesses due to the horrendous attacks on White
Chapel hookers. They discover, through meticulous research, hitting the
streets, that a sought-after infant could be the reason for the slaying
of prostitutes, not because of some mad pursuit to "cleanse" the
streets, but a cover-up for something else entirely..and it could lead
straight to the throne, perhaps exposing the corruption of a royal
monarchy in the process.I've always felt Bob Clark gets a bum wrap due to two very appalling
movies that were beneath him..the Baby Genius films. I think when you
watch MURDER BY DECREE, you realize that Clark really had a knack at
recreating period atmosphere. You see this again with other films such
as 1940s Indiana for THE Christmas STORY or Florida in the 50's for
PORKY'S. He just knew how to draw the viewer into a whole other time,
and I felt Clark does so wonderfully with this period of London. Such a
vivid, flavorful recreation of Holmes and Watson on the trail of the
psychopath(s) responsible for such brutal crimes in a very turbulent
period where those of low degree were on the verge of a potential
uprising against the monarchy proves Clark's underrated ability as a
story-teller. I actually stumbled across this one researching other
Sherlock Holmes movies to watch and it was an absolute privilege to
experience MURDER BY DECREE. Christopher Plummer brings a dignity and
proper level of intensity(..yet such humanity and integrity)to his
Holmes and Mason is his equal as the loyal Watson, who would doggedly
follow his colleague anywhere to solve a crime. And, they even wind up
at a castle asylum during their pursuit of solving the complex mystery
which continues yielding more and more astonishing truths about their
government unearthing the facts behind those with the power of keeping
secrets hidden by any means necessary. Jack the Ripper's identity is
quite intriguing when Holmes finally finds "him"(them)and the search
pays a hefty price for certain victims who give up their lives in order
to conceal the hiding place of a child born to a man of great prestige.
This film exposes the conflict between classes, the rich and the poor.
Holmes and Watson are right in the middle which adds a great deal of
intrigue as the story plays out with the Baker Street Sleuth even
answering to the Prime Minister, after his investigations disturb those
in authority who feel threatened. This film includes a secret society
known as the Free Masons who play a major part in the emerging mythos
of Jack the Ripper, and it's discovered that Scotland Yard might just
have a traitor working within.Lending fine support are David Hemmings(..in the role of Inspector
Foxborough who is working on The Ripper case, and has an allegiance to
others worth noting about later), Anthony Quayle(..as the loud and
disgruntled Sir Charles Warren, chief of Scotland Yard, and a Free
Mason, more importantly, who has quite a contempt for Holmes), John
Gielgud(..as Prime Minister Lord Salisbury, only featured at the end,
but deftly shows how wrought with corruption England was), Frank
Finlay(..in the underwhelming role of Inspector Lestrade, not developed
with much care, the character usually more pivotal in cases of Holmes
in the past), Donald Sutherland(..as a morose medium)and especially
Geneviève Bujold is the tragic portrayal of Annie Crook, the lowly maid
with a pivotal role in all the events that transpire. I truly felt
London was presented with great, detailed realism(..which is so crucial
to us believing in the authenticity of the film)and Clark deserves a
lot of love for achieving this. I think the scene between Plummer and
Bujold is magic.

Scarecrow-88 from United States - 30 April 2009

An expansive murder mystery celebrity deathmatch: Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper

This is not the first time Sherlock Holmes takes on that primeval
serial killer whose atrocities have all but slipped in the twilight of
myth. In 1965 John Neville (as Holmes) in A STUDY IN TERROR fared well
against the Whitechapel murderer but 1979's MURDER BY DECREE easily
outshines it. Although it leaves a little something to be desired for
the traditional Holmes fan and the Rathbone loyalists, it is certainly
amplifies tenfold the atmosphere, suspense and mystery associated with
the character without forsaking moments of genuine pathos. How else
could it be with an actor of Christopher Plummer's calibre? Director Bob Clark puts his previous horror experience to good use. The
damp, claustrophobic atmosphere of the Whitechapel maze of narrow
streets and passages, perennially foggy and dark, are the perfect
stamping ground for Jack the Ripper who stalks the periphery with his
ghastly cab, an apparition from hell itself. The POV wide-angle lensed
shots of the killer recall Clark's slasher credentials from BLACK
Christmas and although the visceral violence is kept at a minimum, a
conspiratorial air of dread and impending doom permeates most of the
duration.Clark progressively ups the ante and wisely allows the story to advance
in larger and larger cycles, beginning with the murders of prostitutes
in a East End slum and closing with a conspiracy that if revealed could
jeopardise government and Crown. The two aspects and their connection
are the stuff of legends by now but Clark moves from one to the other
smoothly.MURDER BY DECREE is a beautifully shot, engrossing murder mystery with
some terrific performances by the cast and a fine addition to the
Holmes canon.

chaos-rampant from Greece - 4 January 2009

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