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Teaching Young Sherlock Holmes
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Teaching Young Sherlock Holmes

• Holmes and Detective Fiction
• 2. Young Sherlock Holmes -Production History
• 3. Category and Genre
• - generic hybrid tone
• 4. Narrative
• - two narratives, plot and story,
  narrative structure
• 5. Language - mise en scene, cinematography,
  editing, sound

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1. Holmes and Detective Fiction
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
17th C. growth of journalism - broadsheets would
be rushed out after major crime or execution
although writing about crime been going on a
long time, genre really took off in 19th century
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Detective fiction given boost by real life
detective Eugene Francois Vidocq
Former criminal, became police informer, finally
policeman Founded the Sûreté - first
professional police force in France
Gerard Depardieu as Vidocq
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Innovator - card-index records introduced police
to ballistics Master of disguise (as is Holmes)
and surveillance Set up first private detective
agency Published his (unreliable) memoirs which
influenced subsequent crime fiction
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Edgar Allen Poe (1809-49), Poet and
novelist Drew on Vidocqs memoirs and created
tales of ratiocination and brilliant detective
Auguste Dupin (eg Murders in the Rue Morgue)
Highly intelligent gentleman crime-solver,
tackling crime police unable to solve Conan
Doyle great admirer (even if Holmes not!)
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Born Edinburgh 1859, studied medicine in
Edinburgh University where he started
writing Holmes thought to be partly based on
Professor Joseph Bell, known for his ability to
observe patients and deduce facts about with
amazing accuracy First significant work, novel
A Study in Scarlet
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Wrote four novels and fifty-six Holmes short
stories. All but four stories are narrated by
Holmes's friend and biographer, Dr John H.
Watson. Grew tremendously in popularity when
started to appear in Strand Magazine in 1891
further series of short stories and two
serialised novels appeared until 1927. Stories
cover a period from around 1878 up to 1907, with
final case in 1914.
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
What Holmes shares with general corpus of
detective fiction. Detective story defined as
a novel or short story in which a crime, usually
a murder the identity of perpetrator unknown
solved by a detective through a logical
assembling and interpretation of palpable
evidence, known as clues. Good detective
story generally follows six unwritten rules
Hugh Holman A Handbook to Literature
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Holmes and Detective Fiction

• The Good Detective Story
• 1 Crime must be significant, worthy of the
  attention it receives
• 2. Detective must be in some way a memorable
  character
• must be very intelligent, clever and observant.
  Should
• also stand out because of some individual style,
  eg
• eccentricity of dress or speech.
• 3. Must be an outstanding opponent, a criminal
  clever
• enough to be a match for the hero.

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Holmes and Detective Fiction
The Good Detective Story cont 4. Because large
part of the attraction of genre is opportunity
for the reader to try to figure out the solution
along with the detective, all suspects must be
introduced early. 5. All clues detective
discovers must be made available to reader as
well as detective. 6. Solution must seem
obvious, logical, possible not result of
accident or supernatural causes and detective
must be able to explain all aspects in
reasonable way.
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Useful to get pupils to apply these rules to
Holmes stories Does it work for The Speckled
Band? Does it work for other Holmes
stories? Does it work for Young Sherlock
Holmes? Effective exercise
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Repertoire of elements? Term usually associated
with film genres but can be applied to genre
prose fiction Perhaps can even say there is a
Sherlock Holmes genre
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Popular image of Holmes combination of Conan
Doyle and number of illustrators, esp Sydney
Paget in Strand Magazine.
Stage adaptation anchored Holmes image in popular
imagination where has remained
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
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Holmes and Detective Fiction

• The corpus of genre consists of works of Arthur
  Conan Doyle, ie the canon (Conan?)
• But might also be said to consist of works
  emanating from canon to include
• stage plays - particularly important in
  establishment of Holmes image in public
  imagination
• adaptations (film and TV)
• pastiche works
• graphic novels

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Genre

• Holmes Genre Repertoire of Elements
• Holmes props
• Deerstalker, Inverness cloak, Meerschaum pipe,
  magnifying class, scientific
• instruments,
• Catch-phrases
• The game is afootElementary, my dear
  Watson (exact words not used in Conan
  Doyle) You look but you do not see

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Genre

• Holmes Genre Repertoire of elements
• Holmess use of disguise (eg A Scandal in
• Bohemia)
• No interest in women (apart from Irene Adler)
• Holmess powers of observation and deduction
• eg in The Speckled Band - able to work out
  details of Helen Stoners journey that morning
  from a ticket and mud-splashes on her clothes

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Genre

• Holmes Genre Repertoire of elements
• Recurring characters
• Professor Moriarty - arch-nemesis
• Inspector Lestrade (wants Holmes help but tries
  to take credit)
• Baker Street Irregulars - street urchins who do
  odd jobs for Holmes (eg A Study in Scarlet)
• Brother Mycroft

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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Examples of adaptations Basil Rathbone films of
1940s
ITV series with Jeremy Brett (1970s)
Tended to be reasonably faithful to original
models though Rathbone films often switched
settings to 1940 (eg wartime exploits against
nazis)
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Not just in English-speaking world Russian
television produced adapations from 1979 -
1986 with Vasily Ivanov

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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Many films used Sherlock Holmes myth for
new works - either straight or pastiche or parody
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (d. Herbert Ross)
based on novel by Nicholas Meyer. Pastiche of
Sherlock Holmes adventure, focusing on Holmess
drug addiction

Nicol Williamson as Sherlock Holmes, Robert
Duvall as Watson, and Alan Arkin as Dr. Sigmund
Freud. Laurence Olivier played the brief role of
Professor Moriarty.
"It is cocaine," he said, "a seven-per-cent
solution. Would you care to try it? Holmes to
Watson in The Sign of Four
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Celebrated German director Billy Wilders The
Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1968) with
Robert Stephens which speculated about Holmess
ambiguous sexuality

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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Latest example in post-production (WB) Sherlock
Holmes directed by Guy Ritchie
.
Holmes played by Robert Downie Junior
Watson played by Jude Law

Based on Lionel Wigrams graphic novel (not
published yet)
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Holmes and Detective Fiction
Young Sherlock Holmes and Holmes Genre will be
considered in Section 3
.

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2.Young Sherlock Holmes Production History
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2.Young Sherlock Holmes Production History
Released USA 1985 Rleeased UK (as Young
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret of the Pyramid)
March 1986
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Young Sherlock Holmes
Directed by Barry Levinson (1942 - )
Films include Diner (1982) The Natural (1984)
Good Morning,Vietnam (1987) Rain Man (1988)
(Oscar for Best Director) Bugsy (1991) Wag
the Dog (1997) Toys (1992),



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Young Sherlock Holmes
Original script by Chris Columbus (1958 - )
Films include Home Alone (1990) (director) Mrs.
Doubtfire (1993) Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's Stone (2001) (producer-director)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets (2002)(producer-director) Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) (producer)


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Young Sherlock Holmes

• Production Companies
• Paramount Pictures
• Amblin Entertainment
• Industrial Light Magic (ILM)

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Young Sherlock Holmes
Paramount Pictures

One of traditional Big Five Hollywood
Studios Subsequently involved in distribution and
finance Rather than production

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Young Sherlock Holmes
Amblin Entertainment

Founded in 1981 by Steven Spielberg and
associates Frank Marshall and Kathleen
Kennedy. Produces but does not distribute films

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Young Sherlock Holmes
Industrial Light Magic (ILM)


Visual effects company that was founded in May
1975 by George Lucas and owned by Lucasfilm.
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Young Sherlock Holmes
CGI in YSH impressive given the date of the film.
Supplied by George Lucass Industral Light and
Magic company which developed the effects for
films such as Star Wars. YSH was the first film
to use a CGI that actually interacted with the
characters on screen.
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Language
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Young Sherlock Holmes




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Young Sherlock Holmes

• Executive Producer suggests overseeing rather
• than hands-on role
• Spielberg had just finished Indiana Jones and the
  
• Temple of Doom (1984) (prequel to Raiders of the
• Lost Ark (1981) )
• Notable influence on Young Sherlock Holmes
• see section on genre
• Modest box office (not much more than
• costs - c. 18 million)
• But posthumous life on video/DVD

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Young Sherlock Holmes

Certification USA PG-13 UK PG Could
producers have toned down more frightening
scenes (eg Elizabeth about o be
mummified)? Same problem with Indiana Jones films



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3. Genre and Other Categorisations
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Genre
Genre most important aspect of film
categorisation Based on similarities in the
narrative and other elements from which films
constructed.
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Genre

• Films usually categorized in terms of genre
  according to their
• setting eg western
• theme or topic or mood eg horror
• audience eg teenpic, chickflick
• protagonists occupation eg gangster

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Genre
Iconography - repeated visual (and sound) motifs
associated with a genre
eg western - desert, rugged landscape, frontier
town, horses, stagecoaches
eg gothic horror - gloomy gothic castle, garlic,
inn with locals crossing themselves at the name
of the vampire
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Genre
Iconography - repeated visual (and sound) motifs
associated with a genre
eg sci-fi - gleaming meallic surfaces, advanced
technology, aliens
eg gangster - backstreet urban setting, bars and
clubs (speakeasys), weapons, sharp clothes (for
top brass)
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Genre
Genres never pure, even in early cinema Eg
singing cowboy films combined western
musical generic hybrids But became more
common post 1970s eg Blade Runner scifi film
noir eg Star Wars scifi action-adventure eg
Prizzis Honor gangster screwball comedy
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Genre

• Young Sherlock Holmes a hybrid of different
  genres.
• detective genre
• action-adventure genre
• Action-adventure itself a hybrid of action and
  adventure

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Action film
Usually include spectacle, high energy, physical
stunts and chases, rescues, battles, fights,
escapes, destructive crises (floods, explosions,
natural disasters, fires, etc.), non-stop
motion Often two-dimensional heroes (goodies)
battling villains (baddies) - all designed for
pure audience escapism.
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Action
Examples
Die-Hard films
Lethal Weapon
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Action
Often combine with other generic elements such as
police-procedural, espionage, war
The disaster film (eg Towering Inferno) might be
classified as an action film
eg James Bond 'fantasy' spy/espionage series,
martial arts films, and so-called blaxploitation
films.
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Action

Clip Bond, James Bond/Holmes, Sherlock Holmes
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Adventure
Considerable overlap in that adventure films also
action films but usually have new experiences or
exotic settings. Can include traditional
swashbucklers, serialised films, and historical
spectacles, searches or expeditions for lost
continents, "jungle" and "desert" epics, treasure
hunts, disaster films, or searches for the
unknown.
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Adventure
eg

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Adventure
Exotic locations usually mean some far-off
country where things are different from what the
audience is used to Resolution usually involves
large-scale action, buildings destroyed
etc Usually appeal to a younger demographic that
straightforward action films
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Action-Adventure
Most successful example of genre in recent years

Significant influence on Young Sherlock Holmes
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Genre
The detective film
Other main genre strand of Young Sherlock Holmes
- detective film (often overlapping with
suspense, thriller or mystery films) Focus on
the unsolved crime (often murder, theft,
blackmail or disappearance of one or more of the
characters, or a theft),
.
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Genre
The detective film
Focus on central character - detective-hero
(either a policeman or a private investigator)
who faces various adventures and challenges in
cold and methodical pursuit of the criminal or
the solution to crime
.
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Genre
Detective
Plot often centers on the deductive ability,
prowess, confidence, or diligence of the
detective as he/she attempts to unravel the crime
or situation by piecing together clues and
circumstances, seeking evidence, interrogating
witnesses, and tracking down a criminal.
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Genre
Detective
Detective films emphasize the detective solving
the crime through clues and exceptional rational
powers.
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Genre
Detective

• The detective studies intriguing reasons and
  events leading to crime
• eventually determines the identity of villain
• a murderer, a master spy, an arch fiend, an
  unseen evil, or a malignant psychological force).

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Genre
Detective
Genre has ranged from early mystery tales,
fictional or literary detective stories, to
classic Hitchcockian suspense-thrillers to
classic private detective films and films noirs.
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Genre - Detective
Some notable examples

• Klute (1971)
• Death on the Nile (1978)
• Blade Runner (1982)
• Dick Tracy (1990)
• Lone Star (1996)

• The 39 Steps (1935)
• The Maltese Falcon (1941)
• Maigret voit rouge/Maigret
• Sees Red (1963)
• Marlowe (1969)

Most based on detective novels
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Genre

• In addition to the action-adventure and the
  detective elements, other genres make an
  appearance in Young Sherlock Holmes
• Romance - the Holmes-Elizabeth relationship
• Public school genre eg Tom Browns Schooldays
  (1951)

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Genre
Detective

• Overlap between detective and action-adventure
• detective genre put more emphasis on detection -
• investigation (amassing of clues)
• forensics (using science to solve crimes) etc.
• logical deduction
• Action-adventure emphasis on derring-do

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Genre

• YSH and detective genre
• Holmes establishes link early on between dead
• men

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Genre
YSH and detective genre
Using forensics (chemistry), able to find origin
of material worn by hooded figure - leads to
warehouse in docks area and discovery of Rame Tep
temple
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Genre
YSH and detective genre
Intuition as well as deduction from evidence
- cut on face reminds him of ring with Rame Tep
symbol worn by Rathe) - leads him to identity of
villain Clip
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Genre
YSH and detective genre
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Genre

• YSH and detective genre
• In detective genre, resolution (see section on
  Narrative) through deduction
• Resolution to narrative not discovery of the
  criminals (who done it?) but confrontation
  with cult and final duel with Rathe EhTar
• ie through action
• Clip

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Genre
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Genre
Exotic locale a feature of action-adventure Howev
er, in Young Sherlock Holmes exotic is found
close to home the Rame Tep temple in . . .
Wapping, East London Setting is exoticised
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Genre
Mise en scene - chanting sect members with
shaven heads and eastern dress torches, animal
heads etc (Will be developed further in Language
section) Clip
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Genre
Final battle brings down whole temple Holmes
saved at last minute by Watsons ingenuity Final
confrontation with Rathe Resolution of YSHs
narrative therefore more typical action-adventure
than detective
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Genre
In detective genre, sometimes violence but minor
key. Action-adventure however tends to ends with
large-scale set-piece Compare climactic scene in
Young Sherlock Homes with Indiana Jones and the
Temple of Doom clip
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Clips from Indiana Jones and from Young Sherlock
Holmes
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How are the repertoire of elements deployed
in Young Sherlock Holmes?
Holmes Genre
Props Deerstalker, Inverness cape and
Meerschaum pipe
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Holmes Genre
Characters Lestrade shown as a younger detective
- later (in the Conan Doyle canon) brings in
Holmes to help - and tries to claim the claim
credit - as Lestrade does in YSH
Mycroft Holmes referenced - when Holmes is
expelled
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Holmes Genre
Repertoire of elements

• Catch-phrases Elementary, my dear Watson
• Waxflatter says, Elementary, my dear Holmes
• The game is afoot!
• Holmes says for first time when he is solving the
  
• mystery of the missing trophy
• You look but you do not see
• Young Holmes says to young Watson

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Genre

• Holmes Genre Repertoire of Elements
• Narrative 3-part structure
• case brought to Holmess attention
• Holmes investigates
• Holmes unmasks culprit.
• First person narration (by Watson), including
  coda where Watson asks Holmes to explain how he
  arrived at conclusions

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Holmes Genre
Watson narration an important feature of stories
in Young Sherlock Holmes, this done by (older)
Watsons voiceovers - Watson voiceover used
throughout film for comment and
exposition Narrative coda (explanation of how
Holmes arrived at conclusions) done with a
mixture of dialogue and voiceover Clip
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Holmes Genre
Useful exercise when watching film Get pupils to
make a brief note when element from the
repertoire makes an appearance (more able) Or
provide a list and ask pupils to tick off as they
watch film (less able)
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Other Categories Tone
Excitement - flying machine heading for
Wapping CLIP Suspense - will Elizabeth be
mummified? Romance - Holmes and Elizabeth
(tragic romance - as Elisabeth dies)
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Categories Tone
Comedy
Waxflatters attempts to get machine to fly -
ends in failure each time Almost a running
gag (ie a joke, situation or line that is
repeated several times, each time the comedy
being reinforced by memory of the previous
occurrence) Clip
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Categories Tone

• Comedy
• Graveyard scene - food attacking Watson
• Example of tonal shift ie, sudden change in
  tone
• in this case from excitement/suspense to (almost
  slapstick) comedy
• Does it work? Does the comedy detract from the
  suspense?
• CLIP

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4. Narrative

• The two narratives
• Plot and story
• Narrative Structure (Todorov)
• Narrative Closure
• Other aspects of narrative

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2. Narrative
Two narratives
RAME TEP narrative Murder of Bobster, Rev.
Duncan Nesbit, Waxflatter
SCHOOL narrative lessons, rivalries, romance etc
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Narrative
Two narratives However, connections made
between two narratives Mysterious visitor (we
learn later is Cragwitch, one of group being
targeted by sect) Mysterious hooded figure with
jangling bracelet - appears in school library and
school grounds
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Narrative two narratives
At first kept (more or less) separate and merged
into one after Waxflatters death and Holmess
(subversive) return to Brompton Preceded by
Watsons v/o about Holmess triumph in his bet
with Dudley Clip
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Narrative
Plot and story
Story all the events we see and hear, plus all
those we infer or assume to have occurred,
arranged in chronological order, Plot the way
these events presented to the audience. In
plot, story elements might be in completely
different order
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Narrative
Plot and story
STORY
Inferred events
Explicitly presented events
Added nondiegetic material
PLOT
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Narrative
Plot and story
A murder has been committed. That is, we know
the effect but not the causes - the killer,
the motive, perhaps also the method. The mystery
tale depends strongly on curiosity, our desire to
know events that have occurred before the plot
action begins. It is the detective's job to
disclose, at the end, the missing causes-to name
the killer, explain the motive, and reveal the
method. That is, in the detective film the
climax of the plot line (the action that we see)
is a revelation of prior incidents in the story
(events which we do not see) from Film
Art (Bordwell Thomson)
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Narrative
Plot and story

• crime conceived
• Crime planned
• crime committed
• Crime discovered
• Detective investigates
• Detective reveals a, b and c

STORY
PLOT
Bordwell Thomson, Film Art p67
92
Narrative
Plot and story
(a) Egyptian village burned down and protesting
villagers killed by army protecting group of
investors who desecrated sacred site. (b) Rame
Tep sect swear revenge - send (Anglo-Egyptian)
Eh Tar to England to seek revenge.When they grow
up, he and sister employed at Bromton (where
Waxflatter - one of investors - based). (c)
Attacks on members of investors group leading to
deaths. (d) Holmes suspicious about suicides -
investigates - discovers sect, tracks down to
their temple. (e) locates Cragwitch (mysterious
visitor to Waxflatter) discovers the story
behind sect and their revenge. (f) discovers
Rathes role causes temple to burn down. Defeats
Rathe/Ethar but Elisabeth killed
S T O R Y
P L O T
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Narrative
Narrative structure Todorov model Most common
narrative structure in mainstream texts as
analysed by Todorov 1 Equilibrium (state of
normality) 2 Disruption - event that kicks off
narrative 3 Resolution - moment when conflicting
forces fight key battle 4 Return to equilibrium -
new state of normality
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Narrative
Narrative structure Todorov model
Equilibrium
Watson arrives at Brompton, meets Holmes
normal life of the school (lessons, rivalry,
romance, etc
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Narrative
Disruption Attacks on members of the group
leading to deaths Frequently, disruption is
intimated before equilibrium has chance to be
established so film opens with attack on and
death of the banker Bobster
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Narrative
Resolution Climax in Rame Tep temple in Wapping
- destruction of temple, Holmes defeats Rathe/Eh
Tar Elizabeth killed
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Narrative

• Return to Equilibrium
• Rame Tep defeated
• Holmess life without Elizabeth
• Vows never to marry
• Leaves Bromton

98
Narrative
Individual narratives within the overarching
narrative Eg Watson has his own narrative and
own new equilibrium
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Narrative
Make a montage of w at start and w at end
100
Narrative
Narrative closure Tying up of loose ends,
bringing narrative to clear conclusion Traditional
in mainstream films but left open for sequel
potential Cf Watsons final voice-over .. I was
ready for whatever mystery or danger that lay
ahead. I was ready to take on the greatest and
most exciting adventure of them all and I knew it
was bound to involve Sherlock Holmes
101
Narrative
Narrative closure - also post-credit
ending Rathe/Eh Tar manages to survive - and
become the arch nemesis of adult
Holmes -Professor Moriarty, the Napoleon of
crime
102
Narrative
Other aspect of narrative repetition and
parallels help structure the narrative
The rule of three
Certain events in the film occur three times,
usually with an important variation each time
103
Narrative
The rule of three

• Three fencing duels with Rathe/Eh Tar
• Three attempts to fly machine
• Three confrontations with Lestrade

104
Narrative
The rule of three

• Three fencing duels with Rathe/Eh Tar
• First time Holmes loses - Rathe teaches him
  about the need not to let emotions interfere
• Second time their match is declared a draw as
  Holmes was distracted by sunlight reflected on
  Rathes ring.
• Third time Holmes is victorious

105
Narrative
The rule of three
Three attempts to launch Waxflatters flying
machine (ie onscreen attempts - preceded by six
others!) The first two end in failure but Holmes
successful the third time - able to follow
Rathe, who is driving coach and horses with
Elizabeth tied up, back to Rame Tep temple in
Wapping Cf Slide 50
106
Narrative The rule of three
Three times Lestrade dismisses Holmess
suspicions about the case. 1. When Holmes
suggests there is a connection between the
victims of the attacks (29.12) 2. When
Waxflatters dying words to Holmes make Holmes
realise Waxflatters death is connected with the
others. Lestrade will have none of it.
(38.49) 3. When they are taken to Scotland Yard
after graveyard fracas where Lestrade refuses to
have thorns analysed and throws them out.
However, a thorn pierces Lestrades hand which
will have consequences later. (1.01 53)
107
Narrative
The rule of three

• Three (apparent) suicides
• Bentley Bobster
• Rev. Duncan Nesbit
• Professor Waxflatter

108
Narrative Parallels
A number of parallels also structure the film
and make it hang together
Watson arriving at Bromton by coach at the start
Holmes leaving Bromton by coach by the end
CLIP
109
Narrative Parallels
Holmes is leaving Bromton, having been expelled.
As he leaves, Elizabeth writes I LOVE YOU on
the window pane
Holmes is leaving Bromton at the end. Holmes
looks up at the same window but Elizabeth is dead
110
Narrative Parallels
111
Narrative Parallels
Holmes solves the case of the missing trophy in
the first half of the film Holmes solves the
case of the mystery suicides and the Rame Tep
cult in the second half of the
film Foreshadowing
112
5. Language

• Mise en scene
• Cinematography
• Editing
• Sound

113
Language

• Mise en scene - setting, props, lighting,
  blocking
• etc
• Cinematography - camera angle, camera distance,
  camera movement framing
• Editing - pace and rhythm of editing transitions
• Sound - diegetic and non-diegetic
• particularly music Bruce Broughams score
  structured in leitmotifs - particular themes for
  characters, locations and situations)

114
Language - mise en scene
Mise en scene - important in historical film to
create a convincing diegesis (story world)
- kind of clothing, transport, decoration etc
tells us we are in the nineteenth century.
115
Language - mise en scene
The mise en scene of Brompton - wooden panels,
gothic architecture
116
Language - mise en scene
Within Bromton, mise en scene in Waxflatters
quarters suggests something very scientific
not twentieth century scientific with white lab
coats and shiny surfaces, but nineteenth century
scientific, with tubes and jars and
exotic-looking early scientific instruments. (cf
Frankenstein)
117
Language - mise en scene

118
Language - mise en scene
Contrast with Bromton mise en scene in the
Egyptian tavern, with its oriental atmosphere
created by characters clothing, musical
instruments etc.
119
Language - mise en scene
Contrast even more pronounced between church
where the priest receives the poison dart and
Rame Tep temple Mise en scene of the church
very traditionally English (or Western
European)
120
Language - mise en scene

• Church contrasts with the mise en scene in the
  Rame Tep temple
• connotes ancient Egyptian, with the sarcophagus,
  the candlelit chandeliers, the pillars,
  carvings, costumes (and haircuts) of the sect
  members and priest
• Mise en scene essential for essential exoticism
  of Rame Tep, essential for action-adventure
  aspect of generic hybrid Clips

21.31 - 22.00 diss to 54.45 - 55.15
121
Language
122
Language - mise en scene
Mise en scene - lighting and shadow Hooded
figure effectively portrayed by use of light and
shadow - combined with other elements such as
music CLIP
123
Language
Cinematography - camera angle Film follows
traditional practice of using low camera angle to
connote power or nobility and high camera angle
to connote vulnerability Holmess winning
Dudleys challenge (to find school trophy)
confidence indicated by low-angled shots as he
takes up challenge (23.49) The game is afoot!

124
Language - Cinematography

125
Language - Cinematography

Cinematography - camera angle Later, as he walks
towards common room even if time almost run
out. (26.31). Soon after, more extreme low angle
at his moment of triumph where the whole school
cheering for him. (27.23)
126
Language


127
Language - Cinematography

Cinematography - camera angle
Another extremely low angle used when becoming
clear that Rathe is a villain. After Elizabeths
fight with Mrs Dribb, Rathe comes into the room,
Elizabeth appeals to him and he replies, So, my
dear, you have discovered our little secret
(1.15.13)
128
Language - Cinematography
Cinematography - camera angle

129
Language - Cinematography
Cinematography - framing

dutch angle - use of canted frame to indicate
that not all is right with the world a
cinematic tactic often used to portray the
psychological uneasiness or tension in the
subject being filmed. A Dutch angle is achieved
by tilting the camera off to the side so that the
shot is composed with the horizon at an angle to
the bottom of the frame
130
Language - Cinematography
Dutch angle 1 - occurs in pre-title sequence
involving Bobster (a banker, one of the group of
investors targeted by the Rame Tep cult) Very
marked dutch angle indicates extreme
psychological state which makes him, a short time
later, jump out of a building to his death

131
Language - Cinematography

132
Language - Cinematography
Dutch angle 2 - Used during Rathe and Holmess
friendly duel before Holmes due to leave
Brompton after being expelled. Perhaps dutch
angle suggests that things not always as they
seem and foreshadow Rathes real identity

133
Language

134
Language

• Editing
• Two aspects
• TRANSITIONS
• RHYTHM

135
Language Editing

Rhythm one of the essential features of film -
decisively contributes to mood and overall
impression on the spectator. Rhythm of editing
- change in rate of cutting (ie moving from
longer takes to shorter takes when need for more
action, energy)
136
Language Editing

Transitions Refers to how editing joins two film
clips Vast majority of transitions are cuts - we
tend not to perceive them except in being aware
of rate of editing etc
137
Language Editing

• Transitions
• Other main transitions
• Fade (in/out)
• Dissolve
• - Less common
• wipe
• iris

138
Language Editing - Transitions
Fade (in/out) Traditionally, films use fades to
begin the film (fade-in or fade from black) or to
end it (fade-out or fade to black) Within film,
fade used to separate parts of film (like
chapters in a novel) and usually means some time
has elapsed

139
Language Editing - Transitions
Fade and Dissolves Note from clip from Vertigo
(Hitchcock 1961) Starts with fade, punctuates
shorter scenes with dissolves (usually indicating
time has passed and/or change of place) Ends
with fade out, indicating a longer pause, almost
like chapter marker in book Clip

140
Language Editing - Transitions
Fade (in/out) YSH uses fade-in/fade out to begin
film and first post-credit sequence. However,
does not fade out at end surprise post-credit
scene revealing Rathe/Eh Tar has survived and is
Moriarty (Holmess nemesis) doesnt fade to black
but cuts to black - reinforcing shock Clip

141
Language Editing - Transitions
However, fades less common in recent times and
Young Sherlock Holmes has very few fades or
dissolves - favouring instead (abrupt) cuts to
shift from one scene/sequence to another -
perhaps a way of imbuing film with
greater energy In this sequence we go from
street to curio shop to street to Egyptian tavern
to Bromton library using only cuts Clip

142
Language Editing - Transitions
Dissolve Transition between two shots during
which the first image gradually disappears while
the second image gradually appears for a moment
the two images blend in superimposition. Used as
an alternative to a fade in/out, often used to
suggest short time lapse (eg someone entering
building - series of dissolves links various
locations, cutting out dead time) Can also be
used to go from waking state to dream state, or
from present to flash-back

143
Language Editing - Transitions
Like fade-in/fade out, dissolves in YSL are used
sparingly, usually to indicate a (short) shift in
time and space Here, we dissolve from the hooded
figure climbing over the wall of the school
grounds (returning after being chased by
Elizabeths dog) to inside the church where she
is going next Clip


144
Language Editing - Transitions


Wipe transition between shots in which a line
passes across screen, eliminating the first shot
as it goes and replacing it with the next one.
Mostly these horizontal (left to right or right
to Left) occasionally from both ends towards
centre Sometimes wipe goes diagonally across
screen.
145
Language Editing - Transitions

Wipe very noticeable and dynamic transition
Often suggest a brief temporal ellipsis and
direct connection between the two images Usually
employed in action or adventure (or
action-adventure) films. eg Star Wars (despite
its setting etc, can be seen as much
action-adventure as scifi)

146
Language Editing - Transitions
Wipes Young Sherlock Holmes uses on a few
occasions, particularly in the second half where
action-adventure becomes more dominant
genre First example a diagonal wipe Next one a
vertical wipe but coming from both ends of
frame Clips


147
Language Editing

.

Cross-cutting or parallel editing Editing that
alternates shots of two or more lines of action
occurring in different places, usually
simultaneously. Two actions are therefore
linked, associating the characters from both
lines of action. Clip
148
Language Sound

• Two broad categorisations of sound in film
• diegetic sound
• - sound coming directly from story (if
  characters can hear it is diegetic sound)
• non-diegetic sound
• - sound added to create atmosphere, anchor a
  particular mood etc (characters cannot hear
  non-diegetic sound)
• Young Sherlock Holmes employs both

.

149
Language Sound
Diegetic
.

Most significant diegetic sound - tinkle from
bracelet of hooded figure (actually Mrs
Dribbs) Becomes a sort of leitmotif, alerting
us to her presence imminence of a deadly attack
eg in outside restaurant at start of film Clip
150
Language Sound

Distinction between diegetic/non-diegetic usually
fairly straightforward but Young Sherlock Holmes
also used internal diegetic sound ie sound that
comes from the story but only one character can
hear because it activated by memory - ie sounds
that actually happened within the story (even if
decades before!)
.

151
Language Sound

Cragwitch remembers the burning of the Egyptian
village, the bullets, the explosions, the
screams However, it is not audible by other
characters and operates in a similar way to
non-diegetic sound - ie to create an
atmosphere Clip
.

152
Language Sound

• Music in YSH
• Main aspect of non-diegetic sound music
• Bruce Broughams score organised in leitmotifs
  relating to character and situation
• 'Main Title - opens with lively flute melody
• acts as recurring leitmotif for Holmes
  throughout the score, characterising his lust for
  adventure, indomitable spirit and inquisitive
  mind.

.

153
Sound

.

• Main theme very adaptable. By adding simple
  orchestral effects, or by a change in
  instrumentation, Broughton able to make his
  central melody convey multiple moods -
• youthfully ebullient strings of 'Fencing Lesson
  
• playful multiple settings of 'Solving the Crime
• spine-tingling heroism of 'It's Rathe!' - theme
  is re-orchestrated to act as an action fanfare.

154
Sound

'Secret Ceremony' - large choral ostinato
(continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm)
that appears during Rame Tep ceremony Cf
Orff's Carmina Burana John Williams' thuggee
music from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- deep and sinister connoting sects murderous
intent
.

155
Sound

.

Leitmotif cleverly carried over into the
following two cues, 'Chase/Crypt/Pastries/You're
A Hallucination - Holmes and Watson are pursued
into a graveyard by cult's shaven-headed devotees
156
Sound

.

'India/The Letterhead', as Holmes finally
realises the identity of the RameTep's high
priest is Rathe
157
Sound

Other important musical themes "flying" theme
heard during 'Waxflatter's First Flight' and
'Another Failed Flight - depicting ill-fated
efforts of the eccentric professor to take to the
air.
.

158
Sound

Romantic motif for Holmes and Elizabeth 'Library
Love', 'Elizabeth in the Courtyard' and 'Love
Theme' - depicts nature of their relationship
chaste and honourable, full of tenderness. Orches
trated more tragically for Elizabeths death scene
.

159
Teaching Young Sherlock Holmes

.

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