YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES

US, 1985, 109 minutes, Colour.
Nicholas Rowe, Alan Cox, Sophie Ward, Anthony Higgins, Susan Fleetwood, Freddie Jones.
Directed by Barry Levinson.

Young Sherlock Holmes is a delightful imaginative story in the Holmes tradition. It was written by American writer Chris Columbus (Gremlins, Reckless, director of Adventures in Babysitting - A Night on the Town). It was directed by American Barry Levinson, noted as a writer and director (Diner, Tin Men, The Natural, Good Morning Vietnam). The film was produced under the auspices of Steven Spielberg uses for the deaths, many engaging and exciting special effects.

The film is dedicated to the memory of Conan Doyle and is an imaginative exercise on his famous detective. While there have been many Sherlock Holmes films and many actors like Basil Rathbone performing as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson, there have also been a number of imaginative films including A Study in Terror, The Seven Percent Solution, Murder By Decree.

There is a wonderful re-creation of Victorian England. Nicholas Rowe is suitably Holmesian as the adolescent detective. Allan Cox is very good as the young pudgy John Watson. Sophie Ward is Elizabeth, the love of Holmes' youth who sacrifices her life for his. Anthony Higgins is a suave villain - and audiences need to watch through the final credits for the final revelation and the name Moriarty.

The film uses the devices of Doyle's stories, the voiceover telling of the tale by Watson, his slowness compared with that of Holmes, his admiration for Holmes. A very enjoyable exercise in imagination.

1. The popularity of Sherlock Holmes? Audience knowledge of the stories?, The authors and their imagination for creating the young Sherlock Holmes and Watson?

2. Audience response to Holmes from the stories, from the cinema tradition? The tribute to Doyle? The film in his vein of storytelling?

3. 19th century London, the streets, the city, the school, buildings? The details of Victoriana? The modern special effects? The musical score and themes?

4. Watson telling the story, his voice-over, view of Holmes? Watson as slow, the audience faster? The mystery? The gradual revelation of the details? Watson's analysing Holmes? Admiration?

5. The prologue, the darts, the hallucinations? The victims and their imaginations? Deaths? The creatures and the victim throwing himself out the window? The priest in the church and the note coming from the stained-glass window? The inventor and his struggles, the knife? The hallucination that Holmes experienced, going back to his parents and his father's disdain, his mother the victim? Watson and the cakes coming alive? The remaining companion and his almost killing Holmes and himself? Elizabeth and the grave?

6. School: Watson and his arrival, Holmes and his violin, impatience, diagnosing the truth about Watson? Sharing interests, friendship with Holmes? His observation, the detection by Holmes for the trophy fencing class? Reaction to Holmes' expulsion? Encouraging him? Sharing in the adventures? With Elizabeth? His background and wanting to be a doctor? His later role? Final comments?

7. Sherlock Holmes as moody, isolated, impatient with the violin, skill in diagnosing Watson and explaining? The love for Elizabeth? The fencing class and his skills? The science class? Elizabeth's uncle and the flying? Inheriting his cap? The word 'elementary'? His reaction to the deaths, the discussions with Inspector Lestrade and Lestrade's ignoring him? The process of finding the trophy? Student jealousy? The expulsion? His reaction to the deaths, hiding in the school? The information about Egypt? Going into action? The temple and its rituals? The hallucinations? The discovery of the truth and the fencing master as the villain? His sister? The struggle? Elizabeth dying for him His grief? The fight, the ice closing over-the master? Holmes' future? The background of his past, devotion to his mother, the infidelity of his father? The build-up to Moriarty as the arch villain?

8. Elizabeth, Victorian girl, her uncle, his experiments, friendship with the boys, love for Sherlock, going into action, sharing the experiences, the hallucinations in the cemetery, her death for Holmes?

9. The suave and smooth villain? His place in the school, his sister? The fencing classes, his exhortation to discipline? The truth about the story, the Egyptian background, the deaths in the village? The children growing up? Vengeance? His leader of the fanatical sect? His conduct of the ceremonies? Human sacrifice? The confrontation with Holmes? The fight, going under the ice? The irony of his escaping, of his becoming Moriarty? His sister and her place in the school? Charming? The irony of her being the assassin, her participating in the vengeance?

10. The focus on the victims and the way that they died, the hallucinations? Elizabeth's uncle, his experiments with flying and their comic touches? His suicide? The friend who was observing, at the funeral, Holmes and Watson, confronting him in his home, his own hallucinations?

11. The school, the atmosphere of the Victorian school? Class distinctions, jealousies among students, cads? The masters, classes? The headmaster and the expulsion?

12. The background of exotic sects in Victorian England? Underground? The fascination with Egypt? Human sacrifice?

13. A pleasing blend of Conan Doyle characters, situations, Victoriana?