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Philip Nguyen
Professor Haas
Writing 39B
7 June 2014
An Upgraded Watson
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created during the late Victorian Era by one of
the first writers of detective fiction, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. During the late Victorian Era,
Conan Doyles stories became widely popular and the detective genre blossomed. During this
time period a majority of the middle class enjoyed Doyles detective stories. But what is the
detective genre and how did it blossom? A literary scholar, George N. Dove, wrote a book, The
Reader and the Detective Story, that discusses the impact of a detective story on the reader. Dove
states that the detective genre is a combination of crime, spy fiction, and science fiction but it has
notable differences that make it unique compared to other genres (1). The detective genre
became popular because Doyles Sherlock Holmes stories reflected Britains culture and
especially the middle class, who enjoyed reading about a hero they could relate to. At the end of
a hectic day, middle class readers could count on a fictional hero to save the day. Dove states that
The recreational value of detective fiction has always been recognized by the reading public,
and a veteran reader can testify to the pleasure of curling up with a good "whodunit" in the
evening as the best means of blanking out the problems of the external world. (1). The Sherlock
Holmes stories became popular because the audience could escape from a troublesome reality
and into an adventure full of mysteries that would be solved in the end by the great detective.
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In addition, Doyles stories grew popular because of Doyles decision to use John
Watson, Sherlock Holmes assistant, as the narrator. According to literary scholar, Leroy Panek,
who wrote the book An Introduction to the Detective Story, Watsons narration allows Holmes to
be portrayed as an interesting genius. Panek writes One way Doyle followed toward making
Holmes interesting was to keep him in reserve. The stories suggest Holmes is a complex and
fascinating man, but they do not say much about him. Doyle effected this by using Watson as the
narrator (92). Since Watson is less intelligent than the genius Holmes, the audience finds it
easier to relate to Watson. Literary scholar, Maria Konnikova, wrote Mastermind: How to Think
Like Sherlock discussing how readers can learn to think like Sherlock Holmes. In the chapter
The Scientific Method of the Mind, she describes two thinking systems, the Watson System,
and the Holmes System: Think of the Watson system as our nave selves, operating by the lazy
thought habits-the ones that come most naturally, the so called path of least resistance-that weve
spent our whole lives acquiring (18). Because the Watson thinking system is more common for
any reader, it is easier to follow along with Watson in the story.
The classic convention of Watson as the more relatable character remains popular today
and is still illustrated in modern adaptations of the original Doyle stories. However, Watson
himself has been updated and revised in order to fit the modern culture, as well as appeal to the
21
st
century audience. On December 25, 2009, director Guy Ritchies film adaptation of Conan
Doyles Sherlock Holmes was released in theatres. The film, entitled Sherlock Holmes, featured
two famous actors, Robert Downey Jr., who plays Holmes, had previously starred in the Iron
Man movie series as Iron Man, and Jude Law, who plays Watson, has also starred in action-
adventure films like The Aviator. In Sherlock Holmes, Holmes and Watson work together to stop
Lord Henry Blackwood, who is planning to murder politicians and take control of Parliament. A
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sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, was released on December 16, 2011, with
Downey Jr. and Law returning to play their respective roles. In this sequel, Holmes and Watson
attempt to take down Holmes arch rival, Professor James Moriarty. Both films were directed by
Guy Ritchie, an English director who is known for directing films such as Revolver and
RocknRolla.
Both films feature a more intelligent Watson, who, although is still not as smart as
Holmes, is able to observe, deduce, and even keep up with Holmes in a conversation. In the two
films, Watsons character becomes more intelligent and confident in order to appeal to the
audience. First, having Watson as the narrator to tell the story is no longer necessary because of
the use of a new medium. The audience follows along with the story by listening to the dialogue
between characters. Different filming techniques, camera effects, editing effects, and lighting
effects are used to create different emotions within the audience depending on what effect is
used. Edward Douglas, a movie critic, states that Watson is more than just a sidekick (1). The
21
st
century audience is more educated than those of the Victorian Era, and in order to
compensate for a now smarter audience; Watson has to become smarter as well. By having
Watson more intelligent, he becomes a more useful partner as compared to the original Doyle
stories, where he was unable to grasp the concepts of deductions. The new level of intelligence
allows Watson to be recognized as a crucial main character and not a mere sidekick. With
Holmes, the audience observes the two not as a teacher-student relationship as seen in the Doyle
stories, but as brothers who are close in intelligence levels and are able to work together.
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In Sherlock Holmes, the audience is introduced to Jude Laws Watson, a tall, handsome
Victorian gentleman. Here, the audience quickly observes that Watson is a fit man who is
capable of putting up a fight. But how is the classical convention portrayed in the film? At the
end of the film, Watson is still puzzled as to how Blackwood remained alive but lacked a pulse.
After being explained how Blackwood survived the hanging, Watson states And none of this
explains Blackwoods lack of pulse. Holmes answers back with Now to the medical mystery,
we must restore your reputation Watson. In this line, when Holmes is actually referring to
Watsons intelligence when he says reputation. This shows that although Holmes
acknowledges Watsons newfound intelligence, he is still smarter than Watson. Holmes explains
to Watson, There is a toxinthat induces apparent mortal paralysis. The film retains bits of
remnants of the classical convention by keeping Watson less intelligent than Holmes
Conversely, one scene where Watson displays his new gained intelligence is the scene
where Holmes examines the body of an industrial worker. While Holmes is examining the body,
Watson listens to his observations and deduces that the worker is from a factory by the river, 9
hours away from their location. Holmes validates this deduction and concludes that they will find
Blackwood hiding at the factory. In this scene, the conversation between Holmes and Watson are
presented through the use of fast cut editing. The camera switches back and forth between the
two characters as they speak, allowing the audience to focus on the dialogue. By focusing on the
dialogue, the audience recognizes Watsons confident tone. This shows that Watson is not
confused and knows exactly what he is talking about. The scene features a medium long shot that
allows both characters to fit into the camera. The audience is able to see Holmes observing the
body and Watson turning back to look at Holmes. This shows how Watson is listening to the
observations that Holmes is making. The fast cuts are used again as the camera focuses on
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Holmes and quickly changes to Watson, who turns away. The fast cuts allow the audience to
focus their perspective on Watson and they are able to see Watson casually organizing his books.
This implies that he understands what Holmes is saying and does not need to pay attention. A
close shot of Watsons face shows that he is not puzzled or lost. As Holmes is about to state the
location of where the worker was from, Watson interrupts him by saying 9 Hours. The camera
quickly switches to Watson, who has his back turned to the camera, and then to Holmes, who has
a surprised look on his face. With the fast cut editing, whenever Watson speaks, the audience can
see his facial expression due to a medium close up shot. When Holmes confirms Watsons
deductions, the frame is shot with a shallow depth of field, which allows Watson to be seen in
the background, with a blurry image of Holmes back in the front. This allows the audience to
observe Watsons delighted grin. Watsons grin allows the audience to not only imply that
Watson is now a smarter character who is able to make deductions on his own compared to the
Doyle stories, but Watson is also confident in himself.
Just like the first film, Watsons intelligence is again exemplified in Sherlock Holmes: A
Game of Shadows, when he is able to observe, deduce, and stop an assassination attempt without
the help of Holmes. Towards the end of the film, Watson and a character named Simza, travel to
a summit in Switzerland to stop an assassination attempt. Prior to this scene, there is a medium
close up shot of Holmes and Watson. Holmes states you know my methods, implying that
Watson is intelligent enough to work the case on his own and Watson replies with And I know
where youll be. The camera focuses on the two men and the audience can see Watsons
determination and confidence as he looks into Holmes eyes. The perpetrator, Rene Heron,
Simza's brother, is disguised with a facial reconstruction but Watson is able to notice that the
colors of Herons eyes have changed with contact lenses. Watson then deduces that because of
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facial surgery, Heron must have grown enough facial hair to cover the scars. Watson's
intelligence is portrayed by the shot reverse shot. In this scene, the shot reverse shots alternate
between Watson and what he is observing. Based off what he is observing, the audience knows
that Watson is planning to make a deduction. The shots show different observations such as the
shoes, hair, and outfits of the potential perpetrator. The audience is then able to see Watsons
keen observations. The fast cuts show the conversation between Simza and Watson, and Watson
deduces that they must observe the facial hair of the men. Here, Watson is explaining his
deductions to Simza, which indicates that he does not need Holmes to do the explanations.
Furthermore, Watson is in a close up shot with the camera. The close up shots is in shallow focus
so that the audience directly sees and pays attention to Watson's face. With low-key lighting, and
a bit of fill in shadow, the facial features of Watson is shown and defined. With all these
combinations, the audience sees his intense focus and thoughts. The lighting allows Watson to
appear as a man of importance and intelligence; he is no longer the unintelligent man who could
not deduce as portrayed in Doyles stories.
Doyles classical convention of having Watson as the less intelligent partner is revised in
order to fit into the modern culture. Watson does not have to be less intelligent in order for the
audience to follow along in the story. In order for Watson to appeal towards the audience, he
must be presented as smart gentleman who is capable of carrying himself throughout the story.
The revised convention allows the audience to see Watson not as a shadow of Holmes, but now
his own individual character. Instead of having Watson be clueless when it comes to deductions,
Watson is able to keep up with Holmes. The relationship between Holmes and Watson is now
like a brotherly one. The brotherly bond is enhanced by the comedic scenes, the action scenes
and of course, the scenes where both Watson and Holmes, observe and deduce. The classical
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convention of Watson is constantly undergoing changes and revisions to adapt to the current
audience. Tomorrows updated convention of Watson may be different than what it is today.
Maybe Watson will one day be even smarter than Holmes.
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Works Cited
Conan Doyle, Arthur. The Sign of the Four. Seattle: Amazon Digital Services, 2013. Kindle
eBook. Online.
Douglas, Edward. "Comingsoon.net." Sherlock Holmes Movie Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May
2014.
Dove, George N. The Reader and the Detective Story. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State
University Popular Press, 1997. Print.
Ebert, Roger. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Movie Review (2011) | Roger Ebert." All
Content. 14 Dec. 2011. Web. 18 May 2014.
"Film Analysis Guide -- Plain HTML Version." Film Analysis Guide -- Plain HTML Version.
N.p., 2002. Web. 21 May 2014.
"Guy Ritchie." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 8 May 2014. Web. 21 May 2014.
Konnikova, Maria. Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes. New York: Viking, 2013.
Print.
Panek, Leroy. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State
University Popular Press, 1987. Print.