The Devil's Foot

I suppose I am adding this comment as counterweight to the only other existing comment about this episode of the excellent Granada Holmes series.

While not the best of the series it certainly stands out as one of the better ones and is infinitely better than some other Holmes adaptations we have been subjected to in the past decades. An original and classic Sherlock Holmes story is not so much about a detective solving a murder case. We are not talking whodunnit here. People who are looking for that sort of thing had better look out for the odd Agatha Christie movie. A Holmes story is mostly about atmosphere, be it the foggy, nostalgic, and mysterious atmosphere of Victorian London, or, in this case, the lonesome, mystic and eerie air of the Cornish countryside.

Anyone who is slightly acquainted with the canon of Sherlock Holmes stories will know that all occurrences have a scientific and logical explanation. So there is no reason to dwell unnecessarily long on the possibility of something supernatural happening. Of course the astute viewer will have identified the criminal rather early but contrary to the plots of classic whodunnits some of the best Holmes stories feature a criminal who only appears towards the end of the story and is usually some strange and outlandish character from the victim's past. In a whodunnit we would resent such a solution but in a Holmes story which is mostly about atmosphere we do not.

These Granada Holmes deals are hit and miss because of the way the creative teams were assigned. This is one of the bad ones, beyond remarking.

There are two mildly interesting things about the episode.

One is the continuing oscillation between supernatural forces and the mechanical logic of life that was popular in Victorian England. These forces pull extremes, even today. This version of the story plays that down. From the very first you know we are dealing with a powdered drug. From the very first you know who did it and why.

The other interesting thing is a continuing issue in film. How do you deal with distortions of reality, like dreams and hallucinations? There seems to be a sort of hack vocabulary for this that TeeVee imposes: some wavy images, threatening situations, blood from skin, short, confusing exposures, jittery camera.

Its done here in the clumsiest of ways. Five years later a more maddened Brett would be in "The Last Vampyre" that was equally bad as a Holmes, but much better in the hallucination department.

Oh and accompanying music that seems to come from only one source. This, my friends is why there will never be a decent Holmes produced for TeeVee. Whenever these choices have to be made, the TeeVee vocabulary is just too hackneyed and ordinary.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

I love the Granada Sherlock Holmes adaptations, and this adaptation of The Devil's Foot epitomises why. In fact, it is a contender for my favourite episode of the series, that is how good it is. It is relatively faithful to the source material, and while the story is still a fine read, this adaptation in some ways improves on it.

As always, the production values are superb. The sets and costumes are meticulous, the photography is skillful and the atmosphere is resolutely creepy and mysterious. Coupled with one of the most haunting music scores of the series(gives The Red Circle a run for its money), fine sophisticated writing, good pacing, great direction and a classic story told in such an adept way you have a superb episode.

And I cannot not mention the acting. Jeremy Brett is a perfect Holmes with a gritty baritone and commanding presence and Edward Hardwicke is more than an ideal contrast as a thoughtful and composed Watson.

Overall, a wonderful episode and adaptation. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is an engrossing episode from "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" series--THE DEVIL'S FOOT. It starts out as possibly being a tale of the supernatural but instead the vacationing Sherlock Holmes uses reason to figure out who did the murders and why.

Brett and Hardwicke are well cast as the sleuth and his doctor friend, vacationing on the Cornish coast after the famous detective has suffered a nervous breakdown. They should have known better than to go this lonely locale expecting to find peace and solitude in the great outdoors far away from Baker Street.

Of course, it doesn't take long before a man turns up at their door with a story about three brothers and a sister enjoying a quiet game of cards, with one brother leaving after a brief quarrel. In the morning, the sister is found dead of apoplexy and the brothers are in a state of acute dementia with their faces frozen in horror. Holmes has to find out what caused the tragic occurrence--and why.

I found it one of the more interesting, if less baffling of the Holmes stories, but effectively produced with the proper atmosphere and settings. The explanations seemed credible and satisfying enough for any mystery fan. Well worth watching.

Memorable episode from "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" volume in the Granada series as well as one of the better adaptations in the series overall. Holmes and Watson go to the Cornish coast to recuperate, only to face bizarre double murders. The story is unique and leads to an unexpected conclusion. One moment that really stands out in this adaptation is it's acid dream sequence when Holmes has to put himself under hallucination to find out the solution to the mystery. Also notable in the story is Holmes giving up his habit of cocaine. Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke give their best performances and the atmosphere, photography, production values, and music are superb. Definitely a must watch for fans.