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Marissa Porraz
Dr. Lynda Haas
Writing 39B
19 May 2014
My Revisions from first draft:
Where I went back and fixed the awkward sentence structure.
Where I put more explanation and gave more precise information.
Grammar/Conventions
Things I still need to revise for my third draft:
These are some last revisions to vague sentences that I was not able to catch in the second draft.
The Final Problems
Sir Arthur Conan Doyles creation of an archetypal detective genre has generated many
modern interpretations of Sherlock Holmes, his sidekick, John Watson, and their various mystery
solving adventures together. It is one of the few genres in which the reader becomes part of the
story; however, in modern film and television adaptations, the audience no longer experiences
the story through the classical narration of John Watson, but through the camera lens. These
modern takes on the Holmes series, such as Stephen Moffats Sherlock and Guy Ritchies
Sherlock Holmes films, give the audience much more freedom in determining the outcome of the
mystery because cinematic devices allow viewers the luxury of seeing Watson, Holmes, and
even Moriartys thought processes. With each new version of Holmes and Watson, there also
comes a new interpretation of the villain, Professor James Moriarty. Both Sherlock and the film
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows adapt Conan Doyles story The Final Problem, in
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which Holmes and Moriarty fight to the death; both adhere to original elements of the classic
Doyle stories, while using cinematic devices to build suspense for the 21
st
century audience.
In the final fight scene from A Game of Shadows, Sherlock Holmes, played by Robert
Downey Jr., is invited to both a chess match and a battle of wits with Professor Moriarty, who is
played by Jared Harris. Much to the surprise of the villain, Holmes has observed Moriartys
documentations in a small, red notebook, stolen from him in a previous altercation, and has
completely destroyed his diabolical plans for an all-out world war. Consequently, Holmes and
Moriartys symbolic chess match leads to a stalemate, as Holmes realizes the injury to his
shoulder will compromise him when added to Moriartys equally destructive mental foresight.
For the first time within the Sherlock Holmes stories and adaptations, the viewer is able to have a
glimpse into Professor Moriartys thoughts through a voiceover conversation he has with
Holmes. Over the course of the movie, an audience unaware of Sherlocks true fate has
developed a sense of sympathy for him and by including a supposed plot twist where the main
character dies; the element of surprise is established (Filmslate). However, for someone who has
read The Final Problem by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this element of surprise is not whether
Sherlock will die, but when. It is an essential scene because it keeps within the story the mutual
destruction of Holmes and Moriarty just as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle does it in The Final
Problem. In contrast, there is no final note left by Holmes to tell Watson of his inevitable death.
Instead, Watson walks in right at the ending of the scene as Holmes and Moriarty go over the
balcony, where Watson and Holmes exchange final glances before he is gone; thus, making for a
more dramatic scene for the audience.
Much of the suspense created within this scene is attributed to the cinematic structure
between film editing and sound. For example, an overlapping edit shows what Holmes and
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Moriarty are plotting for their next moves before punches are actually thrown and when the
actual actions happen. This type of editing adds the suspense to the fight because it emphasizes
both Holmes and Moriartys super powers of pre-cognition, that is their extreme ability to
deduce events in the future right before they happen. This means that the audience is shown the
beforehand, slow motion version of the altercation and then the actual fight itself; which, by this
time the fighters have already planned their throws and are now executing them. Additionally,
the camera angle is at eye level, which speaks to the equal mental and physical power of
Moriarty and Holmes (DaVega). Holmes and Moriarty are equal forces, if not the same person,
but on opposing sides and the camera angle is what accentuates this concept. Sound is another
important element that adds to the drama because as film professor Stephen DaVega argues, the
audience notices it less, but feels it more than many elements of visual cinematic language
(0:36-0:42). Within the fight scene between Holmes and Moriarty, the audience hears the
voiceovers of the two mens thoughts, a synchronous sound, made to match what we see in the
images with what is likely to happen. The post-synchronous dubbing, such as the sound of the
fists flying and whirring motions with each swing of the arm elevate the action of the fight.
Finally, the fast-paced score increases the pace of suspense, which guessing at will come next,
determined to know the final outcome of the fight (Yale). Yet, and the end of the scene, the
slower, more dramatic score establishes the loss of a sympathized character, and re-establishes
the cinematic reality of what the audience has just witnessed.
Since it is set in the 21
st
century London, the last episode of Sherlock season 2, The
Reichenbach Fall, Holmes and Moriarty solve their final problem on the rooftop of St.
Bartholomews Hospital. Earlier in the show, Moriarty has successfully destroyed Holmes
reputation and the audience believes the only way out is for Holmes to commit suicide;
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otherwise, Moriartys men will kill the three most important people in his life: Watson, Ms.
Hudson, and Inspector Lestrade. Here, emotion is evoked and thus creates heightened suspense
as the audience is now torn between their beloved main character and his friends, whom we have
gained sympathy for through the course of the series (Filmslate). What differs from the classic
story The Final Problem and Moffats interpretation is that there is no literal Reichenbach Fall
(an actual waterfall in Switerland) that Holmes goes down, but rather he falls from a building
and also experiences and symbolic fall from grace, in which his reputation is destroyed due to
Moriarty and the Reichenbach case. Also, Moriarty does not take this fall with Holmes, but
strays from Doyles story by killing himself. On the other hand, what has been salvaged from the
classic stories is the diversion that Moriarty sets up for Watson to be somewhere else, in this
case, ensuring Ms. Hudson is safe. Lastly, Holmes calls Watson on his cell phone in order to
give him a modern twist of the suicide note that the original Holmes left in The Final Problem.
Ultimately, the suspense of the last scene of The Reichenbach Fall is created through
similar cinematic elements as those used in A Game of Shadows. For example, the shot that
closes in on Holmes and Moriarty shaking hands symbolizes how they have essentially become
the same person. Combined with the beating sounds in the background, it foreshadows an
unexpected plot twist of Moriartys upcoming suicide. Within aspects of the scene, the audience
sees the two characters in conversation in a full shot, where it frames them, reduces the
background, and emphasizes their importance (DaVega). Once Moriarty shoots himself, the pace
of the beating sounds get faster and the score intensifies that it necessary for Holmes to make a
decision. Consequently, the element of immediacy is put into the scene and creates suspense
when combined with the other elements of sound and framing (Filmslate). Racking focus is
utilized as it shifts between each of the speakers and blurring out the listener as the other is
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talking, thus causing the viewer to focus and refocus on each character as he speaks (Yale).
Lastly, the calmer score that follows Moriartys suicide illustrates Holmes final decision and his
goodbye to Watson.
The modern day interpretations of Sherlock Holmes display how the directors have both
taken liberties with the Holmes genre, but also left in some of the crucial classical elements of
the Conan Doyle stories. With this in mind A Game of Shadows displays how the director, Guy
Ritchie, attempts to leave in some of the classical elements of the Holmes stories while creating a
modern twist. Although the film is set in the late Victorian Period, the film is still filled with
many anachronistic elements that tie into the heighten suspense of the action genre. For instance,
esteemed film critic, Roger Ebert claims that many of the explosions, gunfire, special effects,
and fights bear no comparison to the fistcuffs of the period, essentially that all the advanced
technology used in the film would not have been relevant in the actual Victorian period, but in
order to appeal to the 21
st
century audience, these anachronistic elements elevate the action and
suspense within the movie. Nevertheless, Sherlock Holmes takes on more of a superhero role,
more than simply the sarcastic and witty consulting detective the Sherlock audience knows. In
addition, the film incorporates somewhat of a love affair between Irene Adler and Sherlock
Holmes despite that the classic stories say that he simply does not have a love life. Lastly, James
Moriarty is actually presented as a university professor and an equal, if not more powerful
opponent for Sherlock Holmes.
Conversely, the BBC Sherlock series is both made and set in the twenty-first century.
What adds to the construction of the show is that along with Sherlocks unique knowledge and
deduction skills, he is aided with more advanced technology such as phones, texting, internet,
taxicabs, and even the hospital laboratory. As the film critic known as MEW argues, This
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cutting edge Sherlock has a smart phone permanently attached to his hand, which he consults at
lightning speed. Rather than send telegrams, he texts. Rather than publishing articles and
monographs, he has a website called The Science of Deduction. This goes hand in hand
with the advanced graphics that the creators incorporated into scenes for the reason that the show
is set in the twenty-first century. Graphics such as superimposition of road maps of London,
subways maps, and Holmes deductions bring the viewer into the Mind Palace of Holmes, but
also plays on the time period of the twenty-first century while still incorporating the classical
elements of Doyles stories.
Essentially, even with all the differences between the two modern interpretations of
Sherlock Holmes, both Sherlock and A Game of Shadows allow the audience to enter Holmes
thoughts. This is something that the classical Doyle stories leave out so that the readers will be
more active in figuring the mystery out for themselves. In one respect, the modern versions of
the Doyle stories still incorporate the viewer into the story, piecing together the clues with
Holmes and Watson. Although the detective canon dates back to the Victorian era, even newer
generations of readers and viewers in the 21
st
century find that the detective genre as a whole
must be followed even with the large gap of time between the centuries. In addition, the fight
scenes are what do the classical stories the justice by adding the elements needed to create the
much-needed suspense to persistently keep the viewer thinking. Lastly, the modern twist of the
villain Moriarty is something new as we actually get to know the weaknesses and even the
thoughts of the all-powerful nemesis. Essentially, the final problems are worked out in very
different ways, but ultimately tackle the same conventions the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
created.


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Works Cited
Building Suspense: How to Keep the Audience at the Edge of their Seats. Filmslate. Web.
18 May 2014. < http://www.filmslatemagazine.com/filmmaking/building-
suspense-how-to-keep-the-audience-on-the-edge-of-their-seat>
DaVega, Stephen. Angles YouTube. YouTube, 19 October 2009. Web. 19 May 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULLesIpNQUA>
_____. Sound YouTube. YouTube, 19 October 2009. Web. 19 May 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kpFj8rLSfw>
_____. Shot Types and Implied Proximity YouTube. YouTube, 19 October 2009.
Web. 19 May 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhPm3UBF5mk>
Doyle, Arthur Conan. Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes: Adventure #11: The Final Problem.
Lit2Go. PDF.
Ebert, Roger. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Movie Review. RogerEbert.com. 2011.
Online Publication. <http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-
shadows-2011>
MEW. Review-Sherlock BBC TV. McCurdos Camp. 2011 January. Online Publication.
<http://mcmurdoscamp.wordpress.com/cultural-items-2/review-bbcs-new-sherlock/>
Ritchie, Guy, dir. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Warner Bros. Pictures. 2011. Film.
The Reichenbach Fall. Sherlock. BBC. United Kingdom. Television.
Prunes, Mariano, et al. Part 3: Cinematography. Yale University Film Studies Program. 27
August 2002. Online. Publication. <http://classes.yale.edu/film-
analysis/htmfiles/nojava_index.htm>
_____. Part 4: Editing. Yale University Film Studies Program. 27 August 2002. Online
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Publication. <http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/nojava_index.htm>
_____. Part 5: Sound. Yale University Film Studies Program. 27 August 2002. Online
Publication. <http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/nojava_index.htm>