Chanel Huang

Dr. Lynda Haas

Writing 39B
21 May 2014
Sherlock and Infamous Irene Adler
Throughout the years, more and more famous plays and novelssuch as Romeo
and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Wuthering
Heights by Emily Bronteare being made into have been reinterpreted and recreated
as movies and television shows. The combination of visual effects, effective casting, and
cinematography creates an experience that cannot be matched by other medium;
thereforethus, attracting a wider range of audience and re-popularizing the original
works and attracting a wider range of audience. However, in an attempting to increase
their appeals, most filmmakers modernize the originalsmost originals are modernized
in hopes to make them appear more relevant to the modern day audience group. The
legendary Sherlock Holmes novels stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are no exception.
Classical conventions such as Sherlock Holmes almost robotic characteristics and lack
of romantic interests specifically illustrated in the novel The Sign of the Four and the
short story A Scandal in Bohemiahave been revised in order to adapt to the new 21
st

century audience.
Back iIn Sir Arthur Conan Doyles original Sherlock Holmes novelsstories, Holmes
is portrayed almost as an automatonas his sidekick, Dr. John Watson, had put it (The
Sign 22). He doesnt care for anything other than the thrills and excitements solving
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cases bring him. In his book, An Introduction to the Detective Story, Literary scholar,
Leroy Panek similarly noted, Doyle applies machine images to Holmes (82).
Furthermore, he Panek acknowledges that, Doyle makes Holmes an instrument for
detection, and that , Holmes fills his cranial attic only with those things which help
him solve crimes(82). This is why This is further emphasized by Holmes disinterest
when Watson mentioned to Holmes how attractive Miss Mary Morstan, their client in
The Sign of the Four is. Contrary to Watsons excitement, , was Holmes simply replied,
Is she? I did not observe. In addition, iInstead of having Holmes say, I didnt notice or
I didn't see, Doyle had Holmes say I didnt observe indicating that he saw, he noticed,
but he didnt care toor keep it in mind as it doesnt isnt information that will help him
solve the case. This implies that Mary Morstan, or any women for that matter, is merely
a client to him and he can only see her as a client. Watson had described that
[Holmes]He was, I take it, the most prefect reasoning and observing machine that the
world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position
(Adventure 1); ) as Conan Doyle had never portrayed Holmes to fall in love in all of his
series, even with the infamous Irene Adler. She, nonetheless, holds a special place in
Holmes heart, reflected in A Scandal in Bohemia as it is understood that Holmes
considered the photograph of herself that Adler had left behind was more valuable than
the kings emerald snake ring (20). Undoubtedly, She was one of the few people who she
mattered to him because she was one of the only ones to ever outwit Holmes; thus,
winning his interest and respect. From her, he learned the cost of underestimating the
intelligence and capability of women. In his eyes, Watson had described, [IreneAdler]
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eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex (1). Hher canniness drastically sets her
apart from the other Victorian women who tend to be more passive and less educated.
He respected her wholeheartedly, but thats all; the romantic element between the two
is a later convention filmmakers had incorporated for the enjoyment of modern-day
audience.
In BBCs adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes series, Sherlock, Holmes relationship
with Irene Adler is much more romantic-based. His attraction towards her is largely
empathized emphasized throughout The Scandal in Belgravia, the second episode of
Season 2. In order to make Sherlock more loveable in todays society, BBC producers
created an illusion in which the audience are misled to believe that at one point
Sherlock Holmes had almostif not alreadyfallen for the dominatrix, Irene Adler, and
that he had given into the chemical defect found on the losing sidesentiment. In the
episode, Sherlock Holmes had been asked by his brother , Mycroft, to retrieve Irene
Adlers camera phone which contained top-secret information in which she depends her
life on. After Sherlock Holmes learned that Irene Adler had faked her death and found
her in 221B Baker St., he gets too carried away in Adlers her challenges and cracks the
code for her and unknowingly ruins MODs ploy. Because of his previous encounter with
Irene Adler and the trick she played on his concerning the passcode to her camera
phone, Sherlock Holmes wanted to get back on her badly; thus, when she admits to
not being able to understand the code he quickly deciphers it without questioning.
During the scene, the camera is mainly focused on Sherlock Holmes and
IreneAdleralmost a whip panwith the occasional shots of John Watson from time to
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time implying indicating how fired up and focused in their world the couple were.
AlsoFurthermore, Irenes Adlers shots are mostly low-angled indicating that shes the
one in control of the situation. This helps her come across as really intelligent and
confident and it iss no doubt to the audience Sherlock Holmes would be attracted to her.
In addition, its also possible that Sherlock Holmes might have been aware of his
confounded feelings towards her and thats why he doesnt trick her to give him the
passcode with his usual intensity, but ratheras , as John Watson astutely points out,
went with the flow, letting her play her game which ultimately creates the sense of the
two flirting, and when Irene Adler outsmarts SherlockHolmes, forcing him to give her
back her camera phone, he just drops the whole thing and hands it to her, with a
compliment, Oh, youre quite good, whereas hed normally forces it out of the person.
This romantic element is included because it is what todays audience group desires.
In the movie Sherlock Holmes directed by Guy Ritchie starring Robert Downey Jr.
and Jude Law, it is presented so that at Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes first encounter
reveals to the audience can straight off see that there was a romantic history between
the two. The scene starts off with Sherlock waking up to Irene checking out his flat. In
order to further exaggerate Adlers attractiveness, Guy Ritchie had made some minor
adjustments. Unlike the BBC or original Conan Doyle version, Irene Adler had divorced
her husband, whom she had described as boring, jealous, and prone to snoring. This
indicates the power Irene Adler has and sets her apart from the others right off the bat
since back in the during the Victorian Era, which is the setting of the movie, women had
no say in anything let allow file for divorce. In those days, once a woman is married, she
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is most likely to be married to her husband until he dies or divorces her. The fact that
Adler was he one who divorced him would be unimaginable incomprehensible to Conan
Doyle. Furthermore, how Irene Adler criticizes of her former husband would not have
been acceptable in that time periodthat era either. Her assertiveness is also a later
convention since thats what todays society had sculptured an attractive and desirable
woman to be: to have personality, is independent, confident, and intelligent. As Irene
Adler and Sherlock Holmes discusses the reason for Irenes her unexpected visit, the
camera shots are at almost the same leveleye-levelunlike the BBC
version, suggesting that Guy Ritchie wants the audience to see the two as equals.
Contrasting the flirting and fighting for control, this versionthe movie portrays more of
a partners-in-crime, best friend relationship between the couple since that is more
relatable loved by todays audience group.to the audience group. The movie also relies
more on the characters facial expressions to set the romantic and flirtatious mood
whereas the television show relies on the words. This is why the shots are mostly
close-ups and the whip pan scene rather than a stationary with camera shooting the two
facing each other, talking. The close-ups highlight the actors detailed and specific facial
expressions luring the audience in creating an experience readers wouldn't would not
be able to experience by just reading the books.
Different conventions are both added and revised in unique ways from the original
works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as because changes are needed since people and
society interprets things differently nowthan before. These revisions in both the
characters of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler are fit to suit the bold and unique
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preference of the audience of modern-day society.










Work Cited
Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Sign of the Four. Seattle: Amazon Digital Services, 2013.
Kindle eBook. Online.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. "Adventure 1: A Scandal in Bohemia." The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes. Lit2Go Edition. 1892. Web.
McMahon, Colin. "I Love the Woman: An Analysis of Love, Power, and the Character of
Irene Adler (Sherlock)." The Red Rings of Redemption. 31 Mar. 2014 Web.
Panek, Leroy. An Introduction to the Detective Story. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling
Green State University Popular Press, 1987. Print.
Prunes, Mriano, Michael Raine, and Mary Litch. "Film Analysis Guide -- Plain HTML
Version." Film Analysis Guide -- Plain HTML Version. Yale University, 27 Aug. 2002.
Web.
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