Benson Lim

Writing 39B Online

Dr. Harrison
8 August 2014
The Classical Convention of Watson In the Opening Scene
A detective genre is mixture of crime and mystery in which a detective
investigate the crime. Throughout the late Victorian century, detective genera
comprise of three main elements: one, a seemingly perfect crime; two, a wrongly
accused suspect; three, a great detective. Scholars throughout the century have
unanimously drawn to the same conclusion that these elements -a crime, a
detective, and a suspect- are what make a detective story interesting and
captivation. However, in todays society the notion that a detective genre comprise
of only these fundamental ingredients are not what make a detective genre
fascinating let alone interesting, but rather the idea of how a detective genre
conforms to the norms of the culture and heritage of it time period. In the twenty-
first century, detective stories are not set into stone, but rather, a representation of
todays culture. A notable examples is Sir Arthur Conan Doyles novels: Sherlock
Holmes. During this period, the late Victorian century, Doyles novels became very
popular; the reason was due to the fact that the his short stories of Holmes mirrored
the image of the readers setting, prominent the British culture. The classical
convention of detective genre, notable the classical convention of Watson is still
present in todays modern-day texts. The reason is because Watson is the
representation of the every day man.
In Sir Arthur Conan Doyles novel, John Watson, army physician, represent
the middle class man of London. He is known throughout literature for being
Sherlock Holmess partner in crime, as well as, the narrator for Doyles short stories.
In the todays modern society, the modern adaptation of Watson are mixed with the
new and old beliefs. However, scholar and critics will refute that the traditional
representation of Watson is still as it once was in Doyles novels. Such examples are
depicted in movies and television series. In the movie, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of
Shadows, Watsons character is highlighting as the modern day every day man as
depicted in Doyles novellas. While, in the BBC, British Broad Channel, series,
Sherlock, Watson character has also maintain the traditional representation of the
common man. Movies and television series update Watsons character, while
maintaining the historic cultural perception. The purpose of updating and
maintaining the classical convention of Watson is to make the viewers relate to
Watson as well as, captivating the audience attention in a new way. Some examples
are Watson function as the narrator, and Watson in the opening scene.
While other scholars argue that classical convention of Dr. John Watson has
not only change, but also maintain the same as it once did in the late Victorian
century. In the movie, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Watson, played by Jude
Law, function as the narrator in the movie. Watson purpose as the narrator is to
underscore Holmes genius character while functioning as an everday man. The
director, Guy Richie, conform to the classical convention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles
characterization of Watson, because he wants to contrast Holmes intelligence with
Watson own intelligence, while further exploring Holmes from another point of
view. Richie modernizes Watsons character by only using Watsons narration in the
opening scene, rather than using Doyles classical convection of Watson as the
narrator throughout the entire story line. In the opening scene to the sequel of the
movie Sherlock Holmes, Richie uses both a tracking shot and a medium close up to
depict Watson as the narrator. The scene takes place in the beginning where the
camera is using a tracking shot, a filming technique where the mobile frame travel
through space. He starts by focusing on parchments of paper scattered out
throughout the desk and then slowly transition to a typewriter where Watsons
hands are typing.Critics will that the scene has a close up shot of Watsons hand. The
purpose is teh illustrate that Watson is like the everyday London citizen who use
their hands to work. By making a subconscious relationship with the audience, then
the viewers will relate to Watsons character as average. Then scene shifts where
it begins to highlight Watsons voice as the narrator where there is an abrupt
change, a jump cut, in the setting to a medium close up shot, a technique that focus
on the subject from the chest up, of Watson i. In this part, the expression of Watson
is visible and noticeable, with a shadow focus on his face where half of his face is
dark, while the other is light. This technique is use to depict his the magnitude of the
situation as serious where every day people posses both good an bad traits. The
background of the setting takes place in his office where he is sitting on his chair,
however, the clarity and visibility is blurred to focus more on Watsons facial
expression to depict his admiration for Holmes. These filming elements, are used to
draw the audience attention to Watson by focusing only on his words and face. By
doing so, the viewers are drawn and focus of what he has to say, thereby, making the
Watsons words sound more important and significant in the movie. In the article,
An Introduction to a Detective Story, Leroy Panek explicate the function of Watson
is to laud and praise Holmes. He writes this as Watson main purpose is to juxtapose
his intelligence with Holmes, and to praise the detective while keep[ing] him
civilly reticent at the same time" (Panek 80). Peneks words are to denote the
purpose of Watson as to show a compare and contrast. The reader will fall logically
to this, by the way the structure of the film is taking place, where Watson is
narrating the plot that focuses on Holmes witty and cunning character. In addition,
the opening scene is to entice and draw the reader in to the classical convention of
Holmes as the first modern day detective. Some scholars such as Penek, along with
critics such as Robert Egert highlight Watson function is the depict the eccentric
investigator of 22 Baker Street where he is the bridge between Holmes and the
everyday life
In the book, Sherlock Holmes for the 21
st
century: Essay for New Adaptation, by
Lynnette Potter, Potter explicates that Watsons character has maintain it traditional
role in television and movie. Although, scholar and critics may argue that Watsons
character has transform and develop, scholars such as Potter refute that Watson
character has maintain it traditional role- the every day man. Potter denotes this by
saying that Watson profession, a practitioner, stamps and underscore his
character as average where it make him [a representation] of societal norm. A
keen example can be seen in the television series, Sherlock, directed by Mark Gatiss
and Steven Moffat. In the series, Gatiss and Moffat maintain Watson as the every day
man is to make the audience, the general public, feel as sense of empathy; by doing
this, Gatiss and Moffat makes Watsons character more relatable to the views. Gatiss
and Moffat achieves this sense of empathy is in the opening scene of the episode A
Study in Pink. In the opening scene, Watson, played by Martin Freemen, is show
staring into space while sitting on his bed in the dark. During the opening scene the
directors uses elliptical editing to shows the progression of time where Watsons
body comes and goes by the fading of his body. Then Gatiss and Moffat plays with
the contrast of light and dark by the changing the time from day to night, while
maintaining the decor, the set design, as basic, where it comprise of a bed, a desk, a
lamp, and a mirror. By changing the composition of the light with maintaining the
simple decor the views will develop the assumption of Watson as average, by the
bare essential of his house hold furniture. In addition, by playing with the
juxtaposition in shadow with the set design, Gatiss and Moffat maintain the classical
convection where they paint Watson as a common man who goes through every day
life struggles and hardship; this is classically note where Gatiss and Moffat center
Watson in a medium long shot. The purpose is the frame is to note Watson body
language and expression, where his face is obscured by the dark shadow and his
head looking down the floor indicate hardship; by doing this the directs makes the
audience further empathize and sympathize with Watsons struggle: PTS, post
traumatic stress. He achieves this by playing the audiences sensory to make the
views feel a time in their life where they felt similar hardship like the every day
person. Critics, such as Margaret Lyons further support Potters views of how
Watson character has maintains in traditional role. Watsons character in television
has uphold the classical standards where it to make the audience feel a sense of
reliability and link to Watson character.
Critics such as Egert along with Penek further buttress Watson function in
the movie as a supporting character, while scholars explicate that Watson function
as the everyday man. However, both critics and scholars are both drawn to the same
thesis that the classical convection of Watsons character has maintain throughout
literature, as well as, television series and movies. The convention of Watson as a
man, along with the representation of the common everyday folk is what has
maintained throughout century. The modern day adaptation and development of
Watsons character may have change, however, the core fundamental- the everyday-
has withstood the test of time.