Plots(1)
After the mysterious disappearance of her father, the beautiful Miss Morstan starts to receive a present each year - a very large, rare and lustrous pearl. Who is her secret benefactor, and why do they want to suddenly meet with her? The spellbinding mystery unfolds as Holmes and Watson are caught up in a cat and mouse chase, pursuing a priceless hoard of Indian treasure and a murderer whose ominous trademark is "the sign of four." (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
The mystery surrounding the quartet from the Andaman penal colony and the Rajah's treasure is among the detective's most notorious cases, so one can focus on Jeremy Brett and his immersion in a role that seemed more challenging than "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" on the stage. Relieved to be among eccentrics even more peculiar than himself, he employs dogs and children for the job. Tormented by his inability to crack the case, he paces the room at night, irritably berating the poor housekeeper, and only sharpens his senses when something remarkable appears. The best scene is the final one. Although the treasure chest is empty, the greedy cat Watson peers out the window looking for a marriage prospect. And Holmes? Over-deduced and buried under facts, he collapses into a well-deserved nap.
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The feature-length Sherlock Holmes has more time for everything - for Watson to be given the same space as Holmes, for the directing to win (all those shots through mirrors, which were enough even in "ordinary" episodes, are also here, and even more imaginative), so that the story flows at a pleasant and unhurried pace, and that the final explanation and narrative is impressive enough. It was successful again.
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