Sherlock Holmes et le docteur Watson

When you visit museum of Sherlock Holmes in London, Baker St., first thing that you see on the second floor is a number of pictures of all actors who ever played Holmes in the movies, and in the middle of that compilation you can see the biggest photo - the photo of Vasiliy Livanov.

All world cinematographers (including British ones) have admitted that Vasiliy Livanov is the best Sherlock Holmes that ever appeared on screen. And it is true. There were made several movies about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr.Watson for Russian TV in the late 70-ies and early 80-ies, including such films as The Meeting, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Bloody Script and many more (about 10 total number). Livanov as Sherlock, Vitaliy Solomin as Watson, Rina Zelenaya as Mrs.Hudson, Borislav Brondukov as Inspector Lestrade all make these series directed by Igor Maslennikov an all-time masterpiece. Almost all of actors started their careers in theaters (Livanov, Solomin and Zelenaya continued giving performances even after their success on the big screen) which gave films amazing atmosphere of reality. The images of old London were carefully reconstructed in Baltic cities almost untouched by time which gave movies a lot of similarities with real XIX century London. All movies (it wouldn't be right to call them episodes) are set on very high level, and from the opening unforgettable music score they charm every viewer. It's very hard to distinguish the best film of the series, every of them has something unique. The Hound of the Baskervilles for example has the greatest number of participating celebrities, including Nikita Mikhalkov (internationally known for directing and playing in such movies like An Unfinished Piece for Mechanical Piano, The Barber of Siberia, Oscar-winning Burnt by the Sun etc.), Oleg Yankovskiy (Nostalgia by Tarkovskiy), Evgeniy Steblov and many more. This set of movies is a must-see for everyone whether you've read the book or not. It's rather difficult to find these movies with English subtitles but they exist and trust me, they worth searching for them. 10 out of 10 for all films.

Vasili Livanov dons the deerskin cap for the first time in the Russian series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" and does an excellent job at it. The movie begins with the titular acquaintance between Holmes and Dr. Watson as Watson, fresh from the East Indies, moves in with Holmes and in the 221 Baker Street apartment. Shenanigans of a mysterious, often baffling nature, lead Watson quite humorously to suspect Holmes as a criminal mastermind of some kind before he reveals himself as a private detective. The ensuing murder mystery involving two sisters, their stepfather and a heritage is not all that good but for an introductory film it's nevertheless solid material. What really stands out is the baroque atmosphere and sets, the cinematic feel for a movie that was practically made for TV and the cinematography that uses heavy blacks and lush colours.

OK, maybe the English subtitles aren't perfect. And maybe the foley artist's efforts could be better (or better edited). But the actors, screenplay, directing, sets, and cinematography are the best of all Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Perhaps the single Jeremy Brett episode "The Abbey Grange" matches it for screenplay (Trevor Bowen) and directing (?) and cinematography (note the use of reflections).

The Sherlock Holmes character in the Russian adaptation is logical (but not coldly so), understanding, and, in some sense, warm. He is capable of humorous pranks. In other words, he is not so distant that he seems not quite sane. The Conan Doyle stories portray Holmes as a more unusual person, like the Cumberbatch characterization

The first half of the Acquaintances episode cleverly and amusingly cements the relationship between Holmes and Watson, and introduces Mrs. Hudson as knowledgable and understanding of Holmes' ways. In the second half, Holmes solves a mystery. Spoiler Alert - the English subtitled word "motley" probably should be "mottled."

This remarkable adaptation exists simultaneously in three temporal dimensions - Victorian England, Soviet-era production, and contemporary viewing - creating a unique cultural phenomenon that transcends simple period drama. Director Igor Maslennikov crafted something far more profound than mere escapism, though that was his stated intent to "escape from Soviet reality." Ironically, this very escape became a collective experience that captured the zeitgeist of an entire nation.

What makes this adaptation particularly fascinating is its treatment of Holmes himself. Rather than falling into the trap of making Holmes a one-dimensional "thinking machine," Maslennikov understood that Holmes as a pure functional character would collapse under his own weight. Instead, he created a delicate balance where Watson becomes an equally vital presence, humanizing the detective and grounding the narrative in emotional reality.

The series constructs an almost fairytale-like world, where evil never truly threatens and good's triumph is assured - yet this isn't a weakness but rather a brilliant reimagining of both Conan Doyle's London and Soviet cultural mythology. In Maslennikov's hands, Victorian London becomes a harmonious, timeless space.

Vasily Livanov's Holmes deserves special praise for finding humanity within the detective's mechanical precision. His performance, honored by the British Empire itself, demonstrates how great acting can transcend cultural barriers. Vitaly Solomin's Watson is equally crucial, providing warm humanity that perfectly counterbalances Holmes's analytical nature.

This TV production from the Soviet Lenfilm studio is a superb screen translation of the Sherlock Holmes story to the screen. The producers found ways to remain very faithful to the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle while modifying things slightly to make them work well as films. Here they embellish the first parts of "A Study in Scarlet" before moving into a pared-down "Speckled Band," and it works very well as a film on its own.

It's an unanswerable question to me who the best screen Holmes (or the best Watson for that matter) was. Some have certainly been better than others but each has brought unique and interesting qualities to the role. It is enough for me that here Vasili Livanov and Vitali Solomin are extraordinarily good. Their performances are magnetic viewing and full of subtlety. Every scene between the is memorable.

In the first half of "Acquaintance," the real mystery doesn't revolve around a crime but around Sherlock Holmes' character -- and Watson, whose character -- a romantic, artistic, intelligent doctor who would like to think he minds his own business but really does not -- is wonderfully fleshed out -- is the detective. This makes perfect sense as a way of introducing the two characters, but still seems like an innovation here.

It also looks wonderfully lavish and the filming is contrastingly expansive and suspensefully claustrophobic. It's clear a lot of care was well spent on these adaptation, and it is only right that they should have received notoriety decades after they were filmed and far from the former USSR.