Truly Dreadful Film

the audience applauded

A Major Disappointment

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Robert Hardy died only 5 days ago at age 91, but here he shows his great talent by brilliantly playing the oily title character.It must be said at the outset that Charles Augustus Milverton was closely-based on a real (alleged) "master blackmailer", Charles Augustus Howell, a shady art dealer who now has his own Wikipedia page.In case anyone thinks the denouement of this episode is a case of "wishful thinking", Howell's end in real life was strikingly similar to Milverton's even though his real killer still remains unknown.The early scene in the Victorian gay bar is, of course, not suggested by Doyle's original and the drag singer is singing Debussy's early song (Beau Soir in an English translation) but it seems a logical scene to include in an updated episode about a blackmailer.

"The Case of Charles Augustus Milverton" is the basis for this entry in the Holmes saga. In it a master blackmailer with no sense of compassion uses young women by buying up incriminating letters and documents from disreputable, money grubbing people. He pays a healthy fee, but gains recompense at a future time. Usually, these are young women with marriage prospects, who have done something that will either destroy any possibility of matrimony or cause embarrassment to their upper crust husbands. A young military man takes his own life and this leads to a series events, including one where Holmes and Watson risk their careers to do what is right. Milverton is one of the slimiest villains in the history of literature, having almost no redeeming qualities. His portrayal is subtle and quiet, like a cobra lying in the bush. But he is the most evil kind of cad with no qualms about engaging his psychotic plans. He considers himself a shrewd businessman and carnage is his business.

The production values, as usual, are excellent. There's even a big ballroom scene with Watson doing the polka. Maybe it's not up to "War and Peace" or "Madame Bovary" but there are a lot of extras, its colorful, and the music is tripping. Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke as as good as always and the supporting players get the job done.But I don't know why it isn't more enjoyable. Sometimes it even made me squirm with discomfort. It was never my favorite story, and I haven't read it for years, and I can't understand why the producers and the writer, Jeremy Paul, drew it out to such length. Unlike "The Hound" and "The Sign of Four", it was not a novella to begin with. It was just another short story, and not one of the best.Except for the climactic confrontation, at 102 minutes this is rather a long, slow slog -- more of a melodrama than a mystery. Holmes pulls off no spectacular feats of deduction. Nothing about cigar ash, footprints, or even somebody's old hat. Except for two or three extended scenes in which Holmes appears (convincingly) as a raggedy plumber, the sleuth's name might as well have been Philo Vance.Holmes does a couple of illegal and unethical things to nail Charles Augustus Milverton, the nasty blackmailer. He engages in burglary, he witnesses a murder and allows the killer to escape without informing on her, and he woos a simple housemaid to get information.Murder, burglary, okay, but that housemaid business is unnerving. She's Agatha, Sophie Williams, plain but honest in her affection for Holmes the ersatz plumber. And Jeremy Brett plays his attraction to her in a perfectly straight manner -- straight, the way Holmes would be straight. She asks him to kiss her and he replies in a tremulous voice, "I don't know how." In another scene he's flat on his back in the garden and she's lying on top of him and tells him of her feelings for him. "Agatha," he says, barely able to get it out, "you have touched my heart." Watson objects to his using the girl and Holmes brushes it aside, "It can't be helped." And in a later scene he shows up at the house not in the persona of the unkempt plumber but as Holmes, the world's only consulting detective, and he sweeps past the maid without a glance.The final scene has Holmes and Watson back at Baker Street. Watson takes up his pen and a subdued Holmes begs him not to write up the story, adding that the case isn't one that he's particularly proud of. Right.

The Master Blackmailer, based off of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story, "the Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton," is the first feature length Sherlock Holmes story with Jeremy Brett that I have seen. The story is interesting and dark. The film has a somewhat dreary, sad feel to it, but it is quite entertaining (with some especially funny scenes).*Spoilers* Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson attempt to uncover the identity of an illusive blackmailer who has been ruining some of the most prominent families of England by publishing private letters that will, in one way or another, destroy their lives. They eventually find out that he is Charles Augustus Milverton, an "art dealer," after the few tragic consequences for victims that could not pay up. Our heroes must next help Lady Eva Blackwell, who must pay a sum that is beyond her means or else her upcoming marriage will most definitely be called off. The scene in which Holmes and Watson burglarize Milverton's house are intense. Although the film has an essentially happy ending, the tone is sad and regretful.Outstanding performances by Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke (as usual), and Robert Hardy as the notorious villain (most audiences probably recognize him today as Cornelius Fudge in Harry Potter), Serena Gordon as Lady Eva Blackwell, Norma West as Lady Swinstead and Sophie Thomson as Agatha (the scenes involving her and Holmes are a riot). I give it a ***1/2 out *****. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough Inspector Lestrade. (I wish they would have added in the scene at the end of the short story where he gives the description of the two burglars, one of which matches Watson.)