Month: October 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtskKP5TTio

Gillian Horn

Seminar

Friday, October 4, 2013

A particular character in the Sherlock Holmes BBC series that interests me the most is Irene. From the intro of the 2nd season series, she comes across as the rich, pulled together and luxurious female villain. When she initially finds out about Sherlock coming  to her house, she starts to get in her “war” zone. Irene is sitting at her vanity putting on red lipstick and make up and talking about her  “ war” outfit she is planning to wear. Next she is shown in her bedroom closet in her green lace cover up, staring in her closet. She picks out a sparkly black one shoulder dress and looks at her self in the mirror. At this point Irene is ready to face Sherlock and is prepared for “war”. Soon after this scene, Sherlock shows up to her house and is told to wait in the living room for Irene. She comes out not wearing the dress anymore and is now naked instead. To me this seems like she is trying to lure Sherlock in by her nudity to be distracted and not question what she wants from him. Sherlock tells Irene to put something on but Irene questions it but in the end puts on a coat to cover up. About 5 minutes later of discussion between Irene and Sherlock, men come into her house and hold both of them hostage. Irene is sat down on the couch with a gun against her and Sherlock is brought over to the mural in the living room. Underneath that is a safe which the men see and tell Sherlock to open. Sherlock or Irene do not know the code, but Sherlock manages to open it after the countdown the man holding him was giving before he was going to shoot them. The safe opens and before any of the men can see, a gun being powered by a string starts to shoot at the men. This indicates that Irene must have known that this was going to happen so had decided to put the gun in the safe. This interested me because one moment the two of them arguing and being enemies, but they become partners trying to fight off these men. The characteristic that I would give to Irene after watching these scenes, is a powerful woman. She is powerful because she is clever. The gun in the safe is an example of this power and in a sense you can get from her initial imagery that she is a confident woman who isn’t afraid to fight. She not only is just a woman, but she is also a luxurious and sophisticated woman. The opening scenes help piggy back this statement because it shows her doing things that woman with class and money would do. She is provocative but she is also classy at the same time which makes her unique. A video from youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtskKP5TTio, highlights the moments of Irene Alder from the series and helps show every aspect of her “ powerful woman” personality. The song playing in the background, “  The Ballad of Mona Lisa” by Panic! At The Disco,  also helps support the statement of her powerful figure as well. Important lines in the song like, “She paints her fingers with a close precision” and “ Whoa, Mona Lisa, You’re guaranteed to run this town” are important to take note of because Irene puts lipstick on slowly in the begging and although Mona Lisa was married to a King and Irene is not, Irene has the motivation to be powerful like Mona Lisa. From analyzing these scenes, I can fully support the statement that Irene is a powerful woman and displays it throughout the story.

There is obvious tension between Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes as both individuals are more perceptive, intelligent, but above all mysterious than the average citizen. As a Chinese proverb goes: “a mountain cannot house two tigers,” Holmes and Adler are both bold and occasionally reckless when executing their plans.

 

However, there are similarities between the two when both are on screen in succession. For example, the first instance where this happens is when “both” of them are naked. We see Holmes covered in a long white sheet while Adler is completely naked shortly after. The sheets play an interesting role here. One, the fact that it is white is ironic as white usually resembles purity and thus nothing to hide. But this is Holmes as he is far from being pure. Instead he is a black hole. He takes in anything but little is known about him other than his gifted ability to perceive everyday objects and routines in detail. The fact that Watson, his partner, cannot read Holmes indicates just how complex he is as a person. Second, along with the deep and mysterious personality Holmes embodies, the white sheet acts as a stark contrast to how is he as a person; the white sheet wrapping around him serves as a visual oxymoron.

We are then introduced to Irene Adler as the visual evidence continues. When she walks into the room completely naked in front of Holmes, she is doing two things. She is trying to seduce him and to “protect” herself by exposing her entire body. From an earlier scene we can gather that Holmes is about to “read” people as he made observations about people’s behavior and outward appearance. By showcasing herself in front of Holmes scantily clad she is able to shield herself from being read like a “normal” person and disguise her enigmatic personality.

Reaction Paper #2: Making a claim about The Maltese Falcon

Brigid O’Shaughessy is a mysterious actress on the stage of Sam Spade. As such, she is apt at disguising herself and her intentions. When the reader is first introduced to her as Ms. Wonderly, she was a woman desperately in search of  her sister in fear of her safety being compromised. As we later find out, this was all a fluke in an attempt to get Spade to help her in another situation. However, upon closer examination in the way that O’Shaughessy has requested this deed, it foreshadows the mysterious and manipulative nature of her character.

 

Ms. Wonderly walks into Spade’s office asking for someone to be tailed for the sake of her sister. However, she does not get straight to the point. Instead, she says that because their mother and father are about to return home, she hopes that her sister will be there, all the while referring to her sister simply as “her.” This does not accurately describe the situation a sister would be in if her dear sibling was in danger. We then turn to the fact that she showed no signs of close bond with this said “sister” that she had. However, from her dialogue, we can gather that Ms. Wonderly simply wants the sister to be within her sight.

Fast forward to the two murders that take place and again we see this shadowy and manipulative side of her as she plays the pity card against Spade but ultimately fails. On page 35 when Spade asks for more information on the situation, O’Shaughessy breaks down and tries to get Spade to help her once more. She starts off with “ I haven’t live a good life” and immediately bombards Spade with emotional rhetorical questions: “You know that I’m not all bad, don’t you? You can see that, can’t you? Then can’t you trust me a little? Oh, I’m so alone and afraid, and I’ve got nobody to help me if you won’t help me.” This then leads into forceful request laced with pity: “Help me because I need help so badly, and because if  you don’t where will I find anyone who can, no matter how willing? Help me… Be generous, Mr. Spade. You can help me. Help me.” The constant reinforcement of her plead only loses its effect and gains in pressure as a way to corner Spade into helping O’Shaughnessy despite her unwillingness to spill the beans.

Sherlock’s Mirror Image

As Sherlock, Irene, and Mycroft sit in the elegant dining room to negotiate, Sherlock sits quietly and patiently while Irene states her demands. Once Sherlock figures out what he wants to say and how to say it, he is quickly shot down and equally refuted by Irene. This battle goes on as each of them strike observational blows at each other until finally, Sherlock proves his point and silences Irene. These battles between Holmes and Adler occur frequently and fiercely throughout the novel and the film, with each character holding their own victories from time to time.
The concept of battling between Sherlock and Irene was relevant from the outset of their relationship. As Sherlock searches for something to wear for their first meeting, Irene picks out her “battle dress” to combat that. The back and forth action between each of the two individuals continue on throughout their interactions with each other, despite what was happening around them, perhaps suggesting that they may not be as individual as they seem.
Irene, in faking death, leads Sherlock to believe that he has won the battle since he now possesses the phone with all of the information on it. However, Irene outsmarts him by faking her own death and coming back to take back the phone. In another instance, Sherlock feels that he has outsmarted Irene yet again when he analyzes the email and figures out the plot to destroy the plane, however, he is simply playing into yet another trap set by the cunning Irene Adler.
While it may seem like the tension between Sherlock and Irene is far too strong for any connection to be made, the frequency and intensity of these back and forth battles of with and the relative evenness of the competitors show how each of them, in essence, are mirror images or equals to themselves.

Irene’s new identity as a dominatrix in the BBC’s “Sherlock” is an unneeded aspect of her character, causing her to seem weaker than her counterpart in Doyle’s original rendition.  In the book, Irene is portrayed as a kind hearted, beautiful actress with an affinity for creating scandals;this image of Irene is juxtaposed against the overly masculine, overly power-wielding Irene we get from the show.  Although it can be inferred that Irene is more masculine than most women in the book, Doyle offers it as subtext when calling her “the woman”(1), having her dress like a man, and having her wit match that of a man.  This masculine trait is supposed to be in the subtext because Irene needs to be a formidable opponent to Holmes while still remaining feminine, proving that women can outsmart men.  In the show, however, the inflation of Irene’s masculine identity only causes her to seem more transparent and superficial, causing her to seem like less of a challenge.

In the book, it is Irene’s deceiving kindness and appearance which make her seem to be an unlikely match for Holmes, yet she proves that the previous assessment of her is a fallacy through wit and trickery.  In the show, when we see Irene, she is a dominatrix, an obvious antagonist for Holmes due to her relationship with power and and obviously masculine female; this leaves no need for her to prove her abilities because she is presented as Holmes’ nemesis from the get go.  We can already tell that  she is a match for him wit-wise and we know she leans towards the side of evil, so there is nothing else to discover about her character.  In the novel, her true nature lies under the surface, causing her to appear to be an unpredictable character and, thus, an even more formidable match for Holmes.

 

The tales of Sherlock Holmes are captured within the past, the shining age of detectives in silly hats. However, the television show Sherlock follows that trend by no means and gives the timeless detective a cellphone and a computer, thrusting him into the modern age. With such a challenge as adapting the old to the new, Doyle’s stories not only get a new coat of paint, but also another layer of story.

First off, translating a story from the 30’s and placing it in the 21st century is an impressive feat. The producer’s of the show must be well versed in the original tales and then be able to have it make sense within it’s new world. Simply having the text applied to modern day would be plain and boring, so the next great step is to twist it into a thrilling modern mystery.

Technology, technology is key within the new Sherlock which gives the show that new spin to make things fresh. More so, it allows for the story to be enriched with information not clearly seen in the original novel. It could be as simple as the addition of a modern fire alarm to reveal Irene Adler’s photos rather than the traditional exclamation of “Fire!”. More importantly the introduction of the cellphone (the device Ms. Adler’s stores her photos and other information), with Sherlock’s cellphone, he and Ms. Adler communicate throughout the episode showing that deeper relation of the two that is known yet not explicitly obvious. It is a great addition that makes things interesting yet true to the classic lore.

From phones to cars and smoke to fire alarms, the modernization of Sherlock’s cases is an enjoyable re-imagining of the beloved mysteries. Staying true to its roots, but making it different in a very fascinating and fun way is an accomplishment any producer should be proud of.

 

I think that one different and interesting revision of Conan Doyle’s story is the one scene in which Irene Adler appears to Sherlock naked. In the original this does not happen, but in the BBC modernized version she first meets with Sherlock not wearing a single article of clothing except heels.  Irene’s appearance shocks Sherlock so much that he is thrown off his normal mental balance and cannot get a read on her, much unlike his experiences with mostly everyone else. Her nude appearance to Sherlock is her one “ace in the hole” that she has over him and essentially any other man. Irene bests Sherlock’s genius without some elaborate plan, but by simply exposing herself, naked of any intricate maneuvers, only showing herself. She firmly knows that as an attractive woman she can out do any of his best laid plans simply by playing into his natural and primal desires that all men share. This is what leads me to my claim, Conan Doyle’s original story was about how a woman is Sherlock’s equal, the TV adaptation is a story of how a woman is in control of a man. Just like at the end of “The Rear Window”, Grace Kelly’s character puts down the book that Jame’s Stewart’s character thinks she’s reading, and substitutes it for the one that she actually wants. In general women tend to take the less aggressive approach towards situations and confide in their generally more passive place in relationships; the misunderstood role of women’s gender. This however does not mean that they are less in charge, in fact it means quite the opposite. By sitting back and allowing the more aggressive and more outward going men to run about solving things (Sherlock), women are able to approach with a more laissez-faire angle and view the situations until they can draw rational conclusions about accomplishing their goals. In the case of the “Sherlock” episode, Irene uses her sexuality to shock  Sherlock on his heels, play into his less intellectual side and more into his primal one, causing the disruption of his thinking process. Irene accepts her “gender-role” and uses objectification of herself as a distraction for Sherlock, and it works. The BBC version of Sherlock Holmes displays in this episode that women will always be able to manipulate men due to their more passive and thought-before-action approach, and in this case, with their sexual appeal.

In Steven Moffat’s revision of Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes series, Moffat brings Holmes and company into the modern era. This modern view allows us to view Holmes through a different lens, in this case seeing the issues that Doyle discusses in his series through a modern lens. Juxtaposing the original story with the revisions that Moffat has made can show us how our set of societal norms has changed since Doyle’s 19th century detective was first conceived.

Sherlock Series 2 – A Scandal in Belgravia Trailer

A Scandal in Belgravia parallels Doyle’s novel in a number of ways. Watson blogs rather than narrates. In fact, his blog takes the place of Doyle’s novel in a number of ways, even sharing the same titles as Doyle’s original stories. The blog idea is also shown with typography, showing Sherlock’s deductions as he’s thinking about possibilities, differentiating from Guy Richie’s films where Sherlock verbalizes his deductions and courses of action. The audience is also still placed in a passive state in Moffat’s films, the same as in Doyle’s stories. In Doyle’s stories, we’re reading Watson’s account of his and Sherlock’s adventures, in Moffat’s films we are often placed behind windows, looking through mirrors. It detaches us from the action, forcing us to realize that we have absolutely no participation in what is going on*. We are helpless and reliant on Holmes to solve the case.

In the case of A Scandal in Belgravia, Sherlock must solve Irene Adler, the same woman from A Scandal in Bohemia, with a modern twist. Adler is more fully developed in Moffat’s film, the subtlety traded for the detail needed for a film medium. From the 19th century story to the 21st century film, she transforms from a simple actress into a dominatrix. Despite the shock value, this isn’t much of a stretch for Doyle’s novel and in fact is a fairly good modern translation of occupation. Much as C.S. Lewis vaguely describes many of his characters, leaving much up to the reader’s imagination, Conan Doyle leaves much up to translation about Adler. It is our romanticized view of the past that causes us to believe that Irene Adler was of the same occupation that our culture is currently obsessed with. We now elevate actors and actresses to celebrity status, following them in tabloids and entertainment shows. However, in the 19th century, the job of an actress was not considered appropriate for a woman, much as our heteronormative society would consider the job of a dominatrix to be an inappropriate occupation for an intelligent, sophisticated woman, something Adler proves herself to be numerous times.

This is a theme that both the original text and Moffat’s revision do an excellent job of capturing. Doyle very specifically describes Adler as having the, “mind of a man”. In the original story, the simple idea that a woman could be on the same level as a man was shock value enough, not to mention that this woman was an actress. Moffat is able to capture that same feeling, but with the subtle change that we are now shocked that someone is on the same level as Holmes, that she can intrigue even the great Sherlock Holmes to the point of emotion. We are shocked by her occupation, the modern equivalent of a 19th century actress (in fact, Mycroft refers to her as an actress of sorts in the film). We are essentially shocked by the same things that Doyle proposed in his novel.

Sherlock meets the naked Irene Adler – Sherlock Series 2 – BBC

Adler’s occupation fits her characterization though. She is presented as having “the mind of a man” and so her role as a dominatrix, reinforces the idea that she is given dominance over others (in the novel, Sherlock is said to have considered her to be above all other women). It isn’t much of a stretch to consider that Irene Adler might identify as a man, despite biologically being female. This idea isn’t even specific to Moffat’s version, it can be inferred from the very description of her. As every other element of Doyle’s story creates a shock of sorts, the idea that Adler could be a transgender, genius with a socially inappropriate occupation and who can defeat Sherlock Holmes is rather fitting with the rest of the novel.

*Note: As an interesting note, Moffat has also included active audience participation in his television episodes before. In his episode of Doctor Who, Blink, the villains can be turned to stone when they are being observed. During the episode, there are numerous times when the characters are not looking at the villains, but the audience is, thus they remain stone.

In this show, what interests me most is the scene when Sherlock Holmes decoded Irene Adler’s camera phone. I think this is the climax of the whole episode because Sherlock successfully made a twist when Irene was so close to make Mycroft fulfill her requirement. Also, it indicates that Sherlock can truly set aside his personal feelings while Irene lost the game exactly for failure to do so.

 

When Irene bragged about using Sherlock to compile the e-mail from terrorist, Sherlock stayed muted all the time. But when Irene continued to mock “Holmes boys”, Sherlock stepped ahead and pointed out that he knew what the password is. Despite Irene’s shock, Sherlock began to analyze her motive. It is Irene’s sentiment that exposes herself. Although she tried to deny her feelings, Sherlock did not let her justify herself by telling her he had taken her pulse. For Irene Adler, her biggest security loophole is Sherlock Holmes because “love is a dangerous advantage”, said by Sherlock. He knew this theory well so he pulled himself back before the situation went uncontrollable – yes apparently he has some feelings to Irene too. For both of them, they cannot help being led by the sentiment yet Sherlock is far more rational. Even though Irene shed tears and begged him to help her after Sherlock successfully decoded her phone, he just turned around and left, acting nonchalant.

I think here we can draw a parallel to the ending of Maltese Falcon, where Spade also turned Brigid in without showing any mercy. Just like Spade, Sherlock also made the right choice at the key point – to punish the criminal.

 

On the other hand, Irene and Brigid also have something in common. They both use their feminine advantage to get what they want. In Irene’s case, she first showed up naked just to shock Sherlock and obviously she did it.

What’s more important, they both fell in love with their antagonists. To be more specific, even Irene Adler, a dominating lesbian, also has strong attachment to Sherlock because she is willing to make him an exception. It is the very attachment that makes her lose the whole game.

One prominent feature of  “A Scandal in Belgravia” is the use of profile shots—one-sided views of characters. The use of these camera angles is particularly striking in two particular scenes: when John finds Sherlock sitting in Buckingham Palace, and when Sherlock sits alone in Irene Adler’s sitting room. With the way the scenes are set up, the viewer can almost imagine a mirror placed in between the two photos, with Sherlock reflected in each of them. He even appears to be staring at himself across the different shots.

In both the Buckingham Palace scene and the sitting room scene, Sherlock sits slightly off to the side and is distanced from the camera.Everything in both scenes is entirely focused, so that it looks like a painting or a photograph. The stillness of each scene also helps to convey the impression of a photo. Both rooms feature a background that fades symmetrically into the distance, drawing the viewer’s eye at first to the center of the shot rather than to Sherlock, the main character. Both rooms appear to be filled with light and light colors, except for a few jarringly dark anomalies. In Buckingham Palace, Sherlock’sdark suit sits on the table; in the sitting room, Sherlock is dressed in black.

In a strange way, the shots are as opposite as they are alike. In the Buckingham Palace scene, Sherlock sits on the left side of the shot, facing right, and wears a white sheet. In contrast, in the sitting room scene, Sherlock sits on the right side of the shot, facing left, and wears a black suit. His body language is also opposite: in Buckingham Palace, Sherlock maintains a very tense and protective posture, while in Irene Adler’s sitting room, he is clearly very relaxed and holds his hands and arms loosely. This body language is slightly counterintuitive, considering the fact that in Buckingham Palace, Sherlock is supposed to be among friends, while Irene Adler is a known enemy.

The two mirrored scenes emphasize the differences between Sherlock and the rest of the world. In Buckingham Palace, Sherlock Holmes is out of place and uncomfortable. This is shown by everything from the tight posture that he maintains throughout the scene to the fact that he is wearing white while everyone else is wearing black (the fact that he resisted changing into a black suit to match everyone else is significant as well). In Adler’s sitting room, Sherlock is much more in his element. His ease with his surroundings is reflected in the fact that, once Adler puts on his coat, she becomes almost a mirror image of him, highlighting an equality and kinship between the two characters that Sherlock clearly cannot experience anywhere else.