Product: Hound of the Baskervilles [VHS] (1983)
Rating: 5.0
A near-perfect rendition of Doyle's Opus Magnus
Yes, this is clearly the finest 'Hound' available -- I've seen them all many times. I first viewed this movie on either HBO or Cinemax back in the early 80s and had searched for a copy ever since. I finally got my hands on the DVD last year and now I watch it over and over. Even my brother, a certified Rathbone purist who won't watch the late, great Jeremy Brett for a moment, loves this one.For the uninitiated, the story is about an old family curse, originally perpetuated upon one very evil Sir Hugo Baskerville, who was ultimately slaughtered on the moor by a gigantic hound with glowing eyes. Subsequent to that day, the Baskervilles had always feared the moor where the legendary hound roamed at will, lusting for more Baskerville blood. When Sir Charles Baskerville, the most recent Laird of the Manor, appears to have died as a result of an encounter with the hound, Sherlock Holmes is called in by a family friend (Dr. Mortimer), in an effort to protect the young American heir to the estate, Sir Henry Baskerville.After being shot at in London (saved by Holmes' quick action!) and otherwise warned to stay clear of the estate, Sir Henry boldly takes on the implied challenge and heads for the moor, but only Watson can go along to protect him because Holmes is otherwise occupied with another important case.Watson and Sir Henry have some close calls and there is the secondary danger of an escaped heinous convict loosed upon the moor. A nasty, vengeful artist, a dour pair of domestic servants, and a decrepit old gypsy all serve to add to the the film's more suspenseful moments.Holmes has to depend on Watson to keep him abreast of the situation with daily letters in order to solve the case of the elusive and dangerous hound. Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard is also on the scene, but his job is mainly to capture the convict and he's loath to have run across Watson, (a competitor for crime-solving glory), and potentially also into The Great Detective himself, in this isolated spot of moor-country.There is additionally the love-at-first-sight sub-plot between Sir Henry and the reticent, but beautiful, sister of the local naturalist, the latter being an enigmatic character who collects butterflies and who lords over his adult sister, all with equal zeal.Now, for a critique of the film, Holmes and Watson are spot-on, very convincing. This is about the only Sherlock Holmes flick where the great detective is not portrayed as a borderline nutcase. Earlier and subsequent producers-directors have seemed to focus heavily upon Holmes' eccentricities and anti-social tendencies, but not here. He's very straightforward and we're even surprised by his moments of genius, (that we somehow knew was there all the time), a nice caveat. The cast of principals is all British, of course, (young Sir Henry appears to be an American, but this is simply more superb acting), so there are no gaffs in that realm. All the suspect-characters are as notably ominous as is this great version of the Grimpen Mire itself.That leads me into the issue of the cinematography which is the very best feature of this film -- it will knock you out. It's superb! The color saturation is outstanding and the camera angles are just incredible. The sets are joyfully reminiscent of the great 60s color Cushing-Lee Hammer Films, only much better.The atmosphere generated in this movie cannot be matched elsewhere and is effectively boosted by a subtle but appropriate filmscore, which is very nice but does not at all distract the viewer from the film itself. The character action keeps one on his or her toes and there's no drag to this film, a fact which cannot be stated in regard to certain other 'Hound' versions.Yes, the story-line deviates slightly from Doyle's original manuscript but what movie director does not utilize this artistic license? Certainly, other 'Hound' versions have done so, many much moreso than this one. I feel certain that Doyle himself would have highly approved of this brilliant manifestation of his classic tale.Some concern has been expressed about the brief rape scene (Sir Hugo catches up with his wench on the moor but, there, encounters The Hound which promptly squares the evil deed), but I feel that it was as tastefully conveyed as a rape scene can be portrayed. After all, Sir Hugo's evil has to be nailed down in a hurry so that The Curse can be legitimized to the viewers. In the end, this scene contributes notably to the credibility of the film but does, in fact, limit the viewing audience, at least for that brief segment.In summary, if you could only afford one copy of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles', this would clearly be the version to acquire.See my Listmania lists for other recommendations.