Thursday, December 10: Femme Fatale
SEASONED CHARACTERS
by Deborah Elliott-Upton
The season of giving also brings out thieves in droves. Not just the burglars or pickpockets, but also those who are more covert in their actions. Is the man on the other end of the phone really collecting for the state troopers or is he “an army of one” out for himself? Do those standing on corners with signs asking for help really homeless and destitute or is their SUV parked a block away to retreat to after a day of begging tax-free dollars? Is the sweet young woman selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door really trying to earn college money or is the whole thing a sham where no magazines will ever arrive in your mailbox? Am I a skeptic or have my eyes been opened to the reality of modern con artists?
Characters in our stories come alive when the reader has a mental image—a visual, if you will—of our hero and others in the tale. The reader’s personal feelings and perceptions about his fellow man color in the characters as much as the author’s bold outlining of the image.
Imagine how Scrooge would see these characters at the beginning of A Christmas Carol and again at its ending when he has changed due to his time with the spirits on Christmas Eve.
I enjoy developing a character’s point of view because it allows me to step out of my own pumps and walk in another’s moccasins, a boot, or even a pair of Mukluks if I so choose. The reader has the same opportunity to try on different shoes when he chooses a story to read.
Each person brings to a reading his own background beliefs. This is why often wonderful books don’t travel well to the silver screen: casting directors may not meet the same visual as the author’s—or the readers. Remember all the flack when Tom Cruise was chosen to play Anne Rice’s vampire, Lestat? She pictured a young Rutger Hauer, not the Risky Business/Top Gun star.1
There’s a new movie out this month about Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey, Jr. I imagine his portrayal will be quite different than Basil Rathbone, but then, so are the ways an audience accepts characters and circumstances. The trailer of the new film shows a naked Downey tied to a bedpost. I don’t think Rathbone’s audience would have accepted that for Holmes or Rathbone. I certainly don’t want to picture Basil Rathbone in his birthday suit. However, today’s audience will probably accept Downey in the nude and the humor of the situation in the current film.
Recently a contestant on Jeopardy! said she believes Holmes and Watson were gay and thinks she can back up her theory. Hmm, does she think that because they are two single older men who share an apartment? Times were different when Dickens wrote the story and often single men did share apartments as young actors and musicians do today. It doesn’t prove anything about their sexuality and proves everything about society’s economics. If the Sherlock Holmes stories were conceived today, I might give her theory more credence. Still, I am interested in hearing her explanations.
Isn’t it all about perception. Each weekday when my workday is finished, I turn on the TV and watch a classic movie. It’s my method of relaxing before everyone’s home and I have to prepare dinner. I thought probably others believed (as I do) that I deserved an hour and a half or so to chill out after sitting at a computer for eight hours or more. Imagine my surprise when my dad started stopping by after his realworkday and “caught me” watching these movies and told others all I do is sit around and watch TV. His perception wasn’t the truth, but his witnessing me do this several times made him believe that my life was spent sitting on the couch watching Fred Astaire or Humphrey Bogart. Not that that doesn’t sound enticing to me!
Being a writer is what I love to do, but it isn’t easy to explain to my dad. Writing isn’t really work anyway, it’s just making up stories, right?
Dad thinks I am a movie knowledge wizard because I often know answers to questions he has about black and white movies of yesteryear and I only know them because of the vast amount of time I’ve spent on the couch with my feet up. If only.
Maybe I am a skeptic, but I keep thinking he’ll figure out what’s really going on in my life. But then, maybe he won’t. Perhaps I’ve conned myself into believing my writing career is a valid occupation.
Time will tell. Until then, I’m grabbing the remote and seeing what Robert Osborne recommends today. Now where are those bonbons?
- There is talk about the next Vampire Lestat being played by Robert Downey, Jr. [↩]
I always enjoyed the Basil movies and I am sure I will love the Downey one even more!! :]]
Excellent thoughts on perception. It makes for a good mystery when things seem to be what they are not!
When Ironman came out, there were changes from the original story line in order to entertain the current audience. Will that happen with Holmes? Did Holmes have a modern since of humor? Should he?
When you plan a character, do you design them to be easily adaptable into future generations perception of the world? If you do, will you ever have a full believable character that can become a classic or will they just turn out plain and bland.
Guess we will see what happens with Holmes.
I wouldn’t feel bad that my calling requires me to research characters and ideas by watching old movies. Should be a deducible item since it is work related =D.
I don’t feel bad about watching movies — I really love films! But, I wish my dad didn’t think that was all I do. 🙂
The trailer of the new film shows a naked Downey tied to a bedpost. I don’t think Rathbone’s audience would have accepted that for Holmes or Rathbone.
I don’t think Arthur Conan Doyle would, either. I reckon I am going to hate the revisionist, hipper Holmes. Why can’t they leave my heroes alone?
Updating is one thing—the Jeremy Brett version of Holmes was distinctly different from previous portrayals, but it all came down to what was in the text. I regard Brett’s as the most faithful to the original, although I was also very impressed with Sir Ian Richardson’s performances as Holmes. But you show me anywhere in a Sherlock Holmes story where Holmes is tied nude to a bed and I’ll eat my copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Uh oh, you might just have to start chewing paper, James. You said “a Sherlock Holmes story” instead of “one of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories” — I believe a script can count as a story if we are getting technical. 🙂
>There is talk about the next Vampire Lestat being played by Robert Downey, Jr.
I hope he doesn’t suck the blood out of Holmes. A couple of you already know my dark views of revisionist Sherlocks, married or gay.
I will accept any story in the canon or approved by the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle. All others are not authentic and don’t count.
Like JLW, James Ritchie, and Janet Hutchings, I strongly prefer Jeremy Brett, who seems definitive.
However, …
A century ago, the American actor William Gillette influenced Holmes in the public mind more than any other actor. He invented the phrase “Elementary, my dear Watson,” and the use of the curved meerschaum pipe. Doyle is said to have stood in awe of Gillette.
(Thanks to Pat, Floyd, and Wendy for much of my knowledge of Gillette and Gillette Castle.)
I know (already) I am a sick puppy, but I can see ol’ Sherlock tied to a bed naked….I mean why not? He was a coke head. I’ll have to see the movie to see if it is fitting (or is that befitting?) of the character.
I do think Sherlock had a sense of humour that would fit in today’s world.The Brits have always been way ahead of us in wit and an unbelievable way with words! I think sometimes “we” miss their humour though.
Deborah, I loved this column. I love those movies as well. But, I have to admit, I love movies today.
You are an excellent provoker of thoughts.
(laughing) alisa, you are a prize!
Y’think? I just look at things differently than most. Plus I’ll watch anything so not much shocks me. Okay, it might “shock” me, but if it is in character to the character and characterizes the characterization…..well….I can delve into the dark side of, in this case, Sherlock.
I could’ve added the other stuff he did, but I thought that was enough. The only thing I’ve done is morphine and that was because of this neat little push thing you get when you have surgery. Just from that alone, I can see if you (or let me rephrase that to “”me”) hanging from the rafters in full commando (is that only a masculine word?) singing at the top of my lungs.
The sad thing is, that little push thing doesn’t last forever……..
Therefore, I have to surmise that having addictions to various (illegal today) things along with the things that are legal if one is of age….well…..being naked tied to a bed would be mild.
I think.
Okay. Back to my corner.
I’ve seen the trailer for the new Sherlock Holmes movie. Ugh. Lock, stock, and two smoking barrels, my dear Watson. I’d rather eat my shoes than sit through that piffle.
Rathbone and the great Nigel Bruce were best in the radio version of the Holmes series. I’ve got tapes. Even better, I have the books by Doyle. But I’m not knocking movies!
Yesterday (Dec. 13) I attended the annual SoCal MWA Holiday Party and had the opportunity to converse with Les Klinger, our outgoing president, about the new Sherlock Holmes movie. Les is the world’s leading living authority on Sherlock Holmes, and won an Edgar for Best Critical/Biographical Work for his The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories.
Les was a consultant for the film and has already seen it. He thought it was fun, and he praised both Robert Downey, Jr., and especially Jude Law for their performances as Holmes and Watson respectively. He said that the trailer seriously misrepresents the film.
Well, if there’s anybody you can trust about anything to do with Sherlock Holmes, it’s Les. I will at least go see the movie and judge for myself.