Nicol Williamson plays Holmes in this adaptation of Nicolas Meyer's novel, which suggests that Sherlock's 'disappearance' in 1891 was due to a cocaine addiction. What's more, he has the detective travelling to Vienna to visit Siggy Freud (Alan Arkin) in the hope of finding a cure. The pair subsequently work together to solve a case. Moriarty, played by Lawrence Olivier also makes an appearance, allowing Freud is to psycho analyse Holmes' paranoid obsession with his nemesis
Williamson was mostly a stage actor, one with a somewhat troublesome reputation but here he's terrific, right up there with the Peter Cushing interpretation of the famous detective. Arkin is excellent , too, his New York Jewish accent being just the ticket. Robert Duvall as Watson is a disaster not of his own making. - the script gives him nothing and the tortuous accent only buttons him further. The first part of the story in which Holmes battles the demon drug is excellent and contains some very scary dream sequences. The second part in which Vanessa Redgrave features as a damsel in distress is more conventional and turns into a romp. The only flaw in the film are the steam engines used for the chase through 'Austria' - they are are British. The first is a Black 5, and the second a '6' class from the Eastern region. Neither were ever exported. Tsk
Williamson was mostly a stage actor, one with a somewhat troublesome reputation but here he's terrific, right up there with the Peter Cushing interpretation of the famous detective. Arkin is excellent , too, his New York Jewish accent being just the ticket. Robert Duvall as Watson is a disaster not of his own making. - the script gives him nothing and the tortuous accent only buttons him further. The first part of the story in which Holmes battles the demon drug is excellent and contains some very scary dream sequences. The second part in which Vanessa Redgrave features as a damsel in distress is more conventional and turns into a romp. The only flaw in the film are the steam engines used for the chase through 'Austria' - they are are British. The first is a Black 5, and the second a '6' class from the Eastern region. Neither were ever exported. Tsk