rusty_armour | Cumberbatch is Going Down!

Going down to #5 on my mental list of favourite Sherlock Holmeses. While it's possible that the quote was taken out of context, I'm still not happy with what Benedict Cumberbatch had to say about Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock: The Casebook:

"...I think Brett's interpretation, masterful though it is, is always going to be something of its own. It becomes something that isn't Sherlock Holmes."

Now, if Cumberbatch was arguing that there are moments when Brett's interpretation is more Brett than Holmes, I'd be okay with that because, quite frankly, it's probably true. I'd even understand if Cumberbatch was referring to Brett's interpretation in the Granada episodes from 1990 and beyond because they were absolute crap -- though I blame this on the writing more than Brett's performance. Unfortunately, this sounds like Brett's interpretation in general isn't Sherlock Holmes and that's just not on. No, I'm sorry, Cumberbatch, but until my temper cools (or I rewatch an episode of Sherlock), Douglas Wilmer is moving up to the #4 and you're sliding down to #5. If I was angrier (or feeling a bit more patriotic), you might be falling down to #6 and trading places with Christopher Plummer.

My issues with Cumberbatch aside, I'm really enjoying Sherlock: The Casebook. It's worth it for Sherlock's catty post-it notes alone. *g*

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hesitant to weigh in on this because I am new to Sherlock and only know BC's portrayal. Still reading through ACD canon for the first time.

This quote is familiar to me from a longer article I read though.

this is my faulty memory, it was on tumblr sometime in recent past.

BC was being asked about getting lost in the character and I think this quote is talking about how Brett gave himself so fully to the performance that it became a risk for him emotionally and that made it not just about Sherlock but about Brett's sacrifice for his art.

It stuck with me because I worry about actors but at the time I thought how lucky we are to follow a program where all leads seem to be on solid ground emotionally. BC is the only one w/o a steady partner, but he has lots of good friends who keep him grounded.

Since Brett was a friend of his parents, I do not think that BC meant any harm. This was an unfortunate pulling of a quote. BC makes speeches, long articulate answers that don't fit today's sound byte media. Sorry you had to see it this way and be upset. You are always careful and fair.

But number 4 on your list as an afficianado is still high praise.

Thanks for weighing in,

maggie_conagher! Your comment is fabulous! :-) I think you're absolutely right about BC meaning no harm by his comment. For his parents' sake alone, I don't think he would intentionally say anything hurtful about Jeremy Brett's performance. And I agree that Brett probably did sacrifice too much for his art and that there would have been moments, especially towards the end when his health was so bad, when that would have shown on screen. I think what's bothering me is that BC seems to be implying that what Brett brought to his performance wasn't Sherlock Holmes at all because he was too caught up in his own personal battle. It's possible that BC meant to say that Brett's struggle sometimes came through in his performance and that there were moments when he seemed more like Brett than Holmes. I'd be okay with that because it's probably true in those later episodes at least. However, as far as I'm concerned, I think Brett was spot on a lot of the time, which is more than you can say for a lot of actors who have played Holmes.

BTW, it's sweet of you to worry about me being upset. :-) And I think you're being much too kind in your assessment of me. I mean, I try to be careful and fair, but I can certainly be bitchy at times, especially if it's something I'm passionate about. You just have to hear my opinion of Elementary and the Guy Ritchie films to know that. *g*

Cumberbatch is Going Down!

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