Movie Review: Murder By Decree (1979)

Genre: Crime Mystery  

Director: Bob Clark  

Starring: Christopher Plummer, James Mason, Donald Sutherland, Genevieve Bujold  
Running Time: 124 minutes  

Synopsis: In London of the 1880s, prostitutes are being murdered in the working class Whitechapel district by a killer known as Jack the Ripper. With the police unable to stop the murders, famous detective Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer) and his assistant Dr. Watson (James Mason) agree to get involved. They consult with visionary Robert James Lees (Donald Sutherland), then connect with prostitute-in-hiding Mary Kelly (Susan Clark) and the mysterious Annie Cook (Genevieve Bujold), who is being held in an insane asylum. Gradually, the threads of a far-reaching conspiracy are revealed.

What Works Well: The fog-filled cobblestoned narrow alleys of 19th century London provide a rich backdrop for the intriguing premise of unleashing Sherlock Holmes' brilliance to tackle England's most infamous serial killing spree. The classy cast also includes David Hemmings, Anthony Quayle, and John Gielgud, ensuring quality in every role.

What Does Not Works As Well: The plot unravels into fragmented mass confusion in a hurry, ensnaring Freemasons, politicians, a Royal Family scandal, an unscrupulous doctor, a seditionist police investigator, underground revolutionaries, and many faceless villains. For long stretches the entire Jack the Ripper context is forgotten, and Sherlock's attempt to tie all the pieces together in the final scene disintegrates into a puddle of fantastical logic jumps, phony outrage, and magically assembled evidence.

Key Quote:

Sherlock Holmes: When people are frightened, they turn to God, and when they have no help from him, they look to the Devil.



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