From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 2002 television adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's novel of the same name. Produced by Tiger Aspect Productions for the BBC, it was shown on BBC One on Boxing Day, 2002. It was directed by David Attwood, and adapted by Allan Cubitt. The film starred Richard Roxburgh as Sherlock Holmes and Ian Hart as Doctor Watson. Hart would play Watson again in the 2004 TV film Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking, also written by Cubitt.
The basic plot is fundamentally the same as the original Doyle story, but there are radical changes in many details, including the addition of a much more violent ending and three more deaths. The more notable changes include:
- The initial examination of Dr. Mortimer's walking stick is absent. Dr. Mortimer himself is portrayed as being in his early or mid 50's, instrad of the young man in his 30's from the book.
- We see Selden at the beginning, and the protagonists know of him before coming to Dartmoor. Also, two policemen drown in the mire whilst chasing the escaped murderer.
- A major character from the book, Laura Lyons, is completely absent, and Sir Charles is having an affair with Beryl Stapleton.
- Holmes uses cocaine throughout the film. In the Doyle canon, Holmes periodically uses cocaine, but never in The Hound.
- Dr. Mortimer is portrayed as somewhat untrustworthy, lying to Holmes about his inheritance.
- A hidden passageway in Baskerville Hall is invented.
- Mrs Barrymore covers for her husband's candle-waving activities by pretending that he is cheating on her, rather than admitting that he is signalling to her convict brother.
- Selden, the convict, breaks into Baskerville Hall and fights with Sir Henry.
- The time of year is Christmas and a Christmas party is added.
- Holmes breaks into Stapleton's house.
- Borrowing from the 1939 film adaptation, Mrs. Mortimer is a medium who hosts a séance.
- Stapleton is the anthropologist instead of Mortimer, who has a much smaller role.
- Stapleton calls the Hound with a dog whistle when Sir Henry joins them for dinner. In the book, the hound is not seen until the end.
- Sir Henry is badly injured by the hound at the end of this film and is never seen in the close of the film. In the book, he is more or less unharmed.
- At a dinner party, elements of A Study in Scarlet are used in conversation.
- Beryl is abused by Stapleton throughout the film and hanged by him at the end. In the book, she survives, though the abuse stands (she shows her breuises to Holmes)
- In the book, the original hound of legend was the result of a contract between Hugo Baskerville and the devil, made after a madam escapes being kidnapped by Hugo. In the film, the hound belonged to Hugo's wife, who killed Hugo after he beat his wife (and the dog's owner) to death.
- Stapleton shoots Watson, Holmes gives chase and falls into the Grimpen Mire; Watson shoots Stapleton just as the latter is about to shoot the helpless Holmes. This is instead of Stapleton simply running away and drowning in the mire in his death alone.
[edit] External links
This article related to the cinema of the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
This article related to a made-for-TV movie is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
