Murder by Decree (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Mar 27, 2025
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Bob Clark

Release Date(s)

1979 (January 21, 2025)

Studio(s)

CFDC/Famous Players (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

Film/Program Grade: B
Video Grade: B+
Audio Grade: A-
Extras Grade: B-

https://kinolorber.com/

Review

Bob Clark was truly one of cinema’s greatest filmmaking chameleons, jumping in and out of genres without a distinctive style, serving the needs of the story instead. Some people to this day still can’t wrap their heads around the fact that the director behind the 1974 horror film Black Christmas was also responsible for the 1983 classic A Christmas Story. The two couldn’t be more incompatible with each other, outside of the obvious holiday connection, yet they were helmed by the same filmmaker. He also had a hand in sex comedy with the 1981 hit Porky’s, comedic courtroom drama with 1987’s From the Hip, musical comedy with 1984’s Rhinestone, and one of his more curious works, 1979’s mystery thriller Murder by Decree.

In the 1970s, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes was still a relevant character in cinemas and on teleivision, but he was also being re-examined from different angles by filmmakers. 1976’s The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was taking a look at the character through drug addiction, 1971’s They Might Be Giants was putting forth the premise of someone imagining themselves to be Sherlock Holmes, and both 1975’s The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother starring Gene Wilder and 1978’s The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were going for much broader comedic approaches. Murder by Decree would conversely be heading down a much darker path with the character, raising the question: what if Sherlock Holmes had investigated the Whitechapel murders?

This notion was certainly nothing new, as it had already been done nineteen years prior in James Hills’ A Study in Terror, though Murder by Decree utilizes what had been learned about the mysterious Jack the Ripper murders and the theories surrounding his identity, or identities, up to that point in time. (Though it seems the film had nothing to do with Michael Dibdin’s The Last Sherlock Holmes Story, which was published a year prior and also dealt with the same subject matter.) The casebooks The Ripper File by Elwyn Jones and John Lloyd, as well as the uncredited Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution by Stephen Knight, would be the inspiration, the latter of which theorized that the murders were part of an elaborate conspiracy by the fraternity of Freemasons.

The results are a mixed bag for many, but what can’t be argued is the sense of atmosphere and the great performances, particularly from Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes and Geneviève Bujold as Annie Crook. Also among the illustrious cast is James Mason as Watson, Holmes’ close friend and faithful assistant; David Hemmings as Inspector Foxborough; Donald Sutherland as Robert Lees; Susan Clark as Mary Kelly; Frank Finlay as Inspector Lestrade; and John Gielgud as Lord Salisbury. It could have potentially come off more like a stage play, but cinematographer Reginald H. Morris adds some aggressive some visual flair. This version of London is densely fogged, wherein anything could be waiting for you around the nearest corner.

However, while the investigation is underway (or “the game is afoot,” as Holmes might have put it in other iterations), the length of the film becomes an issue. It tends to move a little slow and feels like it ends at more than one point, with revelation after revelation taking over the final minutes. Depending on your level of patience, you may find yourself wishing they had trimmed it down a bit to iron out the pacing. Watson isn’t much of a presence in the film, though they do give James Mason a little more to do than in most incarnations. There’s also a couple of grisly moments that are more insinuated than actually shown in detail, which makes one in particular more disturbing.

Even with its problems, I still find myself drawn to Murder by Decree, mostly because of the atmosphere, the performances, the subject matter, and the period it takes place in. There’s something iconic and fascinating about late 19th century London that piques my interest whenever a piece of media comes across my desk that portrays it. I’m also a fan of Bob Clark, and even if the film isn’t perfectly fine tuned, it’s still a very effective and engaging thriller.

Murder by Decree was shot by cinematographer Reginald H. Morris on 35mm film using Panavision cameras and spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Kino Lorber Studio Classics brings the film to Ultra HD with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative carried out by StudioCanal, which is presented on a triple-layered BD-100 disc. Kino’s previous Blu-ray had its share of problems, but their new 4K release, while not immaculate, easily outperforms it. Grain is more evenly-distributed and detail is much higher. Morris was known for his heavy use of diffusion filters on many of his films, and Murder by Decree is no exception. It’s a very soft and extremely diffused-looking film, but the new transfer sharpens it up without resorting to artificiality. Some noise reduction looks to have been applied, but the green-tinted, smeared look of the previous Blu-ray is now gone. No High Dynamic Range grades have been performed for this release, but in all honesty, I’m not exactly convinced that the film’s color palette would benefit much. It might improve contrast slightly and allow shadows to reach a little deeper, but beyond that, SDR should suffice. Flesh tones are more natural and the overall palette is more accurate now. The image is stable though some speckling and scratches have been left intact. The lack of HDR and the mild bit of noise reduction might be a turn-off for some, but they’ll be missing out on a much-improved presentation over the 2020 Blu-ray release.

Audio is included in English 2.0 mono and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. Both tracks exhibit the same limited qualities, but the 5.1 widens out score and sound effects, but neither adds nor enhances anything. Dialogue is king here, as are atmospherics, including footsteps, horse-drawn carriages, and whispers among crowds. Both tracks are clean with excellent fidelity, and there seems to be no overriding issues with either.

The 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD release of Murder by Decree sits in a black Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray copy of the film also containing the new transfer, as well as a double-sided insert, featuring artwork used for the film’s paperback novelization and the Italian theatrical poster (as well as the slipcover) on one side, and artwork used for the US theatrical poster on the reverse. The following extras are included on both discs:

DISC ONE: UHD

Audio Commentary by Bob Clark
Audio Commentary by Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell

DISC TWO: BD

Audio Commentary by Bob Clark
Audio Commentary by Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell
Trailer (SD – 3:33)
They Might Be Giants Trailer (SD – 2:19)
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes Trailer (SD – 3:01)
Murder on the Orient Express Trailer (Upscaled SD – 2:38)
And Soon the Darkness Trailer (SD – 2:45)
The Silent Partner Trailer (SD – 1:55)
Evil Under the Sun Trailer (HD – 3:13)
The Great Train Robbery Trailer (SD – 2:42)

The first audio commentary with Bob Clark was recorded for Anchor Bay’s 2002 DVD release of the film. Although he pauses to actually watch it, he offers many recollections about it, handing out an abundance of first-hand facts. And being that he’s no longer with us, it’s an invaluable track regardless. The second audio commentary with film historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell was recorded for Kino Lorber’s 2020 Blu-ray release. The two discuss the film at length, covering many topics of interest, including the careers of its cast and crew, the history of the project, and the film’s place within the various Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper adaptations. Both tracks are well worth listening to. Last is the film’s trailer and trailers for other Kino Lorber releases related to the main feature.

Not carried over from the Anchor Bay 2002 DVD release are a pair of image galleries and the film’s screenplay, downloadable via DVD-ROM. Also missing in action from StudioCanal’s Region B Vintage Classics Blu-ray release from 2021 is an audio commentary with film historians Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw, as well as a separate interview with Kim Newman.

Murder by Decree is one of the more interesting Sherlock Holmes films because of how the character is handled in the face of such horrific and world-shattering events. It’s a gorgeous period piece with wonderful dialogue and performances that’s a little long in the tooth, but still quite gripping. Kino’s 4K UHD release is a big improvement over their previous Blu-ray, and it comes very much recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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