Murder by Decree (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Jun 19, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Bob ClarkRelease Date(s)
1979 (June 10, 2025)Studio(s)
CFDC/Famous Players (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: B+
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: B-
Review
Bob Clark was truly one of cinema’s greatest filmmaking chameleons, jumping in and out of genres without an overtly 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 comedies with the 1981 hit Porky’s, comedic courtroom dramas with 1987’s From the Hip, musical comedies 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 television, but he was also being re-examined from different angles. 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 broad 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, where 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 upon 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 murder 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 re-releases the film on Blu-ray with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative carried out by StudioCanal, and presented on a dual-layered BD-50 disc. Kino’s previous Blu-ray release from 2020 had its share of problems, but their Blu-ray re-release, as well as their new 4K Ultra HD release, while not immaculate, easily outperform it. Grain is more evenly-distributed and tighter, revealing more detail. Morris was known for his heavy use of diffusion filters, 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. Flesh tones are more natural and the overall palette is more accurate now. The image is stable with a healthy bitrate, though some speckling and scratches have been left intact. Needless to say, it’s a far cry from the 2020 Blu-ray release.
left;">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, neither adding or enhancing 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 Blu-ray re-release of Murder by Decree sits in a blue Amaray case alongside a double-sided insert, featuring artwork used for the film’s paperback novelization and the Italian theatrical poster on one side, and artwork used for the US theatrical poster on the reverse. It’s worth noting that there’s also a 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD release available, which also contains this Blu-ray. The following extras are included:
- 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. Although Clark pauses to actually watch the film, 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. The second audio commentary with film historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell was recorded for Kino’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 various Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper adaptations. Both tracks are well worth a listen. 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, accessible 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 Blu-ray re-release is a big improvement over their previous Blu-ray, and the 4K Ultra HD release is even better. Regardless of which format you choose, they come very much recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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