Sherlock - Zéro de conduite

Transcription

Dossier pédagogique
n Anglais
Sherlock saison 1
Épisode 1 : A study in pink
Une série écrite par Steven Moffat et Mark Gatiss
Royaume-Uni, 2013
DVD France Télévision Distribution
Dossier réalisé par Sarah Bisson
pour Zérodeconduite.net, Octobre 2013
Ce dossier est strictement réservé aux établissements acquéreurs du DVD « Sherlock » auprès
de l’Agence Cinéma Education, 3 rue Louis Loucheur 75017 Paris
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1 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock
INTRODUCTION
Cette nouvelle adaptation par la BBC des aventures du célèbre détective anglais ne
se contente pas de suivre sagement un texte écrit à la fin de l’ère victorienne : Steven
Moffat transpose magistralement les enquêtes de Sherlock Holmes dans l’Angleterre du
XXIème siècle sans pour autant trahir l’esprit de l’œuvre originale. Le détective cérébral
exerce toujours avec brio et un brin d’arrogance sa science de la déduction, mais en
faisant appel à tous les outils modernes à sa disposition : téléphone portable, GPS,
Internet… Grâce à cet habile tour de force, ces intrigues écrites il y a plus d’un siècle
sauront séduire un public de jeunes collégiens et lycéens qui s’initieront ainsi aux ressorts
d’un genre littéraire essentiel dans le monde anglo-saxon : le roman policier.
L’analyse du premier épisode de cette série sera aussi l’occasion de travailler sur les
mécanismes de la transposition du texte au film et de commenter les choix des scénaristes.
Enfin, l’étude de cet épisode pourra mener, en cycle terminal, à un travail de lecture et
d’écriture à partir de l’œuvre de Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, autour de la notion « mythes et
héros » en tronc commun et des thématiques du programme de Littérature étrangère en
langue étrangère (série L) suivantes : le personnage, ses figures et ses avatars ; l’écrivain
dans son siècle.
Introductionp. 2
Dans les programmesp. 3
Fiche technique du film
p. 4
Séquencier
p. 5
n Activité 1 : Meet the heroes
p. 6
Éléments de correctionp. 10
n Activité 2 : The case
p. 16
n Activité 3 : The art of transposition
p. 24
Pour aller plus loin
p. 34
DANS LES PROGRAMMES
Enseignement
Niveau
Dans les programmes
n Anglais
4ème et 3ème
L’ici et l’ailleurs. Langage : littérature : le roman policier
Découverte de l’autre : Londres
Seconde
Art et sentiment d’appartenance : spécificités littéraires du monde anglo-saxon
Cycle terminal
Tronc commun
Mythes et héros : Sherlock Holmes héros intemporel ?
Cycle terminale
LELE (série L)
Le personnage, ses figures et ses avatars
L’écrivain dans son siècle
FICHE TECHNIQUE DU DVD
Sherlock, Saison 1
Une série écrite par Steven Moffat et Mark Gatiss
Avec : Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes), Martin Freeman (Watson)
Année : 2010
Langue : Anglais
Sous-titres : Anglais ou Français
Pays : Royaume Uni
Durée : 3 x 90 min
Editeur du DVD : France Télévision Distribution
Synopsis : Londres, aujourd’hui. La police enquête sur une étrange série de suicides et fait finalement appel aux services d’un détective consultant, Sherlock Holmes. Celui-ci entraîne son nouveau colocataire, le docteur John Watson, dans cette nouvelle aventure
qui s’avèrera complexe et dangereuse.
CHAPITRAGE DE L’ÉPISODE 1 (A STUDY IN PINK)
Chap.DVD
Minutage
Descriptif
Pistes pedagogiques
1. Retour à la vie
civile
0:00 – 2:38
Watson : difficile retour d’Afghanistan - Générique
I/1, III/1, III/2
2. Série de suicides
2:39 – 7:12
Une étrange série de suicide. La police est dépassée
II/1, III/2
3. La rencontre
7:13 – 12:42
Comment Watson rencontre Sherlock Holmes
I/1, I/3, III/2
4. Une enquête !
12:43 – 17:38
Watson et Sherlock s’installe au 221b Baker Street. Le détective Lestrade demande l’aide de
Holmes..
I/1, III/2
5. Scène de
crime
17:39 – 30:50
Où on voit les méthodes de raisonnement de Holmes à l’œuvre autour du corps de la « dame
en rose »
I/1, I/2, II/2, III/2, III/3
6. Le meilleur
ennemi
30:51 – 41:18
Watson est amené à rencontrer un mystérieux personnage qui se dit être le « meilleur ennemi » de Holmes.
III/2
7. Le SMS
41:19 – 48:08
Holmes parvient à entrer en contact avec le tueur et lui donne rendez-vous.
III/2
8. Course-poursuite
48:09 – 55:16
Holmes et Watson courent à travers les rues de Londres pour rattraper le taxi dans lequel se
trouverait le tueur
II/3, III/2
9. Saisie de
drogue
55:17 – 62:57
La police fouille l’appartement de Holmes pour se venger du fait qu’il ne leur a pas communiqué ses dernières trouvailles
II/3, III/2
10. Le taxi
6258 – 67:23
Le meurtrier persuade Holmes de le suivre
II/3, III/2
11. Jeu macabre
67:24 – 81:38
Le meurtrier explique son mobile et veut entraîner Holmes dans son horrible jeu mortel.
Heureusement, Watson intervient
II/3, III/2
12. Moriarty ?
81:39 – 88:24
Epilogue : Watson découvre que Sherlock a un frère. Holmes s’est découvert une nouvelle
énigme: Moriarty.
I/2, III/2
Sherlock
Activité 1
Meet the heroes
Saison 1, épisode 1
« A study in pink »
Royaume-Uni, 2010
I) Getting to know them
Watch the beginning to 00:02:06, then from 00:07:14 to 00:21:38.
Then fill in the boxes with all the elements you find about the two characters on the picture.
Name :
Name :
Job :
Job :
Qualities :
Qualities :
Faults :
Faults :
Sherlock
Activité 1
Meet the heroes
Royaume-Uni, 2010
2) The science of deduction: getting information about the heroes
Watch again from 00:18:46 to 00:21:10.
List what Sherlock observed and then explain what he deduced from these observations, using the logical connectors given in the toolbox.
Toolbox
-
because (of)
due to
since
that’s why
-
so
therefore
consequently
as a consequence
Watch from 00:21:10 to 00:21:38 and comment on Sherlock’s method: is his reasoning entirely validated? Why (not)?
What is the effect of this final revelation?
Now your turn: use Sherlock’s method of deduction to analyse a scene.
Watch from 00:32:24 to 00:40:58
List your observations. Make deductions from what you observe.
Compare your reasoning with the class’s findings.
Now watch from 01:24:23 to 01:26:18
Is your initial reasoning as to the identity and role of the character Watson meets validated?
What is the effect of this final dialogue on the viewer?
Sherlock
Activité 1
Meet the heroes
Royaume-Uni, 2010
3) How the heroes met
Put the following steps into chronological order :
STEP
ORDER
Sherlock tells Watson when to meet to visit the flat
Stamford says he has already heard someone say exactly the same thing as Watson
Sherlock mentions his main faults
Watson is certain no one would want him as a roommate
Sherlock explains how he immediately guessed why Watson and Stamford came
Watson is recognized by Stamford
Sherlock gives his name
Sherlock enumerates elements he guessed about Watson
Stamford mentions flat-share as a solution
Watson walks across a park
Sherlock gives Watson the address of the flat
Watson objects that they know nothing about each other
Stamford brings Watson to Sherlock’s lab
Watson tells Stamford of his accommodation problems
Comment on the way the heroes meet and decide to live together. What does this reveal about these two characters?
1
Sherlock
Activité 1
Meet the heroes
Royaume-Uni, 2010
Writing :
Write Watson’s blog profile and his first blog entry about his meeting with Sherlock.
Be careful to develop about his feelings and impressions.
Feelings and impressions: adjectives
Put the following adjectives within the appropriate category:
CATEGORIES: surprise – fear – admiration – curiosity – joy - unease
ADJECTIVES: excited - attracted - embarrassed - nervous - scared - relieved - optimistic - pessimistic - amazed - taken aback - happy angry - horrified - hurt - annoyed - depressed - anxious - appreciative - hopeful – thrilled - intrigued
CORRigé
I) Getting to know them
Watch the beginning to 00:02:06, then from 00:07:14 to 00:21:38.
Then fill in the boxes with all the elements you find about the two characters on the picture.
Name : Sherlock Holmes
Name : John Watson
Job : detective consultant
Job : doctor – retired from army service (wounded in Afghanistan)
Qualities : extremely bright and
logical, with keen observing faculties,
funny…
Faults : plays the violin when thinking,
can remain silent for days, socially
awkward / insensitive (Cf. episode with
his female assistant at the lab), arrogantly self-confident…
Family : a sister, Harriet
Qualities : loyal, courageous…
Faults : has « trust issues », rather
solitary…
CORRigé
2) The science of deduction: getting information about the heroes
Watch again from 00:18:46 to 00:21:10.
List what Sherlock observed and then explain what he deduced from these observations, using the logical connectors given in the toolbox.
What Sherlock observes
What Sherlock deduces
Watson’s haircut and the way he holds himself
Watson is a military man.
What Watson said when he entered the lab: “…different from my day”
Watson studied at Bart’s (St Bartholomew’s Hospital) => army doctor
Watson’s face is tanned but there’s no tan above his wrists
Watson has been abroad, but not sunbathing.
Watson has a bad limp when he walks but he doesn’t ask for a chair when standing, as if he has forgotten about it
The limp is partly psychosomatic => the original circumstances of the limp are
traumatic => Watson was wounded in action
Final conclusion: suntan + wounded in action => Watson has just come back from either Afghanistan or Iraq
Watson’s phone is expensive + he is looking for a flat-share
Watson wouldn’t have wasted money on such a gadget => it’s a gift.
The phone is covered with scratches => it was put in the same pocket as keys
and coins
Watson wouldn’t treat his only luxury item like that => the phone has had a
previous owner
The phone has an engraving: “Harry Watson – from Clara xxx”
A family member gave Watson his phone:
The phone is a young man’s gadget
Watson didn’t get it from his father
Watson is a war hero and he can’t find a place to live
He has no extended family => Watson didn’t get the phone from a cousin
Final conclusion: The person who gave Watson his phone must be his brother
The engraving reads: “from Clara xxx”
There must be some romantic attachment between Harry Watson and Clara
The phone is expensive
Clara must be his wife, not his girlfriend
The model is 6 months old
Clara gave it to Harry recently
Harry gives his phone away only 6 months later
Their marriage must be in trouble, and he left her or he would have kept the
phone had it been the other way round.
Harry gave the phone to Watson
He wants to keep in touch with Watson
CORRigé
Watson is looking for cheap accommodation and he doesn’t ask his brother for
help
Watson has problems with his brother
The phone’s power connection has scuff marks all around the edge
Harry has drinking problems and Watson disapproves of his drinking
Exemple de paragraphe attendu:
Watson’s face is tanned but there is no tan above his wrists. Therefore, Watson has been abroad, but not on holidays. Because his limp appears to be psychosomatic since he seems to forget about it when he remains standing, the original circumstances of his injury must have been traumatic. As a consequence, Watson must
have been wounded in action. That is why Sherlock asks him whether he has come back from Afghanistan or Iraq.
Cet exercice pourra également être l’occasion d’un rappel sur la modalité épistémique, à travers l’utilisation de structures du type: MODAL+HAVE+participe passé
Watch from 00:21:10 to 00:21:38 and comment on Sherlock’s method: is his reasoning entirely validated? Why (not)?
What is the effect of this final revelation?
We learn that most of his reasoning based on Watson’s phone is correct: Watson admits he has never got on with Harry and he explains that Harry and Clara split
up a few months ago and that they are getting a divorce. The only fault in Sherlock’s reasoning is that Harry proves to be short for Harriet: Watson hasn’t got a brother but a sister.
Now your turn: use Sherlock’s method of deduction to analyse a scene.
This final revelation has an obvious comic effect as it is totally unexpected and somewhat takes Sherlock aback.
CORRigé
Watch from 00:32:24 to 00:40:58. List your observations. Make deductions from what you observe.
Compare your reasoning with the class’s findings.
What I observe
What I deduce
The person Watson meets can control public CCTV cameras
This person has access to the control panel of the public video surveillance system => he is extremely powerful
This person knows a lot of things about Sherlock Holmes
There must be a close connection between this man and Sherlock
He says that Sherlock would call him his “archenemy”
As Sherlock fights crime, he must be a criminal
This person also knows a lot of things about Watson (his therapist’s name, his
“trust issues”, his new address…)
He must have an excellent information network, maybe spies working for him
He wants to keep an eye on Sherlock’s activities through Watson, and he is
ready to pay him well for that
He may want to protect himself against any possible action from Sherlock
against him
He makes quite a few very clever guesses about Watson’s personality (the tremor in his hand is not due to post-traumatic stress disorder but to his missing the
danger of war)
He is extremely bright => This man is a criminal mastermind
Now watch from 01:24:23 to 01:26:18
Is your initial reasoning as to the identity and role of the character Watson meets validated?
We learn this mysterious character, whose name is Mycroft, is actually Sherlock’s brother. He works for the British secret services and is no criminal mastermind at all.
What is the effect of this final dialogue on the viewer?
This final revelation comes as a very surprising clever twist, which takes the viewer aback, putting us in exactly the same position as Sherlock when he learnt that
Harry is actually Watson’s sister.
CORRigé
3) How the heroes met
Put the following steps into chronological order :
STEP
ORDER
Sherlock tells Watson when to meet to visit the flat
10
Stamford says he has already heard someone say exactly the same thing as Watson
6
Sherlock mentions his main faults
8
Watson is certain no one would want him as a roommate
5
Sherlock explains how he immediately guessed why Watson and Stamford came
9
Watson is recognized by Stamford
2
Sherlock gives his name
13
Sherlock enumerates elements he guessed about Watson
12
Stamford mentions flat-share as a solution
4
Watson walks across a park
1
Sherlock gives Watson the address of the flat
14
Watson objects that they know nothing about each other
11
Stamford brings Watson to Sherlock’s lab
7
Watson tells Stamford of his accommodation problems
3
CORRigé
Comment on the way the heroes meet and decide to live together. What does this reveal about these two characters?
The way the two characters decide to live together is quite uncommon as they make up their minds almost immediately and the whole process does not follow what
would be considered a normal pattern. Indeed, Sherlock Holmes gives his name after accepting Watson as his flatmate. What’s more, he enumerates lots of very
intimate details about Watson even though he has never seen him before. This first meeting clearly brings to the fore Sherlock’s exceptional skills and shows that the
logic of pure rationality does not exactly correspond to the logic of normal social interactions. This discrepancy is of course an extremely effective potential source of
comedy.
Sherlock
Activité 2
The case
Royaume-Uni, 2010
I) The circumstances: a series of strange deaths
Watch from 00:02:39 to 00:07:12 and fill in the following grid:
Date
Name
death # 1
death # 2
death # 3
Which common point(s) is/are mentioned?
Probable
age
Activity just before death
Place of death
Sherlock
Activité 2
The case
Royaume-Uni, 2010
Debate: Murder or suicide?
You are detectives sharing your impressions. Give your opinion, using arguments to make your case.
Expressing your opinion:
I can’t help thinking that…
My feeling is that…
Personally, I would tend to think that…
Well, obviously, there’s no doubt that…
As a matter of fact, I am convinced that…
I find it...
extremely
a little bit
totally
completely
abnormal
strange
amazing
surprising
that S + (should) + V…
Sherlock
Activité 2
The case
Royaume-Uni, 2010
2) Study the crime scene
Watch from 00:21:38 to 00:30:26
Fill in the boxes with the elements found by Sherlock Holmes.
Explain the reasoning behind each deduction.
coat :
jewellery :
- observations:
- observations :
=> deductions:
=> deductions :
message :
- observations :
wedding ring :
- observations :
=> deductions :
=> deductions :
Sherlock
Activité 2
The case
Royaume-Uni, 2010
Analyse these elements found by Sherlock and elaborate your own theory about this series of deaths.
Imagine what may have happened: making hypotheses:
When you want to make a hypothesis, you may use the following modals:
MUST => surely, certainly
MAY => maybe, perhaps
MIGHT => maybe, perhaps - but you are not sure at all
CAN’T => certainly not – it’s impossible
Example: This series of deaths can’t be the result of mere coincidence; there must be some more satisfactory explanation.
Writing: Report about the discovery of the body of the woman in pink:
- Find a headline
- Write a short paragraph recapitulating the recent findings
- Write a short paragraph connecting these findings with the other deaths.
Sherlock
Activité 2
The case
Royaume-Uni, 2010
3) Catching the criminal
Who is it?
Watch from 00:48:11 to 00:49:00, listen carefully to Sherlock and fill in the blanks in the following essential questions he asks himself:
“Who do we …………………………. even if we ……………………………..them? Who passes, ………………………………, wherever they go?
Who …………………………. in the middle of the ………………………………..?”
Discuss with the class: what sort of person could the murderer be? Elaborate hypotheses.
Watch the rest of the episode. Were your hypotheses close to the solution?
If not, can you now retrospectively think of clues that were given by the director?
Writing: Go to Watson’s blog: http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/blog/07february, read his account on this case as well as the comments
and write your own comment (100 words minimum).
CORRigé
I) The circumstances: a series of strange deaths
Watch from 00:02:39 to 00:07:12 and fill in the following grid:
Date
Name
Probable age
Activity just before death
Place of death
death # 1
Oct. 12
Sir Jeffrey Patterson
in his late forties,
early fifties
was about to meet his mistress
in an office
death # 2
Nov. 16
James Phillimore
18
trying to get a cab, under a pouring rain
in a sports centre
death # 3
Jan. 27
Beth Davenport
in her forties
drinking and dancing during her birthday party
on a building site
Which common point(s) is/are mentioned?
They all seem to have committed suicide, taking the same poison. They were all found in places where they had no reason to be.
We also know, thanks to the images, that they all three took their poison in the form of pills that were contained in the same type of bottle and that they looked under
great stress when they did it.
Expressing your opinion:
I can’t help thinking that…
My feeling is that…
Personally, I would tend to think that…
Well, obviously, there’s no doubt that…
As a matter of fact, I am convinced that…
I find it / extremely a little bit / abnormal that S + (should) + V…
totally
strange
completely
amazing
surprising
CORRigé
2) Study the crime scene
Watch from 00:21:38 to 00:30:26. Fill in the boxes with the elements found by Sherlock Holmes.
coat :
jewellery :
- observations: The coat + the back
- observations : All her jewelry is
of the collar are wet / the umbrella is
dry
=> deductions: She is from Cardiff
message :
- observations : Only 5 letters scratched on the floor
=> deductions : They correspond
to a name : Rachel
clean except for her wedding ring
=> deductions : Unhappily married
for 10 years
wedding ring :
- observations : Dirty outside / clean
inside
=> deductions : A « man-eater » has had a string of lovers
The reasoning process:
Her wedding ring is ten years old at least. The rest of her jewelry has been regularly cleaned, but not her wedding ring => not a very happy marriage.
The inside is shiny: she must have taken it off very often as the only polish it got was when she took it off. Her nails show she didn’t take it off for manual labour purposes
=> she took it off because she had lovers who didn’t know she was married (short affairs) The coat shows that she was in a place where there was rain and too much
wind to use an umbrella, which was not the case in London. As the coat is still damp, it means she has come from a place that is only a few hours away from London.
After checking the Britain’s weather conditions on that day, the only place she could have come from is Cardiff.
CORRigé
Writing: Report about the discovery of the body of the woman in pink:
- Find a headline
- Write a short paragraph recapitulating the recent findings
- Write a short paragraph connecting these findings with the other deaths.
Suivant productions élèves.
On s’appuiera sur l’exemple (still de l’article traitant de la mort du jeune James Phillimore, tiré de l’épisode) pour montrer les spécificités syntaxiques des titres en anglais
(omission des articles, concision, etc)
3) Catching the criminal
Who is it?
Watch from 00:48:11 to 00:49:00, listen carefully to Sherlock and fill in the blanks in the following essential questions he asks himself:
“Who do we trust even if we don’t know them? Who passes, unnoticed, wherever they go? Who hunts in the middle of the crowd ?”
Writing: Go to Watson’s blog: http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/blog/07february, read his account on this case as well as the comments
and write your own comment (100 words minimum).
Suivant productions élèves
On pourra faire repérer dans le blog les éléments humoristiques et autres clins d’oeil.
Sherlock
Activité 3
The art of transposition
Royaume-Uni, 2010
1) Victorian England vs Cameron’s Britain
Watch an extract from another Sherlock Holmes TV series adaptation: Episode 01 – Season 01 – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984,
Granada Television): from 02:35 to 06:23
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXXysbEOR3Y&list=PLeC2WeKvjXcUaxn81Vs7_kNYFrJFP1FS4&hd=1
Compare it with Steven Moffat’s version (watch from 00:02:06 to 00:02:39).
Focus on the setting: what are the main differences between Victorian England and 21st-century Britain?
Do you think Moffat’s updating betrays the original version of the story? Why (not)?
Sherlock
Activité 3
Royaume-Uni, 2010
2) Comparing plots
Read the summary of the original story, entitled A Study in Scarlet (1887).
Focus on the following elements :
the murderer - the motive - the weapon - the modus operandi - the clues
Compare the plot of the TV episode with the original plot: point the similarities and the differences. What has been kept, changed, omitted,
added?
Can you understand the script-writers’ choices? Would you have made different choices? Why (not)?
Toolbox
expressing contrast:
on the one hand, … on the other hand
whereas
while
unlike
- comparing: the comparative form:
LESS + adjective + THAN
short adjective + -ER + THAN
MORE + long adjective + THAN
- expressing similarity:
the same as
not very different from
quite similar to
AS + adjective + AS
Sherlock
Activité 3
Royaume-Uni, 2010
A Study in Scarlet (1887) : summary
The novel is split into two quite separate halves. The first is entitled “Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John Watson, M.D., Late of the Army Medical Department”.
This part is told by Holmes’ friend Dr. Watson and describes his introduction in 1881 to Sherlock Holmes through a mutual friend and the first mystery in which he followed
Holmes’ investigations. The mystery revolves around a corpse found at a derelict house in Brixton, England with the word «RACHE» scrawled in blood on the wall beside
the body.
Holmes firmly resolves to solve the case although he knows he won’t be given any credit of it. For this purpose, he makes up a plan using a wedding ring that had been lost
at the crime scene. After placing an ad in the newspaper, asking for the ring owner, Holmes is visited by an old woman who claims the ring. Holmes follows «her,» who
turns out to be a man in disguise, but the man manages to escape.
Minutes later, Holmes is visited by Gregson, one of the police detectives assigned to the case, who claims that the case has been solved and the murderer is now jailed.
After the detective finishes explaining how he solved the case, a second police detective, Lestrade, arrives to announce that there has been a second murder - it is clear
that the man the police have arrested is innocent. The police are now completely at a loss - both detectives have arrived at dead ends.
By way of reply, Holmes announces that he himself has solved the murder and will shortly arrest the killer. Pretending to be packing his bags for a journey, he asks the
waiting cab driver to come and assist him with his luggage. As soon as the cab driver appears in his room, however, Holmes takes out his handcuffs and arrests the driver.
Proudly he says, «Gentlemen... Let me introduce you to Mr Jefferson Hope, the murderer of Enoch Drebber and of Joseph Stangerson.»
The second half of the story is called The Country of the Saints and jumps to the United States of America and the Mormon community. It is told in a third-person narrative
style, with an omniscient narrator, before returning in the last two chapters to Watson’s account of Holmes’ investigation, and then Holmes own explanation of his solution.
In these two chapters the relationship between the two halves of the novel becomes apparent. The motive for the crime is essentially one of lost love and revenge, as we
learn that Jefferson Hope’s fiancée – Lucy – was abducted by Drebber and Strangerson and then was forcibly married to Drebber. Lucy died a month later from a broken
heart. Hope – who suffers from an aortic aneurysm – decided to devote his life to his revenge: he stalked the two men throughout Europe, and eventually managed to see
Drebber alone. He forced Drebber to remember who he was and to take a pill out of a small box, allowing God to choose which one dies, for one was harmless and the
other poison. Drebber took the poisoned pill, and as he died, Hope showed him Lucy’s wedding ring.
He then began stalking Stangerson’s room at the hotel; but Stangerson, on learning of Drebber’s murder, refused to come out. Hope climbed into the room through the
window and gave Stangerson the same choice of pills but he was attacked by Stangerson and forced to stab him in the heart.
After being told of this, Holmes and Watson return to Baker Street; Hope dies from his aneurysm the night before his trial, a smile on his face.
One morning, Holmes reveals to Watson how he had deduced the identity of the murderer. He then shows Watson the newspaper; Lestrade and Gregson are given full
credit. Outraged, Watson states that Holmes should record the adventure and publish it. Upon Holmes’s refusal, Watson decides to do it himself.
Sherlock
Activité 3
Royaume-Uni, 2010
3) From text to film (LELE – Série L)
Comparing film and text: the example of the mobile phone.
Watch from 00:19:28 to 00:21:03
Then read the extract from Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four.
Can you understand the script-writers’ choices? Would you have made different choices? Why (not)?
«I have heard you say it is difficult for a man to have any object in daily use
without leaving the impress of his individuality upon it in such a way that a trained
observer might read it. Now, I have here a watch which has recently come into
my possession. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the
character or habits of the late owner?»
I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart,
for the test was, as I thought, an impossible one, and I intended it as a lesson
against the somewhat dogmatic tone which he occasionally assumed. He balanced
the watch in his hand, gazed hard at the dial, opened the back, and examined
the works, first with his naked eyes and then with a powerful convex lens. I could
hardly keep from smiling at his crestfallen1 face when he finally snapped the case
to and handed it back.
«There are hardly any data,» he remarked. «The watch has been recently cleaned,
which robs me of my most suggestive facts.»
«You are right,» I answered. «It was cleaned before being sent to me.»
In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent
excuse to cover his failure. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch?
«Though unsatisfactory, my research has not been entirely barren,» he observed,
staring up at the ceiling with dreamy, lacklustre eyes. «Subject to your correction, I
should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from
your father.»
«That you gather, no doubt, from the H. W. upon the back?»
«Quite so. The W. suggests your own name. The date of the watch is nearly fifty
years back, and the initials are as old as the watch: so it was made for the last
generation. Jewellery usually descends to the eldest son, and he is most likely to
have the same name as the father. Your father has, if I remember right, been dead
many years. It has, therefore, been in the hands of your eldest brother.»
«Right, so far,» said I. «Anything else?»
«He was a man of untidy habits--very untidy and careless. He was left with good
prospects, but he threw away his chances, lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I
can gather.»
I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the room with considerable
bitterness in my heart.
«This is unworthy of you, Holmes,» I said. «I could not have believed that you
would have descended to this. You have made inquiries into the history of my
unhappy brother, and you now pretend to deduce this knowledge in some fanciful way. You cannot expect me to believe that you have read all this from his old
watch! It is unkind and, to speak plainly, has a touch of charlatanism in it.»
«My dear doctor,» said he kindly, «pray accept my apologies. Viewing the matter
as an abstract problem, I had forgotten how personal and painful a thing it might
be to you. I assure you, however, that I never even knew that you had a brother
until you handed me the watch.»
«Then how in the name of all that is wonderful did you get these facts? They are
Sherlock
Activité 3
absolutely correct in every particular.»
«Ah, that is good luck. I could only say what was the balance of probability. I did
not at all expect to be so accurate.»
«But it was not mere guesswork?»
«No, no: I never guess. It is a shocking habit--destructive to the logical faculty.
What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of
thought or observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend. For
example, I began by stating that your brother was careless. When you observe the
lower part of that watch case you notice that it is not only dinted in two places but
it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects, such as
coins or keys, in the same pocket. Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man
who treats a fifty-guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man. Neither is it
a very far fetched inference that a man who inherits one article of such value is
pretty well provided for in other respects.»
I nodded to show that I followed his reasoning.
«It is very customary for pawnbrokers2 in England, when they take a watch, to
scratch the numbers of the ticket with a pinpoint upon the inside of the case. It is
more handy than a label as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed.
There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this
case. Inference--that your brother was often at low water. Secondary inference--that
he had occasional bursts of prosperity, or he could not have redeemed the pledge.
Finally, I ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the keyhole. Look at the
thousands of scratches all round the hole--marks where the key has slipped. What
sober man’s key could have scored those grooves? But you will never see a drunkard’s watch without them. He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his
unsteady hand. Where is the mystery in all this?»
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of Four (1890)
Notes: 1. crestfallen: déconfit
2. pawnbroker : prêteur sur gages
Royaume-Uni, 2010
Sherlock
Activité 3
Royaume-Uni, 2010
Find what has been kept in the TV version and what has been changed. Explain why.
Say if you think this TV adaptation is successful in preserving the original spirit of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories and explain why.
Can you mention other changes of the same type that can be seen in the TV series?
What is the overall effect of these alterations?
Rappel :
Lorsqu’on évalue le résultat d’un changement, qu’on fait le bilan d’un processus commencé dans le passé, on utilise le present perfect
(HAVE + Participe passé). Le present perfect permet de se focaliser sur la situation présente tout en établissant un lien avec le passé.
Exemple : Some of the original dialogues written by Arthur Conan Doyle have been entirely kept as such in Steven Moffat’s TV series.
Writing (group work): Create your own 21st-century Sherlock Holmes story.
You may either make it all up or choose among the following short stories which you will have to transpose into contemporary England:
- The Adventure of the Dancing Men
(version électronique du texte disponible ici: http://www.online-literature.com/doyle/return_sherlock/3/ )
- The Adventure of the Six Napoleons
- The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist
- The Adventure of the Three Students
- The Adventure of the Norwood Builder
CORRigé
1) Victorian England vs Cameron’s Britain
Watch an extract from another Sherlock Holmes TV series adaptation: Episode 01 – Season 01 – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984,
Granada Television): from 02:35 to 06:23
Compare it with Steven Moffat’s version (watch from 00:02:06 to 00:02:39).
Focus on the setting: what are the main differences between Victorian England and 21st-century Britain?
Do you think Moffat’s updating betrays the original version of the story? Why (not)?
The setting of Moffat’s version is obviously today’s Britain: we see the London Eye during the opening credits sequence. The Granada Television version introduces the
viewer to a totally different setting: the cabs are horse-drawn, everybody is wearing a hat, the streets are lit by gas lamps, a lot of pedestrians walk on the roadway as
there are not as many carriages as there are cars in contemporary London’s streets.
Deuxième partie de la question: suivant productions élèves.
CORRigé
2) Comparing plots
Read the summary of the original story, entitled A Study in Scarlet (1887).
Focus on the following elements :
the murderer - the motive - the weapon - the modus operandi - the clues
Compare the plot of the TV episode with the original plot: point the similarities and the differences. What has been kept, changed, omitted,
added?
On utilisera le tableau ci-dessous pour identifier les differences et les similitudes et ensuite les récapituler comme dans l’exemple suivant : « The plot of the BBC version is
not very different from the original plot written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the two murderers have the same job and suffer from similar diseases. Etc. »
The original story
The TV series episode
the murderer
an American adventurer who, when in London, works as a cab
driver – suffers from an aortic aneurysm
a cab driver – suffers from a cerebral aneurysm
the motive
revenge
is sponsored by a criminal mastermind who pays him for each
murder he commits – the murderer wants his children to inherit
more than a pittance when he dies
the weapon
the modus operandi
a poisoned pill
a poisoned pill
the murderer forces his victim to take a pill out of a small box,
which contains a poisoned one and a harmless one – thus
allowing God to decide who is going to die.
the murderer forces his victim to pick a bottle between two, one
containing a poisoned pill and the other a harmless pill. He
plays a horrible mind-guessing game which always ends up in
the victim picking the poisoned pill.
the clues
- the word « Rache », meaning revenge in German was written
with blood on the wall next to the victim (note: the murderer
wrote it as a red herring pointing to German terrorist groups)
- the victim scratched the letters “Rache” on the floor, to indicate
that her cellphone’s password is Rachel, her stillborn daughter’s
name.
- the wedding ring that the criminal lost on the crime scene
- the victim’s wedding ring reveals quite a few elements about
her private life.
CORRigé
3) From text to film (LELE – Série L)
Comparing film and text: the example of the mobile phone.
Watch from 00:19:28 to 00:21:03
Then read the extract from Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four.
Find what has been kept in the TV version and what has been changed. Explain why.
Voir ce qui a été surligné dans le texte:
> Ce qui a été conservé
> Ce qui a été modifié
«I have heard you say it is difficult for a man to have any object in daily use without leaving the impress of his individuality upon it in such a way that a trained observer might read it. Now, I have here a watch which has recently come into my possession. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or
habits of the late owner?»
(…)
In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch?
«Though unsatisfactory, my research has not been entirely barren,» he observed, staring up at the ceiling with dreamy, lacklustre eyes. «Subject to your correction, I
should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your father.»
«That you gather, no doubt, from the H. W. upon the back?»
«Quite so. The W. suggests your own name. The date of the watch is nearly fifty years back, and the initials are as old as the watch: so it was made for the last generation. Jewellery usually descends to the eldest son, and he is most likely to have the same name as the father. Your father has, if I remember right, been dead many years.
It has, therefore, been in the hands of your eldest brother.»
«Right, so far,» said I. «Anything else?»
«He was a man of untidy habits--very untidy and careless. He was left with good prospects, but he threw away his chances, lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I can gather.»
I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the room with considerable bitterness in my heart.
(...)
«No, no: I never guess. It is a shocking habit--destructive to the logical faculty. What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of thought or
observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend. For example, I began by stating that your brother was careless. When you observe the lower part of
that watch case you notice that it is not only dinted in two places but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects, such as coins or keys,
CORRigé
in the same pocket. Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man who treats a fifty-guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man. Neither is it a very far fetched
inference that a man who inherits one article of such value is pretty well provided for in other respects.»
I nodded to show that I followed his reasoning.
«It is very customary for pawnbrokers2 in England, when they take a watch, to scratch the numbers of the ticket with a pinpoint upon the inside of the case. It is more
handy than a label as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed. There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this case. Inference--that your brother was often at low water. Secondary inference--that he had occasional bursts of prosperity, or he could not have redeemed the pledge. Finally, I
ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the keyhole. Look at the thousands of scratches all round the hole--marks where the key has slipped. What sober man’s
key could have scored those grooves? But you will never see a drunkard’s watch without them. He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteady hand.
Where is the mystery in all this?»
>>> Amazingly, quite a few elements have been kept : the adaptation has only transferred the clues Holmes observes from one luxury object (the watch) to a more
modern one (the cell phone). It appears to be quite a feat clearly which aims at doing justice to the original text (and so satisfying the Sherlock Holmes novels fans)
while updating it (and so turning Sherlock’s adventures into a more attractive tale for today’s viewers).
Can you mention other changes of the same type that can be seen in the TV series?
- nicotine patches => pipe: Holmes’s legendary pipe has been turned into nicotine patches (as smoking is not really tolerated in 21st-century London)
- Watson’s blog => the novels: Watson has become a blogger.
What is the overall effect of these alterations?
These slight alterations give consistency to the transposition of Sherlock Holmes’s adventures into the 21st century (and absolutely delight those who have enjoyed reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels as the TV series turns into a game in which (more or less) veiled references have to be found.)
POUR ALLER PLUS LOIN
Sitographie Tout sur Sherlock Holmes, une mine de liens utiles, notamment vers les versions électroniques des textes de Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
http://www.sherlockian.net/
L’autre site de référence sur le grand détective, avec les versions électroniques des textes.
http://221bakerstreet.org/
D’excellentes versions audio des textes en podcast.
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Podcast-Directory/Literature/European-Classics/Adventures-of-Sherlock-Holmes-Podcast/23071
Le blog personnel du docteur Watson (série de la BBC).
http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk/
Le site de Sherlock Holmes (série de la BBC)
http://www.thescienceofdeduction.co.uk/
Le site de la communauté des fans de la série écrite par Steven Moffat.
http://www.sherlockology.com/

Sherlock - Zéro de conduite

Transcription

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