Sherlock - Zéro de conduite
Transcription
Sherlock - Zéro de conduite
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 http://www.zerodeconduite.net/boutique Une correction, une suggestion, une question ? N’hésitez pas à nous contacter : [email protected] / 01 40 34 92 08 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. 2 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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 Éléments de correctionp. 21 n Activité 3 : The art of transposition p. 24 Éléments de correctionp. 30 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 3 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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. 4 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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 5 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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 : 6 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Sherlock Activité 1 Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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? 7 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Sherlock Activité 1 Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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? 8 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 1 Sherlock Activité 1 Meet the heroes Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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 9 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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… 10 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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 11 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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. 12 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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. 13 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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 14 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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. 15 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Sherlock Activité 2 Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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? 16 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Probable age Activity just before death Place of death Sherlock Activité 2 Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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 17 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock abnormal strange amazing surprising that S + (should) + V… Sherlock Activité 2 The case Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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 : 18 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Sherlock Activité 2 The case Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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. 19 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Sherlock Activité 2 The case Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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). 20 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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 21 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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. 22 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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. 23 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Sherlock Activité 3 The art of transposition Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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)? 24 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Sherlock Activité 3 Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » The art of transposition 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 25 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock - expressing similarity: the same as not very different from quite similar to AS + adjective + AS Sherlock Activité 3 The art of transposition Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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. 26 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Sherlock Activité 3 Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » The art of transposition 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?» 27 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock «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 The art of transposition 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 28 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » Royaume-Uni, 2010 Sherlock Activité 3 The art of transposition Saison 1, épisode 1 « A study in pink » 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 (version électronique du texte disponible ici: http://www.online-literature.com/doyle/return_sherlock/8/ ) - The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist (version électronique du texte disponible ici: http://www.online-literature.com/doyle/return_sherlock/4/ ) - The Adventure of the Three Students (version électronique du texte disponible ici: http://www.online-literature.com/doyle/return_sherlock/9/ ) - The Adventure of the Norwood Builder (version électronique du texte disponible ici: http://www.online-literature.com/doyle/return_sherlock/2/ ) 29 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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. 30 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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. 31 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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, 32 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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.) 33 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock 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/ 34 Dossier pédagogique Sherlock