An Edwardian lady in full dress was a wonder to behold, and her preparations for viewing were awesome...
Contrary to popular belief, Sherlock Holmes was rather a cutting-edge Victorian gentleman. Guy Ritchie’s version of Conan Doyle’s immortal sleuth does err on the side of too much physicality, but otherwise, Holmes was a fighter as well as a deducer. The sport in which he indulged was bartitsu (Doyle misspelled it as “baritsu”, though scholars [...]
Obviously Ritchie strives to update Sherlock Holmes and imbue this iconic character with a bit of his trademark grittiness, but I must say I am left aghast by the trailer. My disappointment has filled numerous Tweets since I saw the trailer last night, and though I will probably see this, I can’t say I’m excited [...]
Decadence was the word frequently used to describe fin de siècle Europe. Boulangism, the Panama Scandal, the Dreyfus Affair and the anarchist bombings shattered the complaisance of 1890s France, while the trial of Oscar Wilde, the Royal Baccarat Scandal and the continued tug-of-war over Home Rule between the Conservatives and the Liberals, combined with a [...]
