One of the age old questions among Sherlockians is which actor is the better Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone or
Jeremy Brett? I am not here to provide any illumination to the question, but merely to describe my favorite Sherlock Holmes,
Mr. Jeremy Brett and the reasons I think he is an awesome Holmes.
For anyone who has seen the Granada Television series of 'Sherlock Holmes' knows that Mr. Brett mastered the character
of the great detective. His Holmes is filled with small eccentricities and quirks that make him a pleasure to watch.
His Holmes is also very intense. When you stare at Jeremy as Holmes, you can almost see his brain working like
rapid fire. It's really hard to describe, unless you've seen it, you probably won't know what I'm talking about.
Mr. Brett also portrays Sherlock Holmes in a way no other actor has ever played the great detective. Mr. Brett
plays Holmes as a man, not as a machine. His Holmes is occasionally fallible, his Holmes has a sense of humor and his Holmes
is chivlerous when he has to be.
In my opinion, the aspect that makes Mr. Brett's Sherlock Holmes the most unique is his relationship with Watson.
Mr. Brett is not afraid to show that his Sherlock Holmes is dependant on Dr. Watson. His Holmes shows the strong relationship
between the two men, a relationship that many people bring into the realm of slash, when in reality, there are no slash elements
to the relationship of these two me.
Jeremy Brett shows that, although his Holmes is tough and sarcastic, he needs Watson to keep his sanity. If it
weren't for Watson, Holmes would, well no one really knows what Holmes would be like if left alone to his own devices, but
Sherlockian and Holmesians agree that the result would not be pretty. Mr. Brett, through his outstanding performances, shows
that without Watson, he would be lost.
In conclusion, Jeremy Brett is the definative Sherlock Holmes. To quote the monograph, Jeremy Brett and David
Burke: an Adventure in Canical Fidelity, "Basil Rathbone was, but Jeremy Brett is Sherlock Holmes."
