Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Murder by Decree Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 8, 2021

Bob Clark's "Murder by Decree" (1979) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include audio commentary by film journalist Kim Newman and crime fiction historian Barry Forshaw and separate video interview with the former. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

How much of what is revealed in Bob Clark’s film is true? According to Spanish writer and handwriting expert Jose Luis Abad, not much. A couple of years ago, Abad published a fascinating book titled Jack the Ripper: The Most Intelligent Murderer in History, and in it, he argued that there is sufficient evidence now to conclude that the man who committed the murders in Whitechapel was in fact the same man who was in charge of their investigation, Inspector Abberline, whose handwriting apparently matches that in Jack the Ripper's diary. (The controversial diary was discovered in a house in Liverpool in 1992). But does it actually matter, since Clark’s film puts Jack the Ripper on a collision course with Sherlock Holmes? Now, this is a question that is very easy to answer after one has seen Clark’s film, and the answer is a very definitive no. How so? Because Clark’s film is essentially a Victorian fairy tale for adults, and as such it takes its atmosphere far more seriously than its facts.

Okay, now let’s look at this film from a slightly different angle. Forget about Jack the Ripper for a moment and focus on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Now, ponder the following question: What other films are there where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson look so perfect together and fit in the period environment where they are supposed to impress as well as they do in Clark’s film? A Study in Terror is a decent film and John Neville and Donald Houston are rather entertaining together, but they are not a match for Christopher Plummer and James Mason. Nicol Williamson and Robert Duvall in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution? Sorry, not even close. Robert Stephens and Colin Blakely in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes? Too exotic to be taken seriously. Vasiliy Livanov and Vitali Solomin in the Soviet miniseries? Yes, this is a formidable couple, but hearing the great detective speaking Russian is rather distracting. Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley in Without a Clue? The former is great, but there is too much comedy in this film that hurts his image. So, could Clark’s film be the best about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson?

The Victorian London that emerges in Clark’s film is the perfect playground for iconic characters like Jack the Ripper, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. During the day it looks cultured and safe, but at night, after the fog comes down, it evolves into a lawless jungle where shadows can kill. Sherlock Holmes is hired to solve a series of gruesome murders, but he needs the help of a psychic (Donald Sutherland) to describe his nemesis to him and then point him in the right direction. Inspector Foxborough (David Hemmings) is also tracking down the killer, but is on a mission to expose something bigger and far more dangerous that could bring down the monarchy.

The film plays with some quite wild possibilities, but at the end manages to produce an entirely coherent and actually plausible deconstruction of a timeless puzzle. On top of this, Clark and cinematographer Reginald H. Morris infuse it with a truly special atmosphere that makes viewing it an unforgettable experience.

*Murder by Decree was released theatrically in 1979. During the same year, Warner Bros. also released theatrically Nicholas Meyer’s Time After Time in which H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper in the twentieth century after he manages to escape with his newly-built time machine. (In the United States, Time After Time is already out on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment).

Murder by Decree Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.84:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Murder By Decree arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

I am tempted to declare that someone made an awful mistake which is why this new release of Murder by Decree is sourced from the exact same old master the folks at Kino Lorber worked with when they produced this North American release of the film in 2020. Something isn't right because there is a small sticker on the cover of this release claiming that it is sourced from a "Brand New Restoration" -- which by the way was supposed to be a 4K restoration -- and it is painfully obvious that this isn't the case. Too bad. Had it been restored in 4K, this film would have looked terrific on Blu-ray.

The limitations of the current master are exceptionally easy to recognize. Of course, they have absolutely nothing to do with the unique qualities of the original cinematography, so all the claims that have been made since 2020 that this is precisely how the film ought to look on Blu-ray are entirely false. Currently, the overwhelming majority of the film has a video-ish look. What does this mean? It means that grain is quite loose and noisy, delineation is average at best, depth isn't optimal, and fluidity is seriously underwhelming. It is true that the original cinematography tends to hide some of these limitations quite well, but you don't have to have a large screen or projector to realize that the film does not have the solid organic appearance it needs to look impressive. Colors are rather good, but a proper new 4K master would have introduced plenty of new and fresh primaries and nuances. There are no stability issues. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Murder by Decree Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless audio is decent, but I think that it could be quite a bit better. Indeed, the management of sound, not just the terrific music score, is very interesting and there are plenty of effects that seem partially lost. This was actually one of the main reasons I could not wait to get this release because I expected to hear a brand new audio track. There are no technical anomalies to report in our review.

Murder by Decree Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by film journalist Kim Newman and crime fiction historian Barry Forshaw.

• Interview with Kim Newman - in this video interview, Kim Newman discusses the production history of Murder by Decree, the presence of Jack the Ripper in it, as well as the film's unique stylistic qualities. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

Murder by Decree Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

StudioCanal's technical presentation of Murder by Decree is underwhelming. Official press materials touted a new restoration, but this release is very clearly sourced from the same master that the folks at Kino Lorber worked with when they prepared the North American release of the film, which has a very, very dated appearance. Too bad. If properly restored in 4K, Murder by Decree would look terrific on 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray.