Talk:Sherlock Holmes (2009)

I saw the movie and Holmes' attempt to a silenced pistol looked a little bit like either a Nagant revolver or a Chamelot model 1878. The Chamelot makes more sense time wise but the Nagant could still be a possiblity. 98.175.58.228 21:07, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

I agree with the gentleman, or lady.

But since the film sets before 'The Adventure of Final Problem', i.e. before 1891 - which means it would be anachronistic for the time for a Nagant Revolver (1895).

That might also explans why Holmes' effort of inventing a 'silencer' for it was fruitless because the escaping propellant gas from the gap of the cylinder and barrel. If there was a Nagant, Holmes would had successed.

And a point to add, 'VR' that Holmes shot onto the wall was the royal cypher of Queen Victoria stands for 'Victoria Regina'. What he did in 'His Las Bow'.

the part the silencer may be a references to Robert Downey, Jr. part in A Scanner Darkly. Rex095

I haven't seen the movie and I'm not likely to for awhile, but the most common Nagant (Russian 1895 in 7.62mm) is by no means the only one (though the only with the gas seal). The first Nagant was the Belgian 1878 and 1884 in 9.4mm, there was the Swedish 1887, Norwegian 1893 and Sewbian models in 7.5mm, the Brazilian and Argentine .44s, the model 1910 (never adopted) even had a swing-out cylinder. - Nyles

confusing

this doesnt have much to do about guns but when they are under big ben and house's of parliment rachael mcadams runs through pipes and gets to tower bridge and downey Jr and lord blackwood follow. surly that would take someone about an hour to get there. they are miles apart. very confusing smish34

That is correct. Thanks to Sir Joseph Bazalgette - they had to chase through the sewage in Victoria embankment (1870). That was more than two miles of running in London Sewer, from the Parliament to Tower Bridge. But I suppose they can't create the climax if the final battle took place on The Westminster Bridge.

Another non-gun related point to make. Being a pipe smoker myself, I am rather upseted by the down-toning of Holmes' pipe smoking habbit because of the changing of social habit of modern days. But at least the choice of pipe used in the film fits with the describition in the novel, a straight-stem 'Old Black Pipe' which could be the same one he smoked in 'The adventure of the creeping man'. Instead of the curved-stem calabash pipe made famous by previous Holmes films, which was introduced by William Gillette - since he found it was difficult to deliver his lines with a straight-stem pipe in his mouth. In all of the Sir Conan Doyle stories, Holmes smoked either a briar, clay or cherrywood pipe.

Also, as you might notice the username of mine is my favourite model of pipe.

K&P 317

Yeah, but don't forget that in the novels he also injects cocain and heroin frequently. I'm sure Robert Downey Jr. is glad that got taken out, as it probably would've given him some bad flashbacks.--Gunkatas 04:17, 19 February 2010 (UTC)

Holmes never injected heroin.

The liquid he was drinking above the fight club was cocaine, it was a nod to Holmes' drug use. I'm assuming that the producers thought the general public wouldn't approve of a Holmes that did drugs but they wanted to be as accurate as possible, so they had him imbibe cocaine in liquid form for us fans(which was used as an anesthetic at the time)and the general public wouldn't think twice about it. I also really doubt Downey would give much of a fuss.

The gentleman/lady above is correct. Although the movie did not depict what type of drug Holmes was drinking, Heroin did not exist until 1895, as a registered brand name of the German drug company Bayer. Holmes used cocaine and morphine.

It was legal, even fashionable in upper class to use these kind of recreational drugs in the late Vactorian era, i.e. the Great Binge. All of them could be easily obtained over the counter. Technicly, even the pope were on drugs in those days. Both Pius X and Leo XIII were very fond of vin Mariani, which contains cocaine. Besides, they smoked cigars. (Wish the current pope can be just as cool)

The great binge lasted until early stage of the 14-18 war, Harrods used to sell gift sets contained cocaine and heroine for front line soldiers. K&P 317

Gentleman, thank you. I am proposing it as cocaine based on his general demeanor at the time of Watson discovering him. He was manic, and talked of being awake for some time, focused on tediously accomplishing a task that took hours. Hallmarks of a stimulant.

Thank you sir/madam, that explains. The only medical knowledge I have is a full English breakfast is the best cure for a hangover. A related point to add, heroin as a registered brand name like aspirin of Bayer was taken off as part of the Treaty of Versailles. K&P 317

Winchester 1887

I could have sworn in the beginning of the movie when we see London police prepare themselves in the carriage, one of them was chambering a shell into a shotgun like the 1887. Excalibur01

I thought it was a double-barreled shotgun. Rex095

That was definately an 1887 Winchester.

Suppressed revolver?

For Sherlock Holmes being a smart man, he thought he could invent a suppressor but forgot that suppressors can't won't on revolvers because of the open revolving chamber Excalibur01

he was also in drugs and extremely bored at the time.

You do realize that even a drunk Holmes can make pointless discoveries that no one cares about Excalibur01

Police sidearms

This film accurately portrays the London Police as carrying firearms in the late Nineteenth Century. Does anyone know when the British decided to disarm their police force?

London Bobbies on night partols had the option of carrying a Webley & Scott revolver in late 19th Century. And of course firearms were issued when needed, e.g. Siege of Sidney St.

But up to this day the normal bobbies are not armed, they got to call Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO) when extra firepower is needed.

K&P 317

Counterclockwise? that does not sound really British

When Holmes was high as a kite and experimenting with the flies, he mentioned they flew in "counterclockwise" formation. I am not a linguistic expert, but a British would say "Anticlockwise" instead. So - here I ask, Was it some different speech habit of 19th centry or just because Robert Downey Jr. came from the States? K&P 317