Arthur & George (2015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arthur & George is a historical drama in three parts which premiered on British television (itv) in 2015.

 

This miniseries is based on a true story: the case that is known as the Great Wyrley Outrages.

 

The title of the drama Arthur & George refers to the famous British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) and George Edalji (1876-1953), a solicitor who claimed he had been the victim of a wrongful conviction.

 

Here is some basic information about this drama:

 

** Producers: Philippa Braithwaite & Trevor Hopkins

** Director: Stuart Orme

** Writer: Ed Whitmore

** Based on a book by Julian Barnes

** Released on DVD in 2015

** Run time: 3 x 45 minutes = 135 minutes

 

The cast includes the following:

 

** Martin Clunes as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – the famous author

** Hattie Morahan as Jean Leckie – Conan Doyle’s second wife

** Charles Edwards as Alfred “Woodie” Wood – Conan Doyle’s secretary

** Art Malik as Reverend Shapurji Edalji

** Emma Fielding as Charlotte Edalji – the reverend’s wife

** Arsher Ali as George Edalji – the reverend’s son

** Alan McKenna as Inspector Campbell – a police officer

** Conleth Hill as Sergeant Upton – a police officer

 

Julian Barnes (born 1946) is a British author whose book Arthur & George was published in 2005.

 

Philippa Braithwaite – co-producer of the miniseries – acquired the rights to turn the book into a movie.

 

Having done this, she asked her husband Martin Clunes to play the leading role of Arthur Conan Doyle.

 

Martin Clunes was surprised, because this was not his typical role. He is famous for playing the leading role of the television series Doc Martin.

 

But after a while he accepted: he decided it would be nice to try something new; something different. 

 

Playing Arthur Conan Doyle was definitely something new and different for him.

 

Since this drama is based on a true story, the basic facts are part of the public record. They are not a secret. This is why I feel free to mention some of them here.

 

While this movie is based on a true story, it is not a documentary film. It is a dramatized version of events. Some details may have been altered, added or excluded. Not everything happened exactly as shown in the drama, but the basic story is true.

 

The case takes place in Staffordshire in the first decade of the 20th century.

 

In 1903, a series of horrible crimes against farm animals were committed in Wyrley, a village in Staffordshire. The local vicar Shapurji Edalji, who was of Indian origin, had married an English woman, Charlotte.

 

The couple had two children, a son and a daughter. The son (George) was suspected of having committed these crimes. He was arrested by the local police. Soon he was sentenced to seven years in prison.

 

In 1906, George was released without a pardon. But he was still considered guilty, and therefore he was not allowed to resume his work as a solicitor. Hoping that Conan Doyle had a strong sense of justice, George appealed to him, asking him to look into his case.

 

The timing was fortunate: Conan Doyle had just lost his first wife and he was grieving. He needed something to keep him busy; something to keep him going.

 

He had created the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. But the books about Sherlock Holmes were fiction. Now he would have to be a detective on a real case. Could he do this?

 

George Edalji asked him to clear his name. Conan Doyle met him and decided that he would do his best. He asked his secretary Alfred “Woodie” Wood to join him on this investigation.

 

In this drama, we follow the investigation of the case. We learn what had happened before in a series of flashbacks. Arthur and Woodie find some evidence that George is innocent, as he claims, but they also discover some facts which seem to show that he is guilty!

 

What does this mean? Where does the truth lie? The case is not only complicated, it is also dangerous. Arthur and Woodie must be as clever as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in order to solve it.

 

What do reviewers say about this drama?

 

Here are some results:

 

71 percent = IMDb

79 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

89 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the audience)

 

On Amazon there are at the moment 976 ratings of this product, 926 with reviews.

 

The average rating is 4.4 stars which corresponds to a rating of 88 percent.

 

If you ask me, the rating on IMDb is too low, while the rating on Amazon is more appropriate.

 

Why do I say this?

 

I have four reasons:

 

# 1. The script is well-written

# 2. The actors play their roles well

# 3. The story is captivating, dramatic and emotional

# 4. The miniseries is based on a true story

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

PS # 1. Conan Doyle met Jean Leckie in 1896. They were married in 1907 (one year after the death of his first wife). From that moment, she was known as Jean Leckie Doyle.

 

The couple remained married until he died in 1930. She died ten years later, in 1940. Apparently, Jean was not a very nice person.

 

For details, see The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle by Russell Miller (2008) (2009).

 

PS # 2. Following Conan Doyle’s investigation into George Edalji’s case, the British government revised the British legal system, creating a Court of Criminal Appeal. 

 

The case of the Great Wyrley Outrages was important in itself and it had significant consequences.

 

*****

Arthur & George

A historical novel

By Julian Barnes

(2005)

 

*****

The famous British author

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

(1859-1930)

 

*****