Sherlock Holmes: The Occult World of Arthur Conan Doyle is a fascinating exploration of the personal and professional interests of the creator of the Sherlock Holmes character. The film takes a deep dive into the world of Arthur Conan Doyle, focusing on the mystical and occult elements that permeated both his literary works and his own life.
Philip Gardiner, a prolific author and filmmaker who has previously delved into the world of the esoteric and mysterious, directs and narrates the documentary. Throughout the film, Gardiner uses interviews with experts and historians, as well as dramatizations of key moments in Conan Doyle's life, to weave a compelling narrative that sheds light on the little-known facets of Conan Doyle's personality and interests.
One of the central themes of the film is the way in which Conan Doyle's own life and experiences informed his literary creations. Gardiner takes the viewer on a journey through the major events of Conan Doyle's life, from his early fascination with spiritualism and the supernatural, to his work as a medical doctor and his experiences serving as a physician during the Boer War.
Throughout these early years, Conan Doyle was developing a deep interest in the paranormal, which would later come to influence many of his most famous literary works. As Gardiner shows, Conan Doyle's writing is full of references to the mystical, magical, and otherworldly. From the ghostly apparitions in The Hound of the Baskervilles to the sinister powers at work in The Coming of the Fairies, Conan Doyle's fiction is infused with a fascination for the unknown.
The film also explores the way in which Conan Doyle's own spiritual beliefs evolved over time. After the tragic death of his son, Conan Doyle became an ardent believer in spiritualism, and spent much of his time attending séances and communicating with the dead. These experiences would go on to inform his writing, and would lead him to create the iconic character of Sherlock Holmes, who was himself imbued with a kind of otherworldly insight and intuition.
Along with exploring Conan Doyle's spiritual beliefs, the film also dives deep into the historical context of Victorian England, which was itself undergoing a kind of spiritual and mystic revival. Gardiner shows how Conan Doyle's work and interests were part of a larger movement towards spiritualism and the paranormal, and how these interests were part of a response to the rapid social and technological changes happening during this time.
One of the most interesting aspects of the film is the way in which it grapples with the contradictions and tensions that existed within Conan Doyle's life and work. On the one hand, he was a devout believer in the paranormal, and spent much of his life working to promote and legitimize spiritualism. On the other hand, he was also a rationalist and a pragmatist, and was known for demanding evidence and proof before accepting any supernatural claims.
The film does an excellent job of exploring these contradictions, and of showing how they were integral to Conan Doyle's complex personality and worldview. Throughout the film, Gardiner creates a portrait of a man who was both deeply curious about the unknown, and deeply skeptical of claims that could not be backed up by empirical evidence.
Overall, Sherlock Holmes: The Occult World of Arthur Conan Doyle is a fascinating journey into the mind and life of one of the most important literary figures of the Victorian era. Through its exploration of Conan Doyle's spiritual beliefs, his interest in the paranormal, and his iconic creation of Sherlock Holmes, the film sheds light on the broader cultural and historical context of nineteenth-century England. Whether you are a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories or simply interested in the intersection of mysticism and literature, this documentary is sure to fascinate and engross.
Sherlock Holmes: The Occult World of Arthur Conan Doyle is a 2019 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 8 minutes.
