Lord Peter Wimsey - Five Red Herrings

Lord Peter Wimsey - Five Red Herrings

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DVD Reviews of Lord Peter Wimsey - Five Red Herrings

DVD Review: Red Herrings Readily Enjoyable
Summary: 4 Stars

I was not disappointed with the adaptation.

The "Five Red Herrings" is an enjoyable, yet complex story, set in Scotland during a holiday of Wimsey and his man, Bunter. A painter with nearly no friends and mostly nothing but enemies is found by the two holiday-seekers at the foot of a stream, and their enquiries into his death begin.

While the novel delved deeply into the five other painters populating the area (the five red herrings, as it were), scoping out their movements and establishing (or crumbling) their alibis, the adaptation trims things down a bit, and makes the story much more crisp and tight. While the book used flashbacks at times, in order to relay certain events, the television version moves everything along in linear time, making it much more easy to follow (I often find too many flashbacks jarring to the flow of a storyline). The plot is revealed in four parts, making for convenient viewing, and the end of one part is especially harrowing.

The portrayal of Wimsey by Ian Carmichael is superb. He manages to balance Wimsey's jovial nature with the realization that there is a cunning and highly superior mind at work. In many ways it is reminiscent of Patrick Macnee's John Steed character - often outwardly foppish and foolish, whilst all the time keen and aware. The actor who portrays Bunter (the other lead role) does a very good job, as well, showcasing the servant side while also betraying the very evident hint of insightful talent which can sometimes prove invaluable.

The other actors in this production all do a great job, hitting exactly the right notes with each of their characters. The setting used is very nice, with rolling hills and streams and little cottages. Wimsey's vintage car adds yet more to evoking the 1930's mystique. The sets are cozy and convincing, and it is quite obvious that everyone involved with the production had nothing but straightforward respect for the material. True, some things from the book are trimmed-down or left out, but in many ways that makes the adaption work better. Novels are novels, and television is television.

Luckily, in the case of the "Five Red Herrings", we have wonderful examples of both.