Thanks to Netflix, I was recently able to watch a streamed version of a Sherlock Holmes movie. The film starred Sir Basil Rathbone, who established a Holmes persona that's tough to beat. Others have tried, and some interpretations are interesting. I showed the most recently Sherlock Holmes movie, in which Robert Downey, Jr. gave a worthy portrayal of the British sleuth.One of the enduring characteristics of iconic characters, such as Sherlock Holmes, is the range it offers actors. The James Bond franchise is another example; one suspects Jason Bourne will follow in the Holmes-Bond path.
I've often wondered if this phenomenon is restricted to Anglo-Saxon characters. I can't think of a similar character in a language other than English. Fellini's development of an alter ego character comes closest, with Marcello Mastroianni providing the interpretation. If the multiple interpretations are limited to the English-speaking world, one has to consider what is in the culture to permit these variations, or what limits other cultures from developing the next James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, or Jason Bourne.
