Enola Holmes is a story like no other! We all know who Sherlock Holmes is and so creating a story by not making him the lead but making his sister the lead was nothing short of revolutionary for crime- detective shows. We rarely saw women in lead detective roles in many shows and also in some where they were overshadowed by the male leads. But this didn't happen in Enola Holmes. The girl on the quest to find her mother realizes how good of a detective she can become, making her own identity.
The thing that I loved the most was how much focus was put on Enola being her won person and how much she wanted to have an identity other than being the sister of the greatest 'male' detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes. We need to realize the era the movies are based in never had female strong detectives so Enola taking up this challenge was huge in itself. Throughout the movies, we also see how people still don't believe in her capabilities, but she manages to make a name for herself giving hope to all the young female audience that they also can be themselves.
Another important thing shown is how Enola's mother always taught her to be different. Different in her appearance, she wanted Enola to know about science and study and read, all of those things that were seen as something only men could do at that time. Enola broke that stereotype and did all those things that she felt like doing. I particularly like this line from the movie:
"The Choice Is Always Yours. Whatever Society May Claim, It Can't Control You"
The producers of the movies are all females which also obviously has an impact on the storyline, and they made sure to show women as intelligent and smart. In the second movie, the main villain is a female, but she is not frowned upon rather she is shown as this strong and intelligent woman who managed to make such an elaborate plan. This is important because at that time women were not even seen as capable of creating conspiracies and they were just seen as shadow of these men. The movies are a must watch especially for the young audience who can get an idea that everybody should follow their passion regardless of their gender!
The first thing when I thought after seeing the title was why didn’t I come up with this? I personally loved the movie, and have watched it numerous times. I was always fascinated by detectives, and Enola Holmes, being a female one was just so pleasing to view. This movie is an amalgam of how many different ways there are for representing women in media. Representing a British girl at the time when feminism is looked down upon and women weren’t given rights at all, it shows how society in the past was forcing women to be in a subordinating position, and how they weren’t allowed to have an education. Enola’s mother raising her daughter through indirect means to be…
As someone who has been obsessed with detective novels ( the entire Agatha Christie series), it is extremely refreshign to see a female detective apart from Nancy Drew. What really makes Enola Holmes unique is not just her following the footsteps of her brother with regards to a career. As highlighted, Enola is the unapologetic main character and is not one to shy away from conflict. There is a certain balanced duality that comes with her. Previously all female protagonists with detective/strong characteristics are portrayed on the extreme end of being completely hyper masculine or using their femininity sexually and explicitly (think all of Tom Cruise's sidekicks in the Mission Impossible series who are actually super smart and capable bu…
It truly is inspiring to see female characters taking the lead and allowing themselves to be their most authentic self with adhering to the norms that society has created for them. What is also greatly appreciated in the movie is not only the fact that it shows a truer and diverse side to female characters but it also remains true to its time. The movie does not shy away from showing the prejudices and elitism that was prevalent at the time the movie is portraying. At the same time, there is a reversion from the norms of the era where we see Enola only focusing in creating a name for herself as a detective away from the influence of her…
I agree with almost all the arguments that you have made in the blog. Females are mainly shown as supporting the plotline of the male lead, who herself has no primary purpose in the movie. Movies like Enola Holmes break this prevalent stereotype by introducing female characters with an identity.
Another remarkable thing about this female lead is that she is not shown to enjoy the attention or recognition she gets because of her brother. She wants to represent herself as a distinct individual who has a voice of her own.
Now talking specifically about the line you have quoted, on the surface of it, it is compelling, empowering, and bold. And to some extent, it is true (or we…
Absolutely agree with this post! I loved these movies so much not only because they showed us the story of Enola Holmes but because they removed her character from the shadow of her brother, Sherlock. This was quite a contrast from the show Sherlock because in that show Sherlock alone is portrayed as the hero and lead detective while his sister Eurus Holmes is shown as a psychotic intelligent woman who uses her intellect to torture people. Even when his sister was given a character in the show, it was of a villain and she was a challenge for Sherlock. However in Enola Holmes, Sherlock’s sister is portrayed to be kind, gentle, and helpful while being a true detective at…