Brando leads nicely into the subject of director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who’d shown he could handle a stage adaptation, though of a somewhat older vintage, with his 1953 version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar that earned the actor an Oscar nomination. Sleuth was Mankiewicz's final film and he couldn’t have wished for a better swan song. He uses the location scenes early on to break the play out of its stage origins, while making the most of the sets to add a claustrophobic intensity to the production. We know what lies outside the windows but there is a feeling that these two men can’t escape each other, it’s like a duel fought with words instead of weapons.
A remake is on its way later this year that sees Caine take on the part of Wyke, while Jude Law plays Milo. I have to admit I’m intrigued to see it, although Wyke seems ill-suited to Sir Michael and Jude Law must want to make a career out of playing Caine’s old parts (he’s already appeared in Alfie). At least the director seems a good fit; Kenneth Branagh has an affinity for both stage and screen that should suit the story well.
I’d say it’s a safe bet though that the remake will never overshadow this classic; it remains one of the best stage adaptations cinema goers have ever been treated to. For a film with so few characters and locations to hold the viewer's attention for a running time that exceeds two hours speaks volumes of the talent at work here, both in front of and behind the camera. As I said at the start, the less you know, the more enjoyment you'll get from the film the first time you see it, but it stands up to repeat viewings and should be required viewing for anyone with an interest in acting, be it on stage or screen.
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