A Study in Subtitles - "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr.Watson"

I had come to something of a revelation - I have seen just about every Sherlock Holmes movie or television show catered to an English-speaking audience. What I didn't own on DVD as part of my extensive Sherlockian collection, I had managed to track down on YouTube. But, there was something lacking. An important piece of Sherlock Holmes history was conspicuously missing from my assortment of books, films and TV.

I do not remember exactly when I first learned that Russia had produced some of the most acclaimed Sherlock Holmes adaptations, but since that piece of information entered the word-jumble that is my brain, I knew I had to track it down. The search wasn't exactly meticulous, mainly because I thought that the prospect of finding an obscure Russian television series from the 1970's was absurd. And then out of blue, I found one - the much-loved adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles. I should have jumped at the chance to view it because when I was finally ready to sit down and watch the episode, it had vanished into the uncharted chasms of the Internet.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
and Dr. Watson (1979-1986)

And so the search continued. Again, I supposed that I would never find the episodes, but my luck won out and I discovered the series in its entirety on Amazon.com - a six DVD collection with English subtitles! I'm sure the moment my eyes landed on the words 'English subtitles' I thought they were the most wonderful words in the English language. With the collection at last in my grasp, I wasted no time in procuring the collection.

Much has been written of the series' production and praise has been leveled unto it. The series, entitled The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson premiered in 1979 with Vasily Livanov starring as Sherlock Holmes and Vitaly Solomin as Dr. Watson. The show premiered with an episode entitled "Acquaintance" which features the rarely-filed first meeting between Holmes and Watson. What becomes apparent to any viewer watching this series, and to any Sherlockian in particular, is Livanov's slightly at-odds performance of the detective. Livanov's Holmes is a good-humoured individual, his friendship with Watson defined throughout the show's run as a close one. It is one of the finest portrayals of the two character's relationships, and one of the closest in spirit to Doyle's original conception. In an interesting, and chuckle-inducing departure from the canon, Watson is at first suspicious of his flatmate's odd behaviour and at first suspects that Holmes is a kingpin of the criminal underworld - and not one fighting for the side of the angels. Though "Acquaintance" begins as an adaptation of A Study in Scarlet, proceedings slowly morph into The Speckled Band. However, fans of Doyle's introductory novella need not fear. The show's second installment, "Bloody Inscription" faithfully adapts the book - only the third time in the great detective's screen history.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1981) - the
Russian series' high-point

As writer Alan Barnes wrote in his excellent book, Sherlock Holmes on Screen, the show's second season is perhaps its best - a three-part adaptation which manages to ingeniously connect Charles Augustus Milverton, The Final Problem and The Empty House. Livanov gives an excellent performance holding his own against the scariest Professor Moriarty every committed to film. Following on is the aforementioned adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, produced on an epic scale. The two-and-half-hour adaptation is spread across two episodes and retains all of Doyle's original plot points. Though the Russian countryside doesn't exactly depict Dartmoor, the exteriors are dark and foreboding and convey an excellent sense of isolation.

Following on from there is The Treasure of Agra, which managed to combine The Sign of Four with A Scandal in Bohemia. Though somewhat disjointed, the segment depicting A Scandal in Bohemia is incredibly moving and Livanov's performance is wonderfully moody. As the episode came to an end, Holmes and Watson were parting ways - the detective headed to the Sussex Downs to retire and Watson to go back into private practice with his new wife. Yet, this was not the end. The final two-part adaptation, The Twentieth Century Approaches combined a number of Doyle's short-stories and features yet another milestone in Sherlock Holmes screen history - a depiction of His Last Bow, chronologically the last Sherlock Holmes adventure.

The Russian series came to an end with a triumphant rendition of the series' theme and a beautiful profile shot of Vasily Livanov, dressed in deerstalker and Inverness, his head wreathed in pipe smoke. As I extracted the DVD from the player, I sensed an unusually feeling in the back of mind. The much-loved series had finally passed before my eyes and another chapter of Sherlockian media had come to close. I replaced the collection on my shelf - nimbly fitting it in between Murder by Decree and The Sign of Four (1983). It took me some time to reflect on the series, and I'll sum up my thoughts below.

As with any other television series, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson has it ups and downs, but overall its en excellent representation of the Arthur Conan Doyle canon. Despite the fact that Vasily Livanov's Holmes is played somewhat against type, he lends an excellent performance as a humane Holmes. The friendship between Holmes and Watson is excellently characterised, defined with good humour and rapport. Though the adaptations at times deviated from Doyle's originals, and blended together multiple short stories, it is easy to see why Sherlockians have embraced this series. In 2006, Vasily Livanov was became an honourary member of the Order of the British Empire for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.

Though this piece isn't an official review, I still feel as though it warrants an official 'rating.' The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson receives a 4.5 out of 5 from me.

As I type these words I'm thinking once again that my collection is nearly complete. It is odd to think that I actually branched out into a Russian series. I was un-phased by English subtitles (which at times didn't match up with the spoken words), which without doubt proved just how devoted I am to the legacy of the world's greatest detective. Though I cannot say whether I will indulge in any future foreign Sherlockian offerings, I can surely say that I will enjoy this collection in the future.

Review - "The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes"

The wait for Big Finish’s The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes has been grueling. Announced in April 2012, after the release of their last Sherlock Holmes audio, The Perfidious Mariner, fans of Big Finish and the great detective have been anxiously waiting. Writer Jonathon Barnes had said that this collection of four one-hour adventures would be an epic Sherlock Holmes adventure. Was this hype warranted? The answer: yes.

The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes was certainly one epic adventure spanning four decades, each representing a period in the great detective’s career. Though at first seemingly unrelated, the four adventures are in fact deeply intertwined, proving to be on Holmes’ most complex and remarkable mysteries. Though the four cases presented in this collection are connected, I will examine each one in turn as they can be viewed as separate entities. 

The first story presented in this collection is “The Guttering Candle.” Set in 1880, one year before Holmes met Dr. Watson, the audio actually presents us with two important events, which sets the ball in motion for the rest of the collection. Holmes (Nicholas Briggs), still a youthful and inexperienced detective makes the acquaintance of Inspector Lestrade for the first time as he embarks on a murder case. An unidentified man has been found on the banks of the Thames, and with the police at a loss, Holmes steps in to investigate. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, Dr. Watson (Richard Earl) has been kidnapped and taken to a secluded cave where he meets a wounded man named Christopher Thrale. Thrale requests Watson’s medical assistance, but his wounds prove too substantial and he passes away. But before his death, Thrale asks Watson to take a seemingly innocuous package to London. Little does the good doctor know what terrible repercussions this shall have.

In my opinion, “The Guttering Candle” was probably the strongest story of the collection. It at once drew me into the story, presenting the listener with some excellent Sherlockian deductions and story-telling. The plot, though not the most complex of the collection, was engaging and very interesting, and it successfully established all of the plot threads which would become important to the story in its subsequent installments. Nicholas Briggs did an excellent job as a young Sherlock Holmes, still narcissistic with an air of vainglorious self-importance.  

The next installment is "The Adventure of the Gamekeeper's Folly," which is probably the most Doyle-esque story of the collection. Holmes is contacted by Jim Hinderclay (Ken Bones), a gamekeeper in a remote English village. Hinderclay has been distraught for years after his daughter vanished, travelling to London. Holmes believes that he has been charged with finding Hinderclay's long lost daughter, but the gamekeeper tells him otherwise - he wants to know the reason for her mysterious return from the city.

"The Gamekeeper's Folly" was again an excellent installment, this time set when the detective was at the height of his powers in 1895. The story is very mysterious, and as with the previous adventure drew me straight away. It is important to note that the connections between the stories become evident after listening to this adventure, yet the outcome of the problem was incredibly surprising and the first of many plot twists which Jonathon Barnes introduces in the stories. 

The third story entitled "The Adventure of the Bermondsey Cutthroats" is probably the collection's weakest. This is due to the fact that there is not much mystery to be had, and the events of the story play out much more like a thriller. Holmes and Watson are charged by Scotland Yard to investigate a rash of murders. Seven people have been brutally killed in seven days, each one of them having a connection to Holmes' work. When Watson nearly falls victim to the killers, Holmes will stop at nothing to bring them to book. 

As I noted above, this episode does not feature any whodunit aspects, so Holmes' detective work is severely limited. Nonetheless, "The Bermondsey Cutthroats" is a taught and suspenseful thriller, which even managed to deliver a shiver or two down the spine of this reviewer. It was as engrossing as its previous installments, but Sherlockian purists beware - a beloved canon figure does not emerge alive following the events of this episode, something which left a rather bad taste in my mouth.

Things were rectified by "The Sowers of Despair," the concluding story in the collection which tied up all the loose ends and established a clear link between the preceding three stories. Set in 1919, Holmes and Watson are involved in government business this time around as they discover something evil may be afoot in a newly established European country. Their suspicions are soon confirmed as the duo face an evil the likes of which they have never encountered before. 

"The Sowers of Despair" brilliantly wrapped up all of the plot threads which had so tantalized listeners. It delivered on a number of fronts, being both a nicely executed mystery and thriller. My only complaint would be how this final story delved a bit too deeply into the realm of science fiction - something for which even Arthur Conan Doyle was not entirely innocent. 

In all, The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes was an absolute pleasure to listen to. Never did a suspect that these four stories would craft such a tremendous story-arc with hints and clues presented all the while. Jonathon Barnes' assertion that The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes was an epic Sherlock Holmes story rung true. I give the collection 4.5 out of 5 stars, making it one of Big Finish's finest Sherlockian offerings. 

Notes: As an aside, this was my first foray into downloading from Big Finish's website. With the price of buying the collection of CD being too expensive and the likelihood of it appearing on iTunes in the near future, I sought out a way to download the collection from Big Finish's website. I am happy to report that this went rather well, making the chances of me downloading from their website in the future very high.

An Oscar-Worthy Sherlock Holmes

Oscar-buzz has begun already as the nominees for the 2014 Academy Awards were announced yesterday. If you have missed the list, click here for a link. To be timely, I decided to take a look at what I believe is the most Oscar-worthy performance in the history of Sherlockian film. If there was ever one actor who deserved an Academy Award for his portrayal of the great detective, it is Nicol Williamson who played Holmes in 1976's The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.

Williamson seems at first to be an unlikely choice. Alongside actors such as Basil Rathbone and Peter Cushing what makes his performance stand out? I think the reason why I like Williamson's performance is because he plays the part against type. Although I am the Doylean purist that I am, I can appreciate Nicol Williamson's unusual turn as the drug-addled detective.

For those who may be unaware, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution began life in 1974 as a novel written by Nicholas Meyer. The first monumental Sherlock Holmes pastiche, the book presented an alternate time-line to Doyle's canon in which Dr. Watson manages to lure Holmes to Vienna in an effort to cure the detective of his cocaine addiction. In doing so, Holmes and Watson meet Sigmund Freud, become involved in a kidnapping case and learn the truth behind the Napoleon of Crime, Professor Moriarty. The Seven-Per-Cent Solution became a bestseller, and a movie adaptation seemed inevitable. Interestingly, when the movie went into production in 1975, Meyer followed and adapted his own book to the screen.

The movie's director, Herbert Ross was the man keen on reshaping Sherlock Holmes for this film. By 1976, the great detective had already been presented in a different vein, most notably in Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Ross said: "I want to see Holmes a little soft, a little quizzical, a bit like Leslie Howard." When Nicol Williamson had been cast, he too thought that Holmes should be played against type. Williamson was quoted as saying, "This Holmes is different: below the surface there is a fractured little boy chasing after a butterfly."

Williamson was accepting a great challenge when he took over the part. This Holmes must still exhibit the cold, calculating reasoning of Doyle's original while presenting an obvious drug addiction. Quite simply, Williamson's manic Holmes is a triumph. He presents both sides of the character wonderfully, constantly fidgeting and twiddling his thumbs in a beautiful reflection of Holmes' unbalanced character. Williamson's own description of the character, likening him to a fractured human being is clearly seen.

Alan Arkin (left) as Sigmund Freud with Nicol Williamson's
Sherlock Holmes

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is all around an excellent film too, and boosts one of the finest casts of any Sherlock Holmes films. Aside from Williamson's Holmes, Alan Arkin takes top honours as an understated Sigmund Freud. Robert Duvall presents a characterisation of Dr. Watson very akin to Doyle's original, a rather ludicrous-sounding English accent not withstanding. Charles Gray puts in an appearance as Mycroft Holmes - eight years before he played the character opposite Jeremy Brett in Granada's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Lastly, Sir Laurence Oliver makes a cameo appearance as Professor Moriarty, and despite the professor's limited screen time, Oliver manages to make a great impression. It should also be noted that The Seven-Per-Cent Solution 'was' nominated for two Academy Awards in 1977 - Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Costume Design.

Nicol Williamson's performance as Sherlock Holmes has faced some opposition in Sherlockian circles for his atypical portrayal of the great detective. Yet in terms of performance alone, Williamson's turn in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution is grand and he is rivaled by few. If you have not yet seen this movie, it comes highly recommended from me. In fact, it is probably in my top ten favourite Sherlock Holmes films of all time.

Review - Sherlock: His Last Vow" (SPOILERS!)

Warning: This review could potentially spoil the episode, so make sure you've seen His Last Vow before you continue

Series 3 has come and gone already. Yet again, we fans are left to play the seemingly eternal waiting game until the next season comes around. But, until then how do we occupy the time? Well, first and foremost I have a review to write. His Last Vow was the Series 3 finale, and it certainly did not disappoint. Would I consider it the finest episode of the show thus far - we'll find out.

Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) is engaged on one of his most dangerous cases. Newspaper mogul, Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen) is one of the most powerful men in all Europe, but he's also a notorious blackmailer. Abandoned by his brother Mycroft (Mark Gatiss), Sherlock will go to extreme lengths to bring this master blackmailer to book. The question is: how far will he go?

To Sherlockian aficionados, it is evident that this episode is based on Doyle's short story, Charles Augustus Milverton, a favourite of many readers despite having a length of a scant twelve pages and featuring little detective work on the part of the detective. As has become common with Steven Moffat's turns on Sherlock, the episode plays out as a modern-day adaptation, so the plot sticks with Doyle's original, without too many deviations. Moffat also managed to weave in a scene from The Man With the Twisted Lip as John Watson (Martin Freeman) infiltrates a drug den and gets a shock when he comes across an undercover Sherlock Holmes.

Moffat rightly described the episode as being the darkest in the series' history, and he did not lie. Whereas the first two episodes of Series 3 balanced the humour very well, His Last Bow was a straightforward drama with real belly-laughs few and far between. Moffat's script was excellent overall with a number of stand-out scenes. The sequence in which Sherlock is shot and conducts a conversation in his head to stay alive was not only the series' most surreal sequence, but possibly the show's finest scene overall. As I mentioned above, even though the script followed Arthur Conan Doyle's original, there were some deviations - the most notable being the whereabouts of Magnussen's 'vaults' containing the information he uses for blackmail. The revelation that the vaults were in all in his mind was genuinely surprising.

As usual, performances were excellent. Martin Freeman in particular walked away with top honours in this story, turning in his greatest turn as John Watson thus far. Similarly, Amanda Abbington did a fantastic job as Mary Watson, and we learn there was more to her character than first met the eye. Lars Mikkelson delivered chills as the villain, Magnussen, and he is easily the show's creepiest villain to date, even eclipsing Andrew Scott's Jim Moriarty.

Despite all the praise, His Last Vow is not perfect, my problems with the episode were however few and far between. Sherlock's drug use was referenced for the first time (a quick mention in A Study in Pink not withstanding) and it truly came out of nowhere. The script's attempts to make Magnussen the most repellent villain ever crossed the line when he 'urinated' in the fireplace of 221B. These quibbles aside, His Last Vow was excellent, surely the best episode of Series 3. I give the episode 4.5 stars out of 5.

But, don't think that I'm finished with Sherlock. Make sure you stop back to this blog after 2 February after all three episodes have aired in America when I will reflect on Series 3 and its relationship with the rest of the show (without fear of divulging 'too' much).

Review - "Sherlock: The Sign of Three" (SPOILERS!)

Warning: This review could potentially spoil the episode, so make sure you have seen The Sign of Three before you continue

Even now, fans are still unsure about their feelings towards the Series 3 opener, The Empty Hearse. I honestly cannot say what those who disliked that episode thought of the second, The Sign of Three, a collaborative effort penned by Steve Thompson, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. I will be blunt up front - this review is far more difficult to write as The Sign of Three is surely an unconventional episode.

Despite the fact that the title card for this episode says its the brainchild of the series' three writings, I'm sure I feel the hand of Steve Thompson behind this one the most. Thompson is an 'interesting' writer. He is terribly inconsistent when it comes to the quality of his work. He was responsible for the The Blind Banker, the episode often viewed as Sherlock's low-point as well as Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, a pretty average episode from the seventh series of Doctor Who. Yet, Thompson has also turned out likable scripts such as The Reichenbach Fall and The Curse of the Black Spot for Sherlock and Doctor Who respectively. Yet, was his latest effort a hit or a miss?

Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) is facing perhaps the most daunting task he has ever encountered - delivering his best man speech at John's (Martin Freeman) wedding. Little does the detective know, his skills of analysis and deduction will be put to the test as a murderer masquerades at the ceremony. Will Sherlock be able to save the happy couple from one of the most ingenious killers he's ever faced?

The Sign of Three was really a mixed episode. It achieved fantastical highs, but at the same time reached abysmal lows. I'll look at both sides, beginning with the positives. This episode was very unconventional as it pushed the real 'mystery' towards the end of the episode, and much of the plot was focused around Sherlock's best man speech. He relays to the onlookers (and us) two unsolved mysteries which turn out to have great bearing upon the solution. These plot strands were excellent, and I must say that the first adventure showcased, an ingenious locked-room mystery, was one of the show's finest hours. The second case was equally interesting, but rather lacked in terms of genuine jaw-dropping surprises.

"The game is something" - Amanda Abbington, Martin Freeman
and Benedict Cumberbatch in The Sign of Three

Great visuals have always been something which Sherlock has been about, and this episode scored brilliantly on that front, especially in the scenes where Sherlock has a conversation in his head. The execution of the final set of deductions at the wedding ceremony were well done too, and really managed to heighten the suspense. If only the entire episode could have been this way.

Let me make it clear - I'm fine with a little experimentation every once and a while, and The Sign of Three was surely experimental in terms of its storytelling. Yet, the mid-section of this episode was at times almost embarrassing to watch, and I think really overstepped the boundaries of 'experimentation.' Set during John's stag night, he and Sherlock get incredibly drunk before they're asked to tackle a very interesting case. While these scenes did at times make me smile due to the sheer ludicrousness of the whole thing, it really presented the great detectives(s) in a less than flattering light, especially as events reached a climax with Sherlock becoming sick on the crime scene.

As I've stated numerous times, The Sign of Three is an unconventional story, and I suppose there is noting wrong with that. The mystery elements worked really well and I think its has acted as a nice foreward to next week's finale, His Last Vow, but the comedic elements fell rather flat (at least for me). I wouldn't say it is the series' weakest episode, but not the shining hour either. I give The Sign of Three 3 out of 5 stars.

Review - "Sherlock: The Empty Hearse" (SPOILERS!)

Warning: This review could potentially spoil the episode, so make sure you have seen The Empty Hearse before you continue

Two years ago, Sherlock Holmes was seen leaping to his death from the roof of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Since then, fans around the globe have anxiously awaited the return of BBC's Sherlock. During the interim, fans have speculated how Sherlock faked his death, and surely accepted a great deal from the Series 3 opener, The Empty Hearse scripted by Mark Gatiss. However, did the episode meet the expectations?

Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) has returned. After his brother Mycroft (Mark Gatiss) informs him that a terrorist attack in the city is immanent, Sherlock goes about contacting John Watson (Martin Freeman), only to learn that John is engaged to be married. With the terror threat increased in London, Sherlock will have to make amends with John and save the day.

I will be up front here - I really liked this episode. Sure, it wasn't the series' strongest story to date, but it excelled where this particular story should. The Empty Hearse is primarily a character-driven piece, relying heavily upon the relationship of Sherlock and John and how it was (quite understandably) strained when Sherlock staged his death. Because so much of the episode was centred around Sherlock and John, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman's performances would be paramount. Indeed they were. Special attention must be drawn to Martin Freeman whose performance was excellent, especially in the scene where Sherlock reveals to his friend that he is still alive.

Many critics thus far have commented on the episode's lack of plot. I can see where they were coming from, but I cannot agree. I still found the plot about the terrorist threat to be very interesting, and Sherlock narrowing in on the mysterious goings-on in the underground was a truly fantastic scene. The Empty Hearse also featured other show-stopping moments - the most obvious being the motorbike chase through London as Sherlock and John's fiancee, Mary, race against the clock to save John whose trapped beneath a bonfire on Guy Fawke's night. I wouldn't be surprised if horror movie buff Mark Gatiss found inspiration for the bonfire vignette in the 1945 thriller, Hangover Square.

One of the things which I'm sure all fans were looking forward to was an explanation as to how Sherlock faked his death in the Series 2 finale, The Reichenbach Fall. Co-creators Gatiss and Steven Moffat executed this in an extremely clever manner. The episode depicted three solutions to this mystery (one of which featured Sherlock being in cahoots in Moriarty), and these were no doubt a nice way at poking fun at some of the show's fan-base who have been concocting theories since Series 2's airing two years ago. 

In my opinion, The Empty Hearse nicely welcomed Sherlock back to television screens. It provided us with some of the series' finest character moments and brilliant performances from the principle actors. While lacking the complex plot which fans of the show have become accustomed to, The Empty Hearse was nonetheless a clever episode (filled with many canonical references) and a fine way to spend an hour and a half. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. 

I anxiously look forward to the next episode, The Sign of Three by Steve Thompson, a teaser of which can be found here.

Will History Repeat Itself?

I am continuing to experience very annoying formatting problems with Blogger, so please bear with me until I (hopefully) can get this rectified. Anyhow, the subject of today's post is "Murder on the Orient Express," which aside from "And Then There Were None," is probably Agatha Christie's most famous and beloved novel. At the time of this writing, the novel has been adapted three times - once in 1974, and again in 2001 and then again in 2010. Now, there are stirrings that Christie's book is up again for another big-screen treatment. Click here to read further. 

The question is - does Christie's novel deserve another turnaround? Aside from the 1974 adaptation, neither of the other two made-for-television films have been all that good. I am probably the minority here, but 1974 film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot is one of my favourite Christie movies, and one of my favourite movies in general. Finney is, and always will be Poirot for me - perhaps in part derived from the fact that his performance was my first exposure to the detective. Yes, David Suchet has certainly left his mark on the character, but he shall never eclipse Finney's eccentric performance. 

The rest of the film is simple swathed with grandeur. The recreation of '30's Istanbul is wonderfully done and each of the film's stars are excellent - Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Ingrid Bergman who won an Oscar for her role in the movie. What's more, everything is elevated by Richard Rodney Bennett's beautiful, jazz-fueled score. 

By comparison the 2010 adaptation of the novel which was filmed as part of "Agatha Christie's Poirot" is an extremely tepid adaptation. David Suchet's performance is laughably over-the-top as he plays a real curmudgeon of a Poirot, and the entire episode is wreathed in depressing overtones, which wrings any pleasure from Christie's work. 

So, what would another big screen adaptation of "Murder on the Orient Express" bring? If the movie follows in the path of the 1974 film, than there shouldn't be too much to worry about. Yet, if history repeats itself and we get another run-around of the 2010 film, well I'm sure a number of Christie enthusiasts will be disappointed. The most important piece of all though is that whatever becomes of the movie, it must remain faithful to Agatha Christie's brilliant source material.