Unfortunately, I think they were ultimately false to the character when they extrapolated from his less savory actions? But it is a coherent film in what it's doing, and I adore its Watson.

Also, it's not a very well-known film, but to my eye, this is clearly one of the sources Moffatt and Gatiss were drawing on when they made Sherlock; there are shout-outs to it here and there during the first season.