'Allo! I'm not contributing to Ciao for the time being but if you are bored / desperate / weird enou...
'Allo! I'm not contributing to Ciao for the time being but if you are bored / desperate / weird enough to wish to continue to read my ramblings, you can find me on Dooyoo under the user name plipplop. See you around! :P
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Incredibly enough, From Hell was the first movie that I had ever seen about the notorious killer Jack The Ripper. A number of films have been made over the years, but I’d somehow managed to miss them all, and so I had no real prior knowledge of the story behind the myth. I’d read mixed reviews of the film, both here and on other sites, but I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t intrigued by the whole story and looked forward to seeing the film on DVD. Apologies to those of you, to whom the story is very familiar, but here's a brief synopsis of the plot.
Amidst the filthy streets and dark alleyways of Victorian London, a killer is on the loose. Targeting the city’s prostitutes, the crazed killer first abducts the unfortunate women and then slaughters them by slashing their throats and the mutilating their bodies. Inspector Abberline is brought in to investigate the murders, and quickly deduces that the killer seems to be targeting one particular group of prostitutes in deliberate, almost ritualistic fashion. When a second woman is found brutally slain, Aberline befriends one of her associates and tries to work out what is going on. It transpires that one of the girls had been married to a wealthy man and that the killings started shortly after her disappearance. As he follows the trail of clues and information, Inspector Aberline unravels a web of deceit and corruption that gradually points to the killer – but how can one man bring down one of the most infamous killers of all time?
I’d been led to believe that From Hell was very much a new take on a familiar story and for some reason had also been under the impression that the film had supernatural undertones, but this was not the case. The finished product was really a conventional piece of old-fashioned story telling albeit a very well made one.
There was a lot that I liked about this film- as well as a lot that I wasn’t so keen on.
The most memorable thing about the film for me was the atmosphere – Victorian London has never looked so unwelcoming. The location was shot with superb attention to detail, and the combination of sights and sounds was very atmospheric. Most of the film is set at night, and as the characters wander through the darkened streets, there is a permanent sense of foreboding. All sorts of little touches add to the sinister feeling and the director makes full use of the era. For example, Jack’s chosen vehicle is a horse-drawn carriage, which has a retractable metal step that the driver drops to the ground to allow the occupant to disembark. Not only does the step drop to the ground in a sudden, violent manner but also it does so with a slicing metallic noise that closely resembles a sword being drawn. As the coach pulls through the streets, and draws to a halt, the release of the steps adds a wonderfully sinister flourish because you know exactly what is about to follow. The Victorian setting provides endless opportunities for unpleasantness – this was an era when even medicine was positively barbaric and from the outset, this film will have you cringing with visions of what you are about to see.
This is, of course, something that any potential viewer must bear closely in mind. From Hell is a nasty movie. It’s not nasty in a far-fetched Freddy Kreuger kind of way, but the film depicts graphic scenes of violence against women, with more and more blood and gore as each victim is despatched. Much of the horror is depicted through sounds and brief flashes, but the sinister figure of Jack in his cloak and hat stood in the darkened London alleyway is quite frightening and many people would probably find the film quite disturbing. Indeed, there are images of throats being slashed, and internal organs being removed – all of which are very realistic.
The story behind Jack The Ripper – factual or otherwise – it’s actually very interesting. I won’t go into the details here because, for me anyway, the gradual discovery of what was going on was fascinating. Having watched the film, I now know a lot more about the theory behind who Jack The Ripper was, and I must say it’s all very plausible. That aside, I’m not sure that the film explains enough of the details. There is some intimation that the Ripper is acting in a ritualistic way, but I never fully understood the point of this and upon reflection the theory behind the killings doesn’t really make a lot of sense to me. I could accept what motivated Jack to kill in the first place, but the manner of killing and sheer barbarism of the acts simply didn’t add up – the killings could have been exacted far more effectively. This is where I thought the makers were going to suggest that there was a more supernatural side to the character, but this was never really developed. During the early stages of the film, we are led to believe that the killings may be linked in some way to a local gang leader, but the character subsequently disappears without any real explanation. It’s all a good story, but does leave rather a lot of questions unanswered. The director also needs some tips on how to construct a good mystery – I was convinced that I knew who Jack’s voice was right from the start, and I wasn’t wrong either.
From Hell is a classic example of a film whereby the supporting cast outshines the stars at every leap and bound. The lead role of Inspector Aberline is played by Johnny Depp, whom I felt was a rather strange choice for the part. Given the English setting and given that the rest of the cast is nearly all British, I couldn’t really understand the decision to cast Depp in the lead role. I can’t help but think that this was a move purely to attract more attention, purely by having a big name in it and I think it was a big mistake. Depp’s cockney accent is very good, but it isn’t quite right and he seems very uncomfortable with the character from start to end. I also thought that he was rather young for the part and he certainly doesn’t look like a Victorian police inspector.
The casting of Heather Graham as the Inspector’s prostitute accomplice is also misplaced. Although we are told that Graham’s character is an unfortunate who happened to find herself on the streets, physically Graham is just not right for the part. For starters, she is far too pretty, with a beautiful complexion and stunning red hair that makes her look very out of place as a whore. Where her comrades are rough, have blackened teeth and look as though they really do work the streets, Graham wanders around like a little lost princess and is not convincing at all. Just like Inspector Aberline Graham is here to be pleasing to the eye and it’s all rather distracting.
Fortunately, not all the casting choices are as misplaced and there are some excellent appearances from other actors. Robbie Coltrane is as convincing as ever as Godley, the Inspector’s sidekick, and provides some much-needed occasional humour. Coltrane must be one of my favourite actors, and shows his incredible versatility as much as ever. Ian Richardson is suitably sly as Inspector Aberline’s superior. Richardson probably looks more at home in the Victorian era than anyone else and is wonderfully sinister as he continually treads backwards and forwards across the “Friend or Foe” line.
If you can excuse the poor choices for the two main cast members, I’m quite sure that this is a film that you will enjoy. The story is well told and fast-paced – the two hours’ running time seemed to fly past. There is an inevitable spot of romance between Depp and Graham, but this is played right down and is generally overshadowed by all the murder and mayhem. This is not a film for those of you with a nervous disposition, but if you can stomach the gore, this is a gripping story that opens up a few of the myths.
Recommended
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Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Heavy on atmosphere and light on everything else,From Hellis visually impressive while ... more
lacking the depth of the acclaimed graphic novel it's based upon. Making their third feature since 1993'sMenace II Society, twins Allen and Albert Hughes approach th...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Heavy on atmosphere and light on everything else,From Hellis visually impressive while ... more
lacking the depth of the acclaimed graphic novel it's based upon. Making their third feature since 1993'sMenace II Society, twins Allen and Albert Hughes approach th...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
A Gripping and Stylish Thriller. -Lou Lumenick New York Post While Jack the Ripper ruled ... more
the streets of London terror reigned. His crimes were unspeakable. His blood lust unquenchable. His identity unknown... until now! Johnny Depp and Heather Gra...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
In 1888 London, the unfortunate poor live horrifying lives in the city's slums. Harassed ... more
by gangs and forced to walk the streets for a living, Mary Kelly (Graham) and her small group of companions are terrorized when their friend is kidnapped and anoth...
![From Hell (2 Disc Special Edition) [2002] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78545544.jpg "From Hell (2 Disc Special Edition) [2002] [DVD]")
Jul 6th, 2002
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