From HellHistory remembers Jack the Ripper as one of the most notorious of serial killers, and the Whitechapel murders between August 31st and November 9th, 1888 of five prostitutes in grisly fashion has contributed to myth one of the most compelling and terrifying instances of forensic crime, laden with conspiracy theory, varied hypotheses, and mystifying circumstances. As a largely publicized case, the ongoing investigation of the time was the horrorshow du jour for Victorian-era London, and made for macabre entertainment then. From Hell is adapted from the graphic novel by Alan Moore, and paints a visceral picture of the killings in a grim and dark period piece.
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Composed of shadows and the glint of blades, From Hell is a dour and bleak film of life for the "unfortunate" women of Whitechapel, focusing on the "canonical five" of "Jack the Ripper" history, notably Mary Kelly (Heather Graham). When one of this circle of women is murdered violently in the streets, Sargeant Peter Godley dredges up his superior from wasting away in an opium den, Detective Frederick Abberline (Johnny Depp), whose visions he experiences while under the effects of drug abuse clue him into the murders. Combined with a sharp analytical mind, Abberline is tasked to produce a killer for his boss...but not to dig too deep into the real agenda lurking in the darkness. From Hell is a bloody and shocking film--like a slasher, the film progresses by eliminating the apparent victims one by one in grim fashion, and varying degrees of mutiliation. But like a procedural thriller, Abberline puts the pieces of the puzzle together by assembling clues and eliminating suspects from our mind. Abberline gets little support from his own department in solving the case, but recruits the aid of physician to the Royal Family, Sir William Gull (Ian Holm), whose expertise guides Abberline's hand. As Abberline pieces together the clues to discover the killer, he also forms a relationship with Mary Kelly, originally out of a need to further his investigation, but later out of a sense of duty and love to keep her safe from the threat of ongoing harm by the Nickel Street Gang, a local group of violent pimps and thugs. Abberline's affection for Mary grows, and like all of his passions, begins to consume him.
From Hell roots itself in the late 19th Century London, and scrutinizes the state of affairs in the British Empire at that time. There is a significant disparity in class, with the destitute denizens of Whitechapel scraping by through prostitution and other unsavory activities, while well-off royalty and members of elite society can indulge in social gatherings, such as a supposed "charity event" displaying Joseph "John" Merrick, also referred to as "The Elephant Man". The assessment of the medical profession of that time is particularly scathing, with portrayals of lobotomies and the institutionalization of the recipients of this kind of "treatment" being not far removed from butchery itself. And like some of the best conspiracy theories, From Hell probes into varied cliques and secret societies that operate even today--and subtle visual cues abound upon repeated viewings--to send our minds racing into possibilities, just as it does for Abberline. Directors Albert and Allen Hughes employ cutaways as sharp as a liston knife to ramp up tension, ratcheted up further by a musical score that whistles like a kettle coming to a boil. Lurid filters and distorted visuals recall Abberline's visions, and paint London in a sickly light. And by all accounts, the London of From Hell is sickly, festering with a vile underbelly that prostrates the poor and absolves those in power of the consequences of their sins. So when the "Ripper" informs his driver that they are in "the darkest region of the human brain, a radiant abyss where men go to find themselves...in Hell," we know he at least got the address right.
Recommended for: Fans of dark thrillers, a bloody and intensely scary mystery of Jack the Ripper, a monstrous patchwork creature of myth and history, and arguably not a date movie.
From Hell roots itself in the late 19th Century London, and scrutinizes the state of affairs in the British Empire at that time. There is a significant disparity in class, with the destitute denizens of Whitechapel scraping by through prostitution and other unsavory activities, while well-off royalty and members of elite society can indulge in social gatherings, such as a supposed "charity event" displaying Joseph "John" Merrick, also referred to as "The Elephant Man". The assessment of the medical profession of that time is particularly scathing, with portrayals of lobotomies and the institutionalization of the recipients of this kind of "treatment" being not far removed from butchery itself. And like some of the best conspiracy theories, From Hell probes into varied cliques and secret societies that operate even today--and subtle visual cues abound upon repeated viewings--to send our minds racing into possibilities, just as it does for Abberline. Directors Albert and Allen Hughes employ cutaways as sharp as a liston knife to ramp up tension, ratcheted up further by a musical score that whistles like a kettle coming to a boil. Lurid filters and distorted visuals recall Abberline's visions, and paint London in a sickly light. And by all accounts, the London of From Hell is sickly, festering with a vile underbelly that prostrates the poor and absolves those in power of the consequences of their sins. So when the "Ripper" informs his driver that they are in "the darkest region of the human brain, a radiant abyss where men go to find themselves...in Hell," we know he at least got the address right.
Recommended for: Fans of dark thrillers, a bloody and intensely scary mystery of Jack the Ripper, a monstrous patchwork creature of myth and history, and arguably not a date movie.