From Hell - Single Disc Edition [2001] [DVD]

Johnny Depp is good as Inspector Abberline, although his "Cockney" accent is pretty poor! I did not particularly like the reinvention of Abberline as an opium addict, but I suppose each of these films need some new, unique angle on an old tale and this certainly provides a different element to most versions. The mostly British cast puts in some strong performances, an really the only one who let down the side for me was Heather Graham, who was not bad but whose performance was a little lazy for me. And her accent was even worse than Depp's! Ian Holm and Robbie Coltrane are as excellent as ever, and it was their performances that I enjoyed the most.

The film is well made and the atmosphere is excellently built up throughout the film. It is one of those films where you notice something different almost every time you watch it and it takes a couple of watches to appreciate the story fully. Overall this is a good version of the Ripper tale, entertaining though historically inaccurate but, hey, its a film so they are entitled to some artistic licence. If you want to find out who the Ripper was though you will need to read the books, not watch this.

Way back in the 19th century (in the fall of 1888 to be precise) one of the worlds first recorded serial killers brutally murdered five prostitutes (yes, only 5) bringing terror to London's east end slums. And whilst, in terms of numbers, modern serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer have been much more prolific, it seems that it is still Jack The Ripper's crimes that continue to still fascinate many people. Is it because of the brutal yet clinical way that the murders were carried out? Or is it because the case remains unsolved? Probably both but as The Hughes brothers, previously best known for the likes of Menace II Society, have set out to prove, that although long dead there are still plenty of 'worthy' suspects.

Based on the Alan Moore/Eddie Campbell cartoon strip and using the very beautiful city of Prague to expertly recreate Victorian London, The Hughes Brothers' latest movie pitches the clairvoyant, opium partaking, Inspector Fred Abberline (an impressive Johnny Depp), aided by his assistant Peter Godley (the always excellent Robbie Coltrane) racing against time in search of history's most notorious murderer, in this very watchable and very enjoyable yarn. Adapted by screenwriters Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias from the previously mentioned Moore/Campbell source material, From Hell manages to draw everybody from Queen Victoria to Oscar Wilde and the Elephant Man into the plot of this movie, which far from detracting from the true history of the attacks, actually adds a little more depth and a little more zest to this period thriller. To The Hughes brothers credit, this is not just another typical cheap and tasteless Hollywood slasher movie but instead it presents us with the full squalor, poverty and hardship that existed at that time, with the prostitutes presented as poor unfortunate human beings struggling against abject poverty to survive and finding consolation in alcohol. From Hell also boasts excellent performances of depth and subtlety not just from the likes of Depp (complete with a creditable cockney accent), Coltrane (Harry Potter) and renowned British stage actor Sir Ian Holm (Lord of the Rings) but also notably from the likes of (despite a slightly ropey accent) Heather Graham, Lesley Sharp, Annabelle Apsion and the late Katrin Cartlidge (No Man's Land) as the prostitutes earning their living in the squalor that was London's east end.

In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed From Hell and would recommend it to anyone looking for something a bit more intelligent, well written and well acted, as an alternative to the traditional horror teen flicks which seem to dominate our cinemas on a weekly basis. Four stars ****.

Johnny Depp plays Inspector Abberline, the very middle class policemen in charge of the investigation into the series of murders of local prostitutes in the area. Ably assisted by Sgt Godley (Robbie Coltrane) Abberline befriends Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) a beautiful red haired "unfortunate" whose small group of prostitute friends is slowly diminishing in numbers as the Ripper strikes again and again.

More of the plot I cannot give away without ruining some of the secrets but there's many a twist and turn in store for the viewer. Whether this is a truly accurate account of the Ripper tale I'm not sure, and I'm sure there are plenty of Ripper anoraks who'll be only too happy to condemn the film for inaccuracies.

But to judge the film only on its authenticity to the Ripper legend is to miss the main point. This is an extremely thrilling and distinctive film. As I mentioned before the settings in the back streets of Whitechapel are horrendous in their squalor and unpleasantness and extremely well crafted.
Depp plays his part with distinction and great feeling and as always Coltrane provides great support. Other players worthy of mention are Ian Holm and Ian Richardson who play the "pillars" of the upper classes with great skill.

To sum up, even though this film had its fair share of blood and gore and had me hiding behind the cushion on more than one occasion, I was riveted for the duration of the film and definitely enjoyed this period "slasher" movie!