From Hell - 2001

This movie combined two of my favorite things, Horror, and unsolved historical serial crime. I have always been fascinated by the case of the “Ripper Murders” that rocked London’s Whitechapel District in 1888. This film is a great combination of a horror movie and a case study, There are only a few issues I have with the film, but even the things I have wrong with the film are well done and are forgivable. I could not think of a better cast than wonderfully talented stars like Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, and Ian Holm.

The movie presents an interesting and actually long-held theory about what actually happened in Whitechapel during the “Ripper Murders”. Some interesting factoids, cause we ALL love useless pieces of trivia. About the 1 hr 45 minute mark of the movie, there is a crime scene that is documented for evidence. The lines used for that scene and the description are actually taken from the actual crime scene report from that particular crime. Then, there is the fact that the directors were quite twisted. As you watch the film. Check out the walls in the Police Headquarters. The directors used photos of the actual crime scenes to put on the walls of the sets. This was to unnerve the cast and to get an edgier performance from them, having seen actual pictures of the victims of these crimes.

This movie is as beautiful as much as it is gritty and dark. Everyone who worked on the film spent time pouring over photos, blueprints, and crime scene photos to make this film as historically accurate as possible. The crime scenes are eerie representations of the actual crime scenes. Though creative license was taken with the story, the sets, costumes, as well as the crime scenes are all historically accurate. The characters and extras carry with them the bleakness that is Whitechapel in 1888. (*There is one crime scene that is not completely accurate due to the brutality of the actual crime. The producers feared it would cause an NC-17 rating for the film, so the scene is toned down just slightly.)

Alright, let’s talk about the wonderful cast that to me brings this movie to life. First up is a beautiful and very talented actress, I am speaking of course, of the beautiful Heather Graham. Playing the role of Mary Kelly, she brought a human and beautiful side to the women that were living in the Whitechapel District of London in 1888. She has not reached a point in life where she has become jaded, bitter, and hating life, like some of her friends have. Heather has had a great career and I haven’t really seen anything of hers that I have not liked. Though I will admit there is plenty on her resume that I have not seen. She did amazing playing beside funnyman Michael Meyers in the 1999 comedy hit, “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.”. More recently, she took on the role of “Corrine” in the newest adaption of the “Flowers in the Attic” series of films. A role that she played perfectly, in my humble opinion. I have always been a fan of that series of books and she played Corrine with all the flaws and pettiness that I have comes to imagine that she would have. That series debuted on the Lifetime Channel starting in 2014. There has always been something very likable and endearing about Graham’s Kelly, almost to the point it is easy to forget what she really does to make her money.

Our next actor is, to me, a bit of a screen legend. Having a career that is just about to hit its 60-year mark, I am speaking none other than the legendary Ian Holm. With a career that started in the late 1950s doing quite a bit of Shakespeare adaptations that continued for many years or film adaptations of theatre works.

It is was the 1978 miniseries “Holocaust” where he portrayed Heinrich Himmler, and the 1979 television movie “All’s Quiet on the Western Front”, that I really saw him for the first time. He has done work on many TV movies and series. Though he endeared himself to a whole new set of fans when he portrayed “Bilbo Baggins” in the Peter Jackson adaptation of the Tolkien classic novels. His role for our purposes is that of a royal physician. He is a man of devout loyalty to his queen and his country. He is also a man with secrets, which makes him very dangerous. I have always loved Ian’s characters because they are always flawed in some way, but even when flawed, it is with the best of intentions. The characters he portrays whether, good or bad, always had a dignity about them, that will make them stand out in your mind. Long after you have finished the film and moved on.

Our last actor is a name that needs no introduction, that is, of course, the man that brought our dogged detective Abberline to life. That man is the super talented and beloved Johnny Depp. Abberline is a troubled man but determined to get to the bottom of what is happening in Whitechapel.

He is a likable character, combined with the fact that ALL of the cast plays off each other well. There is nice chemistry between his character and the beautiful Mary Kelly, makes the story even better. And personally, in my mind, this is one of his better roles. Though he has had many that have endeared him to fans of many genres the world over. Characters like “Captain Jack Sparrow”, “Edward Scissorhands” and “Willy Wonka” have made him a household name. Though it is not just his acting ability that draws people to him. It is his personality and the fact it is very well documented that he cares about his fans. Constantly surprising hospitalized fans, showing up in character to meet with them and give them some measure of comfort in their time of illness..

As I said, this movie is gory, has prostitutes, and has some drug use. However, it is a very well-told story that tries to give an answer to many of the questions that have puzzled both professional and novice detectives for over 100 years. I think it is a great film to add to any horror collection because it does have such a great story and is so beautifully done. It also fits well in collections that have films like “Dahmer”, “Bundy” and “Summer of Sam”. The special effects and gore are well done, almost tastefully done. I would say if you like any of the actors in the film or are interested in Jack the Ripper. Check it out. It is totally worth your time.