Review: From Hell (2001)

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From Hell

Rating

Director

The Hughes Brothers

Screenplay

Terry Hayes, Rafael Yglesias (Graphic Novel: Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell)

Length

2h 02m

Starring

Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Richardson, Jason Flemyng, Katrin Cartlidge, Terence Harvey, Susan Lynch, Paul Rhys, Lesley Sharp

MPAA Rating

Review

Turn of the century England is the location for this bizarre examination of the life and times of Jack the Ripper and his murders. “From Hell” is a fiction account of what may have been the cause of Jack the Rippers murderous ways.

Johnny Depp plays Inspector Fred Abberline, an opium-addicted detective whose unusual methods of solving crimes have earned him fame and notoriety. When he’s called upon to investigate the strange killings of several streetwalkers, he uncovers a diabolical secret society and a devious madman who uses the victims for his own perverse pleasure.

Heather Graham plays the lead prostitute, Mary Kelly, who along with her friends, appear to be the targets of the psycho killers advances. Sir Ian Holm plays Sir William Gull, an honest, forthright man, who assist Inspector Abberline attempt to track down the killer.

When Abberline starts to get too close, his superiors, including Sergeant Peter Godley (Robbie Coltrane) and Sir Charles Warren (Ian Richardson), are forced to relieve him of his duties. His temporary suspension does not prevent him from continuing to pursue the truth and the love of Mary Kelly.

Albert and Allen Hughes, directing under the combined title of the Hughes Brothers have captured a moribund, disgusting world of a psychotic murderer. Jack the Ripper was a famed case near the turn of the century and was said to have brought serial killings into the new century. The script is based on a graphic novel and certainly waxes poetic in its scope. Attempting to suggest a secret society hiding a lunatic, is a brave thing, especially when the group is still active today.

“From Hell” is a stylish, exuberant feature that takes pleasure in its pain and debauchery. It leaps from the screen with vivid sequences of death and sorrow leaving indelible images in the viewers’ minds. Depp, as always, displays a stone-faced expression throughout the film never belying his inner desires. While that kind of performance suited his creepy turn in “Sleepy Hollow,” it doesn’t fit here.

Graham, whose career started with Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights,” never breeches the brilliance necessary to keep her character personal and interesting. However, British veteran Holm does a fantastic job portraying the aging recluse who has quite a few secrets of his own. The rest of the cast are capable, but transparent. This is a necessity in order to keep the film from bogging down with backstory.

The production design is brilliantly realized and the costumes are exquisite as the cast marches their way through the foggy London streets. Without the lush scenery, the film wouldn’t be as poignant or shocking.

“From Hell” would be a poor adaptation if it weren’t a fictional account of the events surrounding Jack the Ripper’s killings. Luckily, the source material provides a rich environment that sponsors the lavish opulence of the events. The story is so intense that some viewers may find the overt use of gore and violence as a turn off, but most will understand its necessity to show the true madness of its subject.

Ripper purists may find this film offensive, but anyone interested in a versatile, if not overly gruesome, film will enjoy “From Hell.”