The story follows Inspector Fredrick Abberline as he begins his investigation of the infamous Whitechapel murders, perpetrated by the shadowy, never-caught Jack the Ripper. During the course of the investigation, he has precognitive visions that lead him deeper into the mystery, as he tries to save the beautiful prostitutes who are being viciously murdered, and are somehow linked to a massive conspiracy. He even begins to fall in love with Mary Kelly, who would be the Ripper's final victim.

The performance of Johhny Depp as Inspector Abberline is overall an excellent performance from an actor who always takes notoriously quirky roles. Heather Graham came off rather well as Mary Kelly--much better than I thought she would be. Robbie Coltrane plays the part of the Inspector's sidekick, Sgt. Godley, extremely well, and he manages to steal all of his scenes. Another wonderful portrayal is that of Ian Holm as the royal physician Sir William Gull, who assists Inspector Abberline and may have a key to the mystery. Supporting performances are all pulled off very well.

The set design and visual effects are gorgeous and haunting, giving a vivid presentation of 1888 London(the visuals rival even those of Tim Burton). The murders are left more to the imagination rather than being very explicit--but the onscreen gore effects are decidedly gruesome. Even the music by Trevor Jones is haunting in the simple, dark textual feel that it gives off.

The story itself is overall good. The first 3/4ths are quite ingenious, but in the very end of the film is not what I expected and I was a little disappointed in the resolution and conclusion of the tale. The Ripper's identity and motive were excellent, even when kept faceless in the shadows. But the as the climax builds up, it seems to be running out of steam. My only major gripe is how complicated the story gets as it progresses--adding in the conspiracy and the romance, it just seems unable to hold its own weight, building up to nothing. Although this can be accounted by trying to stick close to the source material and history itself, the conclusion is not wholly satisfying.

But overall this is a good movie that will undoubtedly become a favorite among Ripper fans, as well as fans of "Seven" and "Silence of the Lambs". If you can tolerate its massive complexity and the rather limp ending, then you will find this an entertaining and enjoyable--and rather nasty--little pleasure.


Meticulous and Thrilling Depiction of an Incarnation of Evil   July 6, 2004
 36 out of 38 found this review helpful

Jack the Ripper is perhaps one of the most famous (or should I say infamous) serial killers known. His has indeed become somewhat of a household name that has withstood the test of time. The Whitechapel murders, to this day, remain unsolved, and many people find themselves morbidly drawn to this slew of ghastly occurrences. The Hughes brothers are no different from the countless others who seek to dissect the facts surrounding these heinous crimes, and they approach this fascination with cinematic fervor, creating an excellent movie from the excellent comic book.

There have been countless books, movies, and PBS specials produced that delve into the Jack the Ripper tales and theories. This particular adaptation is the depiction of a detective named Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp) who is hot on the trail of the murderous monster. Enlisting the hallucinatory effects of absinthe, he can induce visions that aid him in his quests. Throughout his investigation, he gradually begins to fall for one of the Whitechapel prostitutes at risk (Mary Kelly played by Heather Graham), and this serves to up the ante regarding the challenge to find the villain and, furthermore, accelerate his efforts. Sir William Gull (Ian Holm) is a doctor who contributes to Inspector Fred Abberline's profile of the meandering butcher. Add to this an illegitimate marriage and a royal scandal, and this equates to an enticingly dour, moody thriller that one can't help but to enjoy.

The sets on this film are incredible, and included in the two disc edition within the extras existing on the DVD is an intriguing explanation of the recreation of the sets from actual photographs and maps from the period. The props and attire were also quite well done. The acting and casting were superb. The dark lighting created a potently thrilling and disturbing atmosphere, and the excellent cinematography only served to strengthen that sinister ambiance, as well as create an almost overwhelming sense of impending danger. The blood and gore effects are incredible as well, yet they never take precedence over the story line, which is very much appreciated. Though fairly predictable, this film is still an exhilarating, if somewhat fictitious, romp through some dreary and obscure pages in history.

This movie is a must for fans of horror, true crime, and dark thrillers. I very highly recommend this film to those with any kind of brooding fascination for the macabre. Not for the easily disturbed.


Plays like an episode of Unsolved Mysteries...   October 22, 2001
 14 out of 32 found this review helpful

As a film, Alan Moore's From Hell is a beautifully stunning period piece that has carefully reconstructed the gruesome Whitechapel slayings at the notorious hand of "Saucy Jack" with thoroughly researched "precision." Johnny Depp, fresh from his Victorian era performance as Constable Ichabod Crane in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow once again portrays a 19th century English Inspector, Frederick Abberline, and delivers a worthy performance to surpass his previously similar role. Heather Graham is aptly cast as the prostitute Mary Kelly and gives a very good performance here although we never actually see her "prostituting" herself, presumably to make the audience sympathize with her as a more respectable "Unfortunate" as they are properly referred to and to which she is quick to correct the Inspector at the slightest inference that she is a whore. There are some brilliant establishing shots of London under a blood red sky that establish the foreboding atmosphere of this meticulously stylish thriller. The Hughes Brothers have successfully delivered what looks like a first-rate epic film on the subject of Jack the Ripper.

The problem then falls, not on the Hughes Brothers themselves, but rather with Alan Moore's story. First, this film is a translation from Moore's epic-sized graphic novel (an adult-oriented comic book novel) and the result is an extravagantly fictitious comic book story that takes many dramatic liberties in plot and characterization while attempting to present the factual evidence of the murders. First of all, Inspector Abberline is an opium addict who has shamanic visions of the murders that help him in his investigation, sort of a pseudo Frank Black profiler from Millenium. While it is true that there were many opium and laudanum addicts at the time, it is used rather incredulously to create some depth to his character and a crutch to assist his unorthodox investigation. We've seen Depp like this before in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Blow and is really no new material for Depp's repertoire as an actor although he does turn in a decent performance. Secondly, Moore's slant is taken from one of many popular conspiracy theories regarding the "secret society" of Freemasonry. The problem here is that Freemasonry is really not-so-secret but their ideology still remains obscured from those "not-in-the-know" and with good reason. So what happens when you need a scapegoat to show an organization responsible for all of the sinister dark doings of society? You guessed it... let's bring in the Masons! Moore's audaciously dramatic theory does little more than create drama to support a rather slow moving plot and shows his ignorance of what Masonry is really all about. The Masons are portrayed here as mere thugs in Mafia-like fashion to cover-up for the Royal Family's embarrassment of the Prince's affiliation with prostitutes... er, the "Unfortunates" since they are, after all, not of the English aristocracy. Both in this film and the recent summer bomb Tomb Raider, Freemasons are portrayed as the villains who are responsible for the dastardly deeds of society and in both films are completely inaccurate depictions of what true Masonry is really all about. Perhaps if Moore had "enlightened" himself regarding the true rites of Masonry he would probably have omitted this dramatically satisfying but preposterous theory when he first wrote his popular graphic novel. (...)


Going to keep hopes high for this one   October 11, 2001
 13 out of 68 found this review helpful

This looks like it will have the making of a good movie. Jack the Ripper is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries from the latter half of the 1800s. Like another reviewer, I too have done the Jack the Ripper walk in London and stood on one of the spots where a victim was found. Creepy indeed. Our tour guide also had an interesting personal theory to share with us. I am forgetting most of the details, but he believed that there never actually was a "Jack the Ripper" but in fact the killings had been some kind of politically motivated conspiracy that tied in with one member of the royal family. It was quite an interesting take on the whole story.

I'm hoping that they won't bungle the movie with a lot of Hollywood mumbo-jumbo and plot line holes. It ruins so many movies these days. I will probably wait a few days after it comes out to see the public response before deciding on whether to see it our wait. But I hope the response is good!

BTW, if you ever go to London, England, do the Jack the Ripper walk! It's a must if you are there and have enough time.