A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

The Evaluation System Reviews by Title Reviews by Date

Reviews from Video Reviews of the Classics Personal Background

Title: From Hell

Theatrical release: 2001

Details:

Johnny Depp

Heather Graham

Ian Holm

Robbie Coltrane

Ian Richardson

Joanna Page

Director: The Hughes Brothers: Albert & Allen

Cinematography: Peter Deming

Score: 0

The Review: A not very fresh, nor very interesting take on the crimes and investigation of Jack the Ripper, perpetrator of the Whitechapel (London) murders in the late-1880's. A cross between a thriller and a mystery, with a hint of the supernatural thrown in. Depp plays a despondent, depraved, addicted ("chasing the dragon"), and moody police investigator, whose visions might be opium-induced or true precognitive flashes, but which nonetheless seem to follow the murderer accurately, revealing the identity of the victims while not revealing that of the murderer. The victims are all prostitutes and all are killed and mutilated in bizarre and quite gruesome ways. The movie follows Depp as he dives into the East End underworld, rudely plows his way into murky (and likely specious) Victorian royal politics, and touches the fringes of Masonic ritual.

Some of the dialog is cloyingly stilted, and considering the subject, sometimes medically bogus: e.g., "The liver is hard to locate unless you know what you're doing." That this was uttered by a famous physician, about arguably the largest and most distinctive organ in the abdomen, is frankly stupid, or duplicitous. And we're given to believe that this is the time in which pre-frontal lobotomy was developed, almost tailor-made for this plot -- whereas my best sources indicate the method was not created until 1935 and (shockingly) received a Nobel Prize in 1949.

Very strongly based on Murder by Decree (1979: with an excellent cast including Genevieve Bujold, Christopher Plummer, James Mason and Donald Sutherland), and the new theories then circulating (primarily from Donald Rumbelow's casebook, then recently published) about the identity of Jack the Ripper and some analysis of his rationale. But From Hell is much the poor cousin: darker, highly telegraphed and more obvious (but it's possible this is true only if you know the richer cousin well), and populated with characters that are either unbelievable (Graham would not kept her fresh looks and gorgeous red locks for very long in the Whitechapel trade) or unappealing (Depp as an addict of both opium and absinthe). Yes, some of the cinematography has a flair indicating Deming was trying out some experimental tricks, but (as with The Blair Witch Project) this is more disorienting and annoying than necessary or effective. Pass on this; rent Murder by Decree instead.

(6-Jul-02)

Back to the chronological list of reviews