From
Hell (2001)
Death blood blackness sadness horror sex lust dreams
drugs blood blood blood. Horror. Could anything be more
grotesque and repugnant as the story of Jack the Ripper?
As the first model of a serial killer, the prototype
of ritualistic, brutal, sexual, homicidal madness, Jack
the Ripper seems unparalleled. At the time, a brutal
and unsanitary time, the killings represented the first
chaotic entrance of a civilized killer, an intelligent
and meticulous killer, not savage and unthinking, but
precise and fastidious. Jack the Ripper was the unthinkable.
It is into this ironic civility that The Hughes Brothers
"From Hell" delves. Part of the beauty of the film is
this struggle that drug addled Detective Abberline (Johnny
Depp) must battle in order to understand a killer that
is civilized and yet is barbarous. The head-butting
with the powers-that-be turns to uncover scandal and
deceit and treacherous acts in the name of civilization.
It's no accident that Queen Victoria, herself now a
namesake to repression, is central to the story here.
Scholars of Jack the Ripper lore will find much to
like here, and much to their chagrin. The film is based
on a "graphic novel," so only some of the incidents
and characters are, in fact, based on reality. Still,
much commonly accepted speculation about who Jack the
Ripper truly was is also included. So, those who know
next to nothing will find many surprises, those initiated
will not.
The Hughes Brothers are quite adept at creating a
world that assuredly looks like Victorian era London.
Much like Lynch's "Elephant Man," this is perhaps one
of the most seemingly accurate depictions of the era
to be found on film. It is dirty, smudged with ash,
and vulgar, garish in many ways. The filmmakers and
scripters here, in fact, include the Elephant Man in
the film as a character to remind us of how brutal and
uncivilized and primitive medical science was in the
era. This was a time of science on the verge of becoming
vast and intelligent and sanitary (and humane). The
opening quote from JTR, in which he says he will be
remembered for "giving birth to the 20th century," is
accented here with visions of a world on the verge of
the great technological and scientific threshold into
enlightenment.
Not bloody for the sake of being bloody, "From Hell"
is quite unsavory in its depictions of brutality, murder
and savage dismemberment. Yet it never focuses on nor
glorifies such brutality. Instead, it shows us a world
of police work hindered by politics and conspiracy,
it shows us a world where the civilized emerges in dark
coat and top hat to wreck havoc in the proletarian world.
There is a marvelous device that accentuates this throughout
the film. The immaculate and mechanical unleashing of
steps from an aristocratic carriage consistently thrash
into the quietude to hint at the brutality lying just
beneath the surface of polite society. This noise, this
quick thrash of action is always unsettling and unexpected.
It is a metaphor for the quick slice of a serial killer's
knife across an unsuspecting neck. Brutality masked
by civility. Brilliant.
Depp is so adept as an actor now, that he would have
to be fantastic (or horrible) here for us to take note
of his performance. He is so solid as an actor that
he will receive little accolades for this role. He is
wonderful but we expect nothing less than wonderful
from him. He is solid but he never really allows us
to get into his character. His struggle is outside our
realm. His happiness seems just as elusive. It is perhaps
expected of this character. Bad things happen when good
people do nothing. Depp's Abberline is unable to do
much. He continually butts heads against authority and
accomplishes nothing. It's very important that his character
is a drug addict. He is ineffectual even when sober.
His only success is a success of anothers cunning, which
he is wise enough to keep quiet. In the end, he is a
man who emerges from his drug induced dreamworld only
to be kicked around some more by life. He then, just
as flowingly, returns back into his drug addiction and
non-existence. He is underwater, at peace, but when
he bobs his head up to take a breath, he is slapped.
It is no wonder that he sinks back into the mire as
quickly and as quietly as he can when he can do no more.
"From Hell" itself suffers from this problem of ineffectuality.
Well-crafted, perfectly acted, full of stunning visions,
the film is also far too cold and calculating for us
to become truly involved with. It is very difficult
to care about anyone here. Like the body of a dead whore,
like one of Ripper's victims, the film often just lies
there. And like Abberline, we really don't have any
idea what to do about it but look on in wondrous horror.
We pop out our heads, watch in horror, and then sink
back into the dreary dreamworld that is our real lives.
In the end, like Abberline, we are unchanged.
Note:
Also with Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane,
Paul Rhys, and Ian Richardson.
During production the film was also known as "Jack."
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Report
Card
Script:
B+
Acting: A
Cinematography\Lighting: A+
Special Effects\Make Up: A+
Music: B+
Final
Grade: B
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