From Hell (2001)

Let me start off by saying that I have never read the comic book, however, after seeing the film, I went and spent the forty bucks for the comic book because the movie had me hooked on Jack the Ripper. I plan on visiting my local libraries for books or even the well-established website casebook.org, which has an extremely wide variety of sources revolving around Jack the Ripper. The film gave me nightmares. I saw it on Friday night and when I got home around midnight, I went to bed because I had to work the morning shift the next day. However, my dreams were plagued with visions of a well-dressed man in a top hat with a long fucking knife. I barely slept. It's a rare occasion that a film can do this to me. Requiem for a Dream did give me nightmares, as did Halloween (when I was about twelve) and Stephen King's IT (which caused me to this day to have a fear of clowns). This film is addicting, creepy, and very compelling. I already want to go see it again.

To those of you not familiar with the plot, movie, and/or comic book, let me briefly summarize. (I will venture away from spoilers as much as possible.) From Hell is the film adaptation of the award-winning comic book by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. I've been told by our own Hollyfeld that this is the Bible of all comic books and I can tell that from just reading the first few chapters. (It's so historically accurate it doubles as a text book with it's fifty page appendix and five hundred pages of material. I also heard Moore was granted an honorary doctorate for all his research, although I'm not sure how true this is.) The comic book deals with a Scotland Yard inspector by the name of Frederick Abberline (who also has psychic dreams while under the influence of opium) who is investigating the murders of prostitutes in 1888 England. Of course, all these women were done in by the now notorious Jack the Ripper. Abberline spends most of the film trying to secure the facts surrounding the case and falling in love with one of the prostitutes, Mary Kelly (Heather Graham, a Wisconsin native). While this is going on, we are exposed to the killings of Jack the Ripper, a list of suspects who could possibly be so gruesome, and a massive conspiracy that all lead up to the film's climax.

Now, this is where the film threw me, however, I did not feel it should earn anything worse than a perfect rating because, odds are, it is my fault I was lost in the loop. I started to doze midway through the movie, not because of the pacing (which isn't break neck, but that's a good thing) but because of the conditions of the theater. This film was not widely released in my area and I was caused to venture to a crummy theater to view it. The theater was about one-hundred degrees and I was wearing a winter coat and a sweatshirt (it's Wisconsin). I don't know about you guys, but after a long day of school, work I'm a little tired already. I'm sure I didn't help matters by attending the ten o'clock showing in a theater that runs the temperature of Florida around mid-July. However, I did not totally fall asleep, I just began to shut my eyes. I'm so pissed at myself right now. I should go spend the eight bucks again to see the movie right... Perhaps this is why I bought the comic book. Anyway, now to the point. This film twists and turns in the conspiracy revolving around Jack the Ripper. PAY ATTENTION!

I enjoyed the acting (although Depp's part is comparable to his role in Sleepy Hollow, but this film beats that one to a pulp), the direction (I had my doubts about the Hughes brothers), and the script (I've never heard of either screenwriter). However, the film does not disappoint. My favorite aspect of the whole film was the overall tone. It uses a lot of modern day techniques (the time lapse scene around the body comes to mind) which are pulled off to really good effect. The distortion of colors (the skyline sequence of London with a red filter is really amazing) and most of the killings are well done. That is one aspect I'd really like to comment on. The killings are gory and gruesome, when shown. Most of the time you see very little (what you do see is very gory though) and this draws your mind to make it's own conclusions. What exactly happened? Another thing that creeped me out was the whole image of Jack the Ripper. You see his white gloves, splattered with blood and a huge knife in his hand. All in quick flashes. That top hat shadowing down a cobblestone walk, a stem of grapes found next to a butchered woman, the carriage Jack rides in. It's all done so sinisterly it no doubt was the source of my nightmare. See this film, it's better than Jeepers Creepers (what an accomplishment (that comment is drenched in sarcasm by the way)).

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