Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm,
Robbie Coltrane, Jason Flemyng, Lesley
Sharp
Producer
:
Artur Brauner
Director
:
Allen Hughes
Genre
:
Thriller
Duration
:
110 mins
The movie shows how the serial killer
Jack the Ripper stalked the dark streets of 1888
London, slaying prostitutes and crudely dissecting
their bodies. Based on the graphic novel written
by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, this moody chiller
is directed by twin brothers Albert and Allen Hughes
(MENACE II SOCIETY, AMERICAN
PIMP). Johnny Depp stars as Inspector Frederick
Abberline, who smokes heavy doses of opium and drowns
himself in absinthe to evoke hallucinatory visions
that are his clues to catching The Ripper. Heather
Graham costars as the prettiest of the whores, who
wins the muted affections of the Inspector. With
plenty of atmosphere and spooky effects, FROM HELL
borrows scenery, filming tricks, and sequesnce construction
from a host of popular movies, resulting in a visually
interesting if inconsistent style. Haunting nightime
shots of the London skyline (actually
Prague) bleed into shadowy Tim Burton-like
shots of the damp cobblestone streets, aerial camerawork
contrasts with crowded ground level focuses, and
the camera peeks around corners and into foggy windows
with stealthy curiosity. What may stand out most
in viewers minds after the carnage is through, is
the exaggerated use of surround-sound, which brings
a dreadful sense of realness to the film's gore,
making FROM HELL all the juicier.
