Best Ripper Suspect as Fiction

[Barnaby]

I have been reading a lot of Ripper fiction of late and it got me thinking:

Excluding the various Royal/Royal conspiracy theories, which clearly are outstanding stories and commercial successes, which suspect's story would make the best fictionalized Ripper book or movie? I'd like to confine this to those who are reasonable suspects, but within this group who provides the best fictionalized story?

[RivkahChaya]

If I wrote a fictional work about the Ripper, I'd follow some shmo, without naming him, but he'd be sleeping in the doss houses, and generally living a life a lot like the victims'. At the end of the book, he'd be talking to someone about how he was tired of the doss houses, and he really wanted a room of his own somewhere, whatever he had to do to pay the rent, but we'd also find out that he'd nicked himself. He'd tell someone about it, but he wouldn't say how he got cut. We'd get the impression, though, that he is becoming seriously ill, and has no idea-- he may even be dying. That'd be where the book would close.

If I gave him a first name, it'd probably be John-- or I'd find out what the most common name for a man in Victorian London was, and call him that.

My fictional character wouldn't write the Jack-the-Ripper letter, but he WOULD write the Lusk letter.

[DJA]

Ironically the current most popular given names in England are....Oliver and....Jack!

[DJA]

John and William were tops from 1880 'til mid 20th century.

[GUT]

Any of them if well written.

[Trevor Marriott]

I have been reading a lot of Ripper fiction of late and it got me thinking:

Excluding the various Royal/Royal conspiracy theories, which clearly are outstanding stories and commercial successes, which suspect's story would make the best fictionalized Ripper book or movie? I'd like to confine this to those who are reasonable suspects, but within this group who provides the best fictionalized story?

Have you by any chance read mine ?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00F4PH392

[DJA]

Certainly fiction.

[Hercule Poirot]

There's no perfect suspect for book or movie purposes among those presented as serious suspects. It all depends on the plot and how you use him. The major concern one needs to have is always making sure the behaviour of his suspect is plausible given what we may know of him even if the split personality of a typical JTR character offers great leeway. It has everything to do with character creation, defining his personality, the way he dresses, his vocabulary, his body language, how you want him to relate with others, etc. The current suspects are like a lump of clay. What we know of the suspect is similar to what we know of the characteristics of clay. From there on, you can sculpt him as you wish but always staying congruent with who he was as revealed bu documentary sources.

I'm currently finishing a JTR novel and, as many others have done, used one of the well known suspects, many considering him as a very serious contender althoughI didn't choose him for that reason. He had some intriguing qualities that could fit in easily with the storyline and other characters. I won't identify him for obvious exclusive story telling reasons any author would have.

Cheers,

Hercule Poirot

[RivkahChaya]

Robert Bloch's Night of the Ripper is a fantastic book, right up until the reveal. I found the choice of suspect and method disappointing. But everything up until then makes it my favorite Ripper fiction.

[RivkahChaya]

Have you by any chance read mine ?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00F4PH392

If I buy that for Kindle on Amazon.UK, will I be able to read it on my US device?

[Patrick S]

In the hands of a talented filmmaker, Jack the Ripper would make a terrific film. It'd be great if David Fincher would give 'The Autumn of Terror' a go, I think.

I think the best concept is one that presents a "Jack" who is never specifically identified. Show "Jack" doing what we know he did. I think you'd have to make some concessions in accepting, for a lack of a better term, some witness testimony that may or may not be accurate. I think that Elizabeth Long's statement would show very well on film, with the Ripper, obscured and unrecognizable asking Champman, "Will you?" and Chapman, replying, "Yes".

I think that Joseph Lawende's encounter near Mitre Square and Louis Diemschutz's cart ride would make excellent scenes.

[Trevor Marriott]

If I buy that for Kindle on Amazon.UK, will I be able to read it on my US device?

I would imagine so

[Pcdunn]

Speaking of films, what if they used the device in one of the "Jekyll and Hyde" films, in which we never see the face of The Ripper, as all the other characters react to the camera as if it is another actor-- in effect, the audience becomes the killer!

And indeed, perhaps each of us is The Ripper... Or capable of being one...

[Shaggyrand]

I agree with the idea of not actually showing Jack outright. Think that would work well. If you HAD to in the end, could even go full Clue the Movie and give a different reveal in different places just for giggles or as a wink to all the various theories.
I'm curious to see how FX's adaption of From Hell turns out. Really enjoyed the first season of Fargo.

[RivkahChaya]

What about the idea of showing some shmo, and never naming him, following him around in his really ordinary and uneventful days, while showing the Ripper murders without showing JtR fully? The shmo would sort of be an everyman with a cursory interest in reading about the murders in the paper, and discussing them in the pubs. Slowly, a suggestion might build that he knows a little more than he ought to, or at least than the other characters in the movie do. At the end, it would be strongly suggested (but not confirmed absolutely) that the shmo is JtR.

In my version, the shmo has an injury from a knife that has become infected, and he is becoming progressively more ill. The film doesn't show his death, but suggests it is coming.

Who would be the best director for a film like this? I used to be the biggest movie-goer you could find, but that was before I had a child. Now I mostly see Pixar films.

Anyway, I'm trying to think who is very good with atmosphere and suspense, and can hold back on the gore. I think a film should emphasize the way people at the time were haunted by not knowing, and less about how much CGI guts can be packed into 2 hours. I wonder if Ridley Scott would do it? Too bad Mervyn LeRoy is dead.