To everyone on here... what was your reaction when you first saw "From Hell"...

[claire]

I'm not sure I thought too much of it at all--and I've only seen it once, despite buying it a couple of years ago to watch again. It's absolute junk, of course, but redeemed by JD (and about a litre of JD, too, actually).
What was far, far, far worse was The Ripper--a bizarre, bizarre Aussie thing I came across on telly the other week, where people walked about a weird and clean set saying things like, ay guvnah, weeyah dya spose me stroids aaahh? The Reepah, ay? Fly-min Choina eef ee ain't troina ava gao wiff da woman ahm avin id off wiff.
It was weird. It made From Hell look beautiful in its conception and execution.

[Yimmit]

Howdy y'all!

I bought 'From Hell' years ago, purely for the Johnny Depp factor. But this film is actually what got me into the whole Jack the Ripper obsession in the first place, so I can thank it for that. Although now i realise it is riddled by inaccuracies, i actually really enjoy the film. If I watch it just as a film and not constantly compare facts (which I must admit is rather hard), I really like it.
I was wondering if someone could or maybe already has compiled a list comparing what 'From Hell' has and what the facts really are.
I must admit, I did not like the idea of Gull as a suspect, although there was a period where I thought it at least psychologically possible, the obvious facts, i believe, make it improbable (and almost impossible).
I do like the character of Godley, maybe its from being a fan on Coltrane, but i thought he was a bit of light in such a grime time and environment.
Abberline's portrayal for me was very much of a Sherlock Holmes variety. Drugged up and having random and wildly accurate moments of realization and case facts. But despite this, i thought there were some very interesting things in the film, which for people who know nothing about the case of the time in London is very insightful. (ie. the notion of the girls having grapes on their body but they couldn't afford them. Also the investigation styles of the time).
But.....I do LOVE the moment where Jack sits on the edge of MJK's bed and just pauses for a moment before leaping on her! It's fantastic suspense!!

But a comparison list between the facts and what the film make of the facts i think would be very interesting.

[Atrain]

its a good flick and Ian Holm makes a creepy Jack, but it can't hold a candle to the graphic novel which is obvious. So as an adaption, not so good....as a stand alone jack flick not bad. I love Gothic horror and the hammer films stuff so it was nice to see this type of film in cinemas.

[ianincleveland]

Saw it when it came out at the cinema,and thought,and still do that it was utterly hopeless.The sets were well done but as for the rest of it,and ive watched it twice since,it was total garbage

[Rubyretro]

Although I'm a huge Johnny Depp fan, I don't like everything that he does, and I resisted this in the Cinema,for fear that it would be 'commercial crap' -which it turned out to be when I saw it on DVD.

It did lead me to the graphic novel though (far superior) and thence to Casebook...

[Phil H]

As with the 1988 TV mini-series with Michael Caine - a HUGE amount of effort had gone into pre-production (sets especially).

The weakness - as with so many JtR films - was the script and the approach.

Part of me can understand why the "grandeur" of the royal conspiracy theory attracts film-makers, but having been covered by Murder By Decree and the Michael Caine series, it has surely been done to death (apologies for the poor taste of the pun).

I came into first contact with the Ripper when I saw a trailer for the 1959 b&w movie when I was about 10 or 11. The idea of the top-hatted, caped figure walking over wet cobbles gave me nightmares for years. Trying to find out who he might have been led me to buy the McCormack paperback (Identity of JtR) and then years later to read more deeply.

So films can have impact. But "From Hell? Nah!

Oh, and I thought Ian Holm (again an actor I have admired deeply from the mid-60s) coasted through the film. His final reaction to being caught used the same "trick" he had found for the scene in "Fellowship of the Ring" when he almost attacks Frodo. I believe he was a substitute for Nigel Hawthorne, who died, so perhaps that accounts for it.

Phil

[Stewart P Evans]

Nigel Hawthorne

...
Oh, and I thought Ian Holm (again an actor I have admired deeply from the mid-60s) coasted through the film. His final reaction to being caught used the same "trick" he had found for the scene in "Fellowship of the Ring" when he almost attacks Frodo. I believe he was a substitute for Nigel Hawthorne, who died, so perhaps that accounts for it.
Phil

Nigel Hawthorne was the original choice for Gull in the film. I met him at Greenford Studios when he was testing for the part. He was dressed in costume, top hat and red lined cloak and looked very impressive. I had a nice chat with him as he was very interested in the Ripper case. He seemed to prefer Druitt as a suspect. He was taken ill before filming commenced and Ian Holm stepped in. Nigel Hawthorne signed my copy of the script for me, see below.

[Zodiac]

It's like Deja Vu all over again!!!

Didn't we go through all of this last year on the oh so cryptically named "From Hell" Thread? Hey Ho! No matter, last time we covered this ground Stewart sent me a lovely photo of Ms Graham, "Nise" Thanks again for that Stewart, I was going to say that since you send me her I have had her mounted but maybe that came out all wrong!!! Ohh no missus!!! etc. etc.

Best wishes,

Zodiac.

[belinda]

I'm not sure I thought too much of it at all--and I've only seen it once, despite buying it a couple of years ago to watch again. It's absolute junk, of course, but redeemed by JD (and about a litre of JD, too, actually).
What was far, far, far worse was The Ripper--a bizarre, bizarre Aussie thing I came across on telly the other week, where people walked about a weird and clean set saying things like, ay guvnah, weeyah dya spose me stroids aaahh? The Reepah, ay? Fly-min Choina eef ee ain't troina ava gao wiff da woman ahm avin id off wiff.
It was weird. It made From Hell look beautiful in its conception and execution.

Do you remember any of the actors who were in the Australian film. I didn't know there had ever been an Australian version.

Stewart you are so lucky to have met Nigel Hawthorne I love Yes Minister one of the best programmes ever made

[Phil H]

Thanks, Stewart, very interesting and nice to see.

Phil

[Abby Normal]

I think you have to watch the film with the absolutely certain knowledge that what you are about to see has absolutely nothing to do with Jack the Ripper. That said it does have a good, fast paced plot with good actors and actresses turning in good performances.

The sets were brilliant (built just outside Prague) and the costuming well above standard. There were however two incidents that made it worth watching.

One was the technique of shooting up through a glass tank of water as the murderer plunges his bloody hands in to it to wash them. Brilliant and I noticed copied on several films since.
The other was the brilliantly atmospheric shot of the coach’s steps unfolding. All you could hear was the click clack as they released. Absolutely fantastic – so creepy!
For those two things alone From Hell gets the patented Bob’s Seal of Approval.

Agree.

As a movie about Jack the Ripper its bunk, but as an entertaining(fantasy/thriller) movie its a masterpiece IMHO.

[spyglass]

Hi all !,
Of course the Graphic Novel is far far superior to the film, however I still enjoyed it, I liked the look and feel of it.
My favourite part was the CGI representation of the bottom of Fleet St and Ludgate circus, based on an photograph of that time.
My other favourite part was when Gull ( JTR ) was sitting on the bed with MJK exactly like one of Walter Sickett's paintings...Brilliant !

[BillyE]

I've made my feelings on the movie "From Hell" abundantly clear on these boards, so I'll not get into that any further. One aspect I want to point out, though, is the scene as Gull is killing who he thinks is Mary Kelly, and there's a flash of light, and he appears in a medical theater being aplauded by medical students. The film never adequatly explains why this occurs. It makes sense if you've read the graphic novel, but the overwhelming majority will have only seen the movie. It's just one more confusing thing the Hughes brothers do because they assume everyone's read the graphic novel.

[elleryqueen74]

It had potential in the first half hour or so but for me went downhill after that. Casting Depp as Abberline was one of the worst castings in history in my opinion.

[Defective Detective]

I loved it, actually, for all the bad accents and costumes in the place of clothing and the tired and stale Royal/Masonic Conspiracy hybrid.

It's important to remember two things about the film From Hell: it isn't a Jack The Ripper movie, and it's not really an adaptation of the Alan Moore comic book. A screen version of that would be practically impossible, or it would take a ten or twelve hour miniseries to go through every nook and cranny in the story.

What it is is basically a period-piece giallo, or American version of a giallo. The story is all in the sets and the cinematography; and I'm a sucker for stylization in film (one of the reasons I like the Tim Burton Batman movies better than the more recent Nolan ones, for instance). And From Hell is an absolutely gorgeous picture.

Depp would be a terrible choice if the character he was playing were Abberline, but he isn't really playing Abberline; he's actually playing the psychic Lees with Abberline's name and occupation superimposed on him - and of course in the graphic novel the psychic character is secretly a self-conscious fraud, where Abberline isn't.

"Altogether a different breed of killer."