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From Hell

Actor(s): Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Richardson
Director(s): Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
116

Movie Details

MPAA Rating: R
Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Not For Children, Profanity, Substance Abuse, Sexual Situations, Drug Content
Movie Release: 2001
DVD Release: 10/22/2002
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned
Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish
Subtitles: English
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 2 hrs 1 mins
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Total Copies: 2
Genres: Thriller, Period Film, Costume Horror, Police Detective Film
See Also: From Hell [Director's Limited Edition], From Hell [Blu-ray]

DVD Synopsis

The true-life horror story of Jack the Ripper gets a new spin in this screen adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. In 1888, a ruthless and cold-blooded killer begins hunting prostitutes in East London, and while the murderer's work is savage, the mutilation of his victims suggests the fiend has an extensive medical background. Amidst a background of political unrest and barely contained scandal among the royal family, the murderer's grisly exploits shock and frighten all of England, and one of Scotland Yard's top inspectors, Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp), is put on the case, along with his partner, Peter Godley (Robbie Coltrane). Abberline, depending on one's viewpoint, is either blessed or cursed with second sight, and while he blurs his ability to see future events with opium and other drugs, he still has an uncanny ability to ferret out dangerous criminals, which is put to the test as he and Godley search for the Ripper. As Abberline and Godley investigate the neighborhood where the crimes occur, they become acquainted with the prostitutes and street people who were friends and compatriots of the victims, and Abberline finds himself falling in love with Mary Kelly (Heather Graham), a beautiful Irish streetwalker. As Abberline tries to identify the killer before Mary Kelly can become the next victim, he and Godley have to contend with Sir Charles Warren (Ian Richardson), their superior who is keen to pin the murders on a culprit who isn't British, and Sir William Gull (Ian Holm), a respected physician who has his own ideas about the murders and the benefits of psychosurgery. From Hell marked a change of pace for Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes, the sibling directorial team best known for their gritty depictions of America's urban underground in such films as Menace II Society and Dead Presidents. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Actors

Johnny Depp - Inspector Frederick George Abberline
Heather Graham - Mary Kelly
Ian Holm - Sir William Gull
Robbie Coltrane - Sgt. Peter Godley
Ian Richardson - Sir Charles Warren

Editorial Review of DVD

For fans of From Hell who do not want to pay for the deluxe two disc package, 20th Century Fox has released the film in this single-disc format. The movie is presented in a widescreen transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is strong. English subtitles are accessible. The picture and sound quality on this disc are superb, making it worthwhile for anyone without interest in knowing more about this stylish film. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Member Movie Reviews

Vanessa V. (sevenspiders) wrote on 9/18/2008...

2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

Jack the Ripper was the first known serial killer, a modern murderer in a Victorian world. In From Hell, the Hughes brothers bring to life the Victorian city and the modern monster that haunted it. From Hell, like all Ripper lore, is based in fact but filled out by fantasy. The characters, the Victorian London, the events that unfold are all an odd combination of popular imagination and history. But in this case the combination works, and neither element overwhelms the other. The movie is darkly frightening and believable in the willing-suspension-of-disbelief way.

Johnny Depp plays Inspector Abberline in a deft, understated performance that fits the setting and skillfully avoids the cliche Scotland Yard caricature. Heather Graham (not my favorite actress) is remarkable sympathetic and realistic in a performance that bends over backwards to avoid being "the hooker with the heart of gold" and usually succeeds.

The gore is present but not gratuitous, considering the subject matter. But to anyone with a weak stomach, there was a reason they called him The Ripper. The mystery unravels deliberately, skillfully making use of all the early embedded clues so that you can almost guess who the Ripper is... perhaps. From Hell gives Jack the Ripper's legend its due; it succeeds in melding the modern and Victorian, the true horror and the myth that Jack the Ripper has become seamlessly.