A few nice sequences, exquisite performances, a convincing technical department, and a superb third act. But the execution of the ideas doesn't work. **1/2 (out of four

Rating: 6/10 (6 November 2001)

FROM HELL / (2001) **1/2 (out of four)
It is the dramatically gruesome ideas that make this film what it is, but it is the poor execution of those ideas that makes this film what it is not. "From Hell" contains a few nice sequences, exquisite performances by Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, and Ian Holm, a very convincing technical department, and it has a superb third act. Unfortunately, despite those positive factors, the film as a whole doesn't quite work.
Jack the Ripper committed five gruesome, ritualistic murders during a ten-week span in London during the fall of 1888. He was never caught. As the first tabloid star of the twentieth century, he is remembered as one of the most notorious serial killers in history.
"From Hell" does not successfully bring him to life, though the Hughes brothers certainly breathe life into the era. The film's sets were created by Academy Award-winning production designer Martin Child. He and seventy artists and carpenters constructed a 20-acre set near Barrandov Studios. Their hard work pays off; the film embodies an entirely believable design. It's a great achievement from a technical standpoint.
Based on a popular graphic novel, "From Hell" referrers to the return address on a letter from Jack the Ripper. The always entertaining Johnny Depp stars as it's recipient, Fred Abberline, a tormented Inspector who seeks temporary relief with opium. His unendurable addiction gives him visions of the future.
Let's have some more about Abberline's internal struggles and opium addiction. Let's dive into his mind and explore the source of these visions and addictions. This is a very intriguing aspect of the character, but the film never really develops this subject. Instead we get a shallow, flat concept that never leaves ground.
Inspector Abberline is called to duty when a vicious serial killer takes the lives of several prostitutes. As the bodies start piling, the inspector realizes his superiors are far more interested in preventing public panic than finding the killer. One figure, however, named Sir William Gull (Ian Holm), takes interest in Abberline. As a physician to the royal family, Gull is a powerful enough figure to assist Abberline in his investigation. They discover a secret that threatens everyone who knows it.

Albert and Allen Hughes direct the film with a sense of precise detail. They took extreme measures to assure the film's effectiveness. They softened the lighting by placing a silk cloth over the rear of the lenses. They shot the flashback sequences on positive film. Fast motion and time-lapse photography give the movie a unique flavor. The cinematography creates an ominous presence.
The Hughes' failure lies not within the technical aspects of the film, however, but within the misconnection with the audience. Despite a plot about the mystery and horror of Jack the Ripper, the movie is not particularly scary, nor does it work as a mystery. Watching the movie, I never found myself guessing the identity of the killer, nor did I follow the characters, or identify with which victim would be the next to go. There is no real sense of a puzzle here; the script does not give us enough to care about the killer or his victims.
Much has been said about the film's violent content. Although it certainly suggests strong, gruesome violence, we seldom actually witness it. "From Hell" does contain some of the most grotesque images I have seen in film, but as a whole, Jack the Ripper's violent acts are not witnessed, but implied. During the murders, we usually only see a quick flash of a knife, and then partial glimpse of the aftermath of the victims. It's a letdown, since it's one of the few interesting things in the movie.

All of this notwithstanding, even if there was more stomach-churning gore it would not have saved the movie. Violence relives tension, and "From Hell" does not build a single iota of suspense. No wonder why there is no sense of mystery or intrigue; for most of the film, we are sitting flat on our butts. In a movie like this, we want to be on the edge of our seats. To make matters worse, this film is almost two hours long.
You know the sensation you get in your butt when you drive a car for a really long time? That cramped, anxious feeling that makes you want to get out of the car and stretch? That's how I felt during this movie.