From Hell tries to be more than just a typical slasher. But guess what kids--there's not much more to it than the title itself.
The adapted screenplay of Alan Moore's novel about Jack the Ripper opens with a foreboding backdrop of 19th-century London. The film quickly segues into one of the famous murders that the directors, Allen and Albert Hughes, hope will carry audiences to the film.
When the authorities discover that this murder is more than just the average revenge on prostitutes by a London streetgang, the astute inspector Frederick Abberline (Johnny Depp) establishes that this murder is not just the usual hit-'em-up.
By about the halfway point of the film, the Hughes brothers have introduced an underground society of London and the conspiracy of the authorities to keep the identity of Jack the Ripper a mystery. An additional subplot love story between Abberline and Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) combines to make a jumbled story with no clear synthesis.
Discovering Jack the Ripper's true identity is the film's only highlight, providing a little satisfaction in terms of plot. The entire movie builds to this single event, and the combination of music and pure drama gives the scene a similar atmosphere to the revelation of Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects. It was exciting to see the beautifully crafted cinematographic shot of the Ripper's face directly after the moment of revelation, because, frankly, there wasn't much more to rejoice about during the film. And it should have ended with that impressive portrait.
From Hell lacks a good plot--and aside from Ian Holm's portrayal of a chief city official--the acting is sub-par, too. If you want a good slasher, go rent Halloween. From Hell comes straight from... you guessed it.
