I sit writing this review at 3:30 in the morning, due to a late film shoot for "Bloody Good Movie." The filming also kept me from reviewing Harry Potter at midnight. That wasn't even the best part of the early morning. Wal-Mart was a beacon for me, my roommate and another friend, where we scoured the store for boxes. Yes, packing boxes at Wal-Mart are a rare and illustrious breed to hunt, but it's all fun. Along the way I thought of a fun game that would involve competing teams seeing who can steal the most boxes from Wal-Mart in the middle of the night. Probably won't ever take off, but it made me chuckle to think about. All of this delayed this articles' completion, but so goes the road of life.
Before my film shoot this evening, I viewed the 2001 thriller "From Hell." This was one thrilling view. The film follows the investigation of Jack the Ripper during his murderous spree in 1888 London. Johnny Depp shines, as always, as the head inspector on the case. Joining him are Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid in "Harry Potter"), Ian Holme (Bilbo in "Lord of the Rings") and Heather Graham. The depth that Depp shows is the stuff awards are made of. Although he didn't win any, Deep perfects a man on the brink of psychosis, who attempts to cope with a murderer who has no humanity and a love that he never could have.
The story is a straightforward, exciting murder mystery. It keeps you guessing about who the serial killer is for about half the film (by then he is slowly revealed). The plot pulls you in with brutal murdering and great scripting. The dialogue is sharp and quite smooth, but it's the delivery that makes everything work.
The style of the 1880s reflects the time perfectly. The costumes, street lamps and horse carriages bring out the bustling life of the city. The main focus follows a group of soddy wenches, who seek out legitimate business in a London district. While they are prostitutes, they become targets of Jack the Ripper's revenge on the city. The cinematography in "From Hell" looks incredible. The camera moves may not always be fast and abrupt; the slow deliberate pace of the film works toward maximum tension using canted angles and moody lighting.
What is unnecessary to the film and story is the ending involving something that extends beyond Jack the Ripper. The motives are forced and do not drive the plot at all. In fact they slow it down and seem to be a something merely thrown into the script the last minute. All I can say about it is "conspiracy theories"
The film seems to fit into the trend of graphic novel and comic adaptations. It comes after "X-Men," but it doesn't matter. "From Hell" exists as a masterpiece because it transcends graphic novels. "X-Men" started this trend in 2000, but every time there is a superhero one, they give you five days to write it, make it then slap it on the big screen. Films like "Dark Knight" and "Spiderman" may get shunned because of some paper trail or something. "From Hell" isn't about the hero, or the prodigal son or legend. What you get is a gritty stripped down crime mystery that is easy to watch and follow. It's a wonder that this and my life remain calm and cool, while others deal with these horrors realistically.
Overall, "From Hell" is quite good, but it's twist may not hold up to modern viewers who are accustomed to a strange twist in any film. Check out this film though, but I warn that it isn't for anyone with faint nervous and digestive systems.
One of the biggest films of summer opens this week: "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." It is the sixth film in the eight film lineup (yes, the last book will be split into two films) and it looks to be one of the more epic and sprawling films.
Feel free to drop me an e-mail for recommendations or suggestions. Until the next installment, get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.
Alex Kartman is a junior telecommunications major and writes 'Scene Selection' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Alex at akartmen@bsu.edu
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