From Hell (2001)

From Hell (2001) 3 stars out of 4. Starring Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm, Jason Flemyng, Robbie Coltrane, Lesley Sharp, Susan Lynch, Terence Harvey, Katrin Cartlidge, Estelle Skornik and Paul Rhys. Screenplay by Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias. Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. Music by Trevor Jones. Directed by the Hughes Brothers. Rated R. Approx. 2 hours. Restrained is an odd word to describe a movie about the horrific rampage of Jack the Ripper.

But it is an apt adjective for From Hell, the Hughes brothers take on this overly familiar story.

Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, From Hell is a violent and intense feature that is highly stylized in its presentation.

The camera of directors Albert and Allan Hughes prowl the dark, dank streets and alleyways of London's Whitechapel district like a hungry predator seeking its prey.

The Hughes refuse to exploit the subject matter for shock. From Hell is gruesome, but not as graphic as it could be. Most of the gore is suggestive because at critical moments, the Hughes pull back leaving the crime to the viewers' imaginations.

The brothers use the music of Trevor Jones plus a dullish blue-gray color scheme to create atmosphere, leaving most of the blood and guts on the cutting room floor.

Movie fans with long memories may find the plot for From Hell very similar to 1979's Murder By Decree, in which Christopher Plummer and James Mason, as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, unmasked the Ripper while ferreting out a conspiracy that reached into Buckingham Palace.

That is the basic plot of this thriller, but instead of Sherlock Holmes, we have Johnny Depp as Inspector Fred Abberline, an opium-smoking police detective who has visions of the crimes before they happen.

If the name sounds familiar, it is because Michael Caine portrayed Abberline in a two-part made-for-TV movie about the case. Of course, being TV that Abberline's addiction was booze not drugs.

Depp's Abberline is smart, honest, sincere, brave and not afraid to step on toes to solve the Ripper case. Depp seems cerebral enough for the role, but he is just a bit too boyish, too passive for a veteran inspector.

Heather Graham fares well as Mary Kelly, one of a group of prostitutes marked for death by the Ripper because they share a secret that could "bring down the Empire," as the saying goes. Graham's lower-class English accent holds throughout, but she is actually given little to do.

Faring better is Robbie Coltrane as Sgt. Godley, Abberline's able Shakespeare-quoting assistant, while Ian Holm provides another of his strong performances as a doctor who ostensibly tries to help Abberline.

From Hell follows a distinguished list of movies focusing on the Ripper case beginning with Alfred Hitchcock's The Lodger in 1926. The Ripper is one of those movie subjects with a built-in audience.

And the Hughes brothers do not disappoint. Their Ripper is as horrifying and mad as all previous incarnations as he roams Whitechapel performing his bloody business.

From Hell will keep you locked in your seat. It is a gripping melodrama, a ripping pulse-pounding turn by a pair of talented directors. It's a feature that will get you into the Halloween spirit.

Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on golafayette. Bloom's reviews also can be found on the Web at the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom

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X-RT-RatingText: 3/4