From Hell
Directed by the Hughes Brothers
Starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham
By Taryn A. Harris

Allen & Albert Hughes, the twin directors behind Menace II Society and Dead Presidents, do a remarkable job of bringing Alan Moore's graphic novel, "From Hell" to the big screen.

In this tale of late-Victorian urban violence we see many shades of red as we watch Jack the Ripper savagely slaughter a group of prostitutes in London's East End.

Johnny Depp does a fantastic job as the brilliant, but tortured Inspector Fred Abberline, who tracks down the killer with opium-induced visions. He vows to protect Mary Kelly (Heather Graham in her first non-jiggle role) and her friends from both the ruthless Nichols Gang and the Ripper.

Aiding Inspector Abberline are Sergeant Peter Godley, played wonderfully by Robbie Coltrane and Sir William Gull, the physician and confidante of the royal family, played cleverly by Ian Holm.

In this retelling of the oft told tale of Jack the Ripper, we see the true seediness of life on the streets and we learn that according to the royal family and those in power, some lives are expendable.

The entire cast does more than an adequate job with the material and visually the film is stunning, but my only complaint is that Heather Graham was way too pretty to be a prostitute. Her "cohorts" were ragged, filthy creatures with bad teeth, while she was always fresh faced and polished.

Although the movie is quite graphic, I totally bought the theory that the Ripper was in fact a well educated physician and a member of the secret society of masons.