From Hell

When Abberline first meets, and discusses the Ripper killings with Sir William Gull, Abberline's drawing of a Liston knife keeps changing shape and position on the blackboard between shots.

Electric lighting was rare, but not unheard of, in 1888.

Even so, the electric light in the library is of a modern design.

Upon arriving at the murder scene (in the back yard of a house), Inspector Abberline's coat and hat are clearly hung upon the fence a moment before we see him actually hang them there.

During the cemetery scene, the head stone from which the crow flies moves visibly as the bird pushes off.

Some of the constables and law enforcement officers shown in nighttime scenes are carrying flashlights, which were not patented until ten years after the film's date of 1888.

Prince Albert Victor's painting in the gallery declares him to be the Duke of Clarence, a title he would not receive until three years later, in 1891.

When men broke into the room where the couple was having sex at the beginning of the film, the woman quickly covers up her bare breasts with her sheets, then during the close up of the man, she is again trying to cover her breasts.

Liston knives were not serrated as they were used for the cutting of muscle.

Only bone saws and the like had serrated edges.

When Abberline is taking Mary into the gallery to view the picture of Prince Albert Victor, they pass the same lady in the white dress twice in different shots.

We see a shot of the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.

However, it only gained its "Royal" status in 1990 - for the duration of its previous 250 years history, it was called just The London Hospital.

When Gull and Abberline are first discussing the murders, there is a shot from behind Gull when he is talking.

His mouth does not match up with what he says.

When Abberline gets smacked at the beginning of the movie to try to get him somewhat conscious, seconds before you can see the 'blood' on his lip where he is supposed to be hit.

The size of the chalk letters with the word Jewes written on it changes shape from when Abberline points it out to the time the constables wipe the chalk board clean.

Lobotomy plays an important role in the film (taking place in 1888).

However, according to records, the first lobotomy was performed in Switzerland in the year 1890.

The first "successful" neuropsychiatric procedures were performed in the early 20th century.

In one scene, Buckingham Palace is pictured, as it looks today.

The eastern wing (being shown in the film) was however built many years later.

Inspector Abberline explains to Mary Kelly that they should pass notes via the barkeep of a nearby inn.

"Barkeep" is an American usage; in England it would be "barman" for someone working in the pub or "landlord" for the owner.

Frederick Abberline is depicted inaccurately as a young man who is an opium addict and psychic as well as dying soon after the Ripper murders.

The real Frederick Abberline was a middle aged man in 1888 with no known opium addiction and who never claimed psychic abilities.

He lived until 1929.

An alternate ending on the DVD has him living to old age, and dying in an Asian city (possibly Hong Kong), which is not accurate either, as he died in England.

Like most film versions of the Ripper murders, _From Hell (2001)_ (qv) depicts the Ripper's victims as being considerably younger and more attractive than in real life.

In reality all of the Ripper's victims (except for Mary Kelly) were in their mid forties and of them all Mary Kelly was the only one who is supposed to have been good looking, although the only photographs of the women that exist are those that were taken after their murders.

The film depicts the Ripper in his carriage en route to pick up his next victim (as depicted in the next shot) racing along the Thames with Big Ben and the Tower in the background.

This would mean that he was on the wrong bank of the Thames, racing away from the Whitechapel district, which was located within easy walking distance of the Tower.

A little after the second murder, Abberline is talking with Gull about "Jack the Ripper".

However, he was not to become known by that name until the double event murder and receipt of the "dear boss" letter, almost a month later.

William Gull says that he is the Royal Family's physician-in-ordinary.

In fact, Gull was the Royal Family's physician-in-extraordinary (the original comic book got this right).

The surgeon Ferral is called "Doctor".

In England, surgeons are not (and were not) called "doctor", but "mister".

The coachmen's ear is whole in some scenes and it is cut in other scenes In 1888, a bottle of laudanum would not have been labeled as poison, as it was a popular, socially acceptable, and inexpensive painkiller and sedative at the time.

When Ferrall is performing the lobotomy on Anne, on the last tap we cut to Gull talking.

In the glass we see the reflection of Ferall performing the tap, but there's no sound.

In the following shot of Ferrall he repeats the tap this time with sound.

During the scenes where McQueen comes after the various different women, his left ear is clearly pierced.

He isn't wearing an earring, but the hole is clearly visible.

Abberline has an old looking 'graphophone' or perhaps phonograph in his flat.

The 19th century equivalent of an iPod.

At the time it should have looked brand-new, but this one has 100 years worth of blemishes.

In the final scene when Sergeant Godley finds Inspector Abberline's dead body he places two coins in his eyes.

In the following shot of the Sergeant and the Inspector it can be clearly observed that the coins have disappeared.

The absinthe fire ritual is only usual since the late 1990s, from a Prague bar.

In 1888 no one would have prepared absinthe with setting it on fire.

It is stated that the baby of Prince Albert and Ann Crook is a Prince and heir to the throne.

This is incorrect as they were married in a Roman Catholic Church and the Act of Settlement 1701 specifically forbids Catholics from the throne.

In fact Prince Albert would have been removed from the line of succession for marrying a Catholic.

Glass windows were uncommon and extremely expensive in the 1800s.

It would have been highly unlikely for any of the bars or houses to actually have glass and those that did would have very thick, cloudy glass.

Not so.

Glass was very commonly used for windows, and while it was heavier and sometimes uneven, it was certainly clear and very much like glass we have today (although more expensive).

While still produced by a glass-blower, it could be blown into large sheets and cut for windows.

" After the coach had tipped over onto the man you have an external scene with sparks coming from underneath in this scene the body has vanished but re-appear in the next shot.

When the Inspector is hiding a small gun behind his back when he is about to confront Dr.

Gull you can see a tattoo on Johnny Depp's finger.

Tattoos were around but not on fingers of respectable police officers.

This film borrows heavily from Sherlock Holmes-Murder by Decree (1979), which is a far superior film in every way..

"From Hell" is very grim and ultra stylish filmmaking, most impressive for the way it depicts late 19th century London. It's a bleak image of Hell on Earth, an environment in which a maniac dubbed Jack the Ripper is able to flourish.

Coal-soaked skies and grime-caked slums serve as backdrop to this dark, grisly nineteenth century chase Johnny Depp, unconventional police detective, in tireless pursuit of Jack the Ripper through Victorian London's back alleys. Frolicking in filth, From Hell takes delight in sharing as much century-old depravity as it can dream up.

I'm pretty much a fan of Johnny Depp, as I usually appreciate his performance regardless of my ultimate opinion of the movie itself. Sleepy Hollow was a masterful re-envisioning of the classic story of Ichabod Crane, featuring a nice blend of mystery & horror.

There have been a lot of movies made about the story of Jack The Ripper and even though probably no one will ever know what really happened this movie is a theory like another. Pretty sure it never happened like in From Hell but it doesn't matter.

Violent crime. Sex.

The movie has so much to praise, so don't take any notice of the gloomy negativity in some reviews. Really brilliant and accomplished actors and great artistic production and direction.

Flat, forgettable, Hollywood mandate carelessly churned out just to capitalize on a property, with a bored Johnny Depp there just to pick up a paycheck. 'S like those awful supernatural crime shows, set in a Victorian-fashion studio backlot.

I like this film. Although it is not based in fact, it follows the Jack the Ripper cases as it's primary theme.