Film #107 - The Ripper (1997)
Viewed April 17, 2006
The Ripper is an interesting take on the Jack the Ripper story that follows on Inspector Jim Hansen (played by Patrick Bergin) as he tries to track down the killer, while being drawn to one of his potential victims, Florry (played by Gabrielle Anwar).
The focus is not on discovering who the killer is. The viewer is made aware of his identity (Prince Albert Victor Edward, played by Samuel West) very early on. The focus is really on Hansen and his relationships with his superior, Sir Charles Warren (Michael York), Florry, and the Prince, himself.
Bergin’s Inspector is a social climber, having grown up in the rough East End and educated himself, rising to his current position through solid work and skilled political movement. But the Ripper case causes him to re-evaluate his position. He recognizes that there is an immense social bias that places the value of the lives of the murdered prostitutes very low. His own superiors eventually prove to be more concerned with the reputation of the Royal Family than in the lives of the Ripper’s victims.
While somewhat heavy handed with this analysis, The Ripper is saved by strong performances from all involved. As we watch Hansen climb the social ladder, we feel the two directions he is pulled in as he has to choose between a socially acceptable match to Miss Essie Davis (Evelyn Bookman) and his increasingly strong ties to Florry, who is closer to him in social status.
We cannot actually sympathize with the Prince, as he is portrayed as psychotic and very evil. But we do get to see the “method in his madness” as he sees his life slowly destroyed by the syphillis that is eating away at his body.
The atmospher of The Ripper is well portrayed, with a strong sense of the time and place. Although Hansen is portrayed as somewhat more open-minded than most, it never crosses into apocryphal points of view.
The Ripper is an exciting and interesting take on the classic Ripper story and is worth watching for anyone interested in the time or just fans of police films in general.