5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rippin' Good: Janet Meyers' The Ripper, March 4, 2002
This review is from: The Ripper [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Robert Rodat, the scribe behind "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Patriot," cut his teeth on this made for television film that surprises the viewer with its excellent performances.
Patrick Bergin is the London inspector investigating Jack the Ripper. The film makers show us early the killer is Prince Eddy, Queen Victoria's grandson and heir to the throne. Samuel West does an incredible job as the prince, a bitter syphillitic who is taking revenge on the prostitutes who probably gave him the disease. Gabrielle Anwar is also very natural as the prostitute who sees the prince, and finds protection in the arms of Bergin. Michael York rounds out the cast as Bergin's superior.
While the historical accuracy of all of this could be questioned, the cast does a great job with the sometimes stiff material. Meyers' direction is also good, not crossing into exploitation but not boring us with Merchant/Ivory type dialogue. The set is also good, as the credits read this was filmed in Australia.
"The Ripper" is a good detective yarn that would definitely appeal to fans of British murder mysteries and suspense fans alike. I do recommend it.
This is rated (R) for physical violence, mild gun violence, gore, sexual content, sexual references, and adult situations.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great period movie with love and blood., September 4, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Ripper [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This is one of my favorite sleepers. Not only is it a great Victorian period movie, it is also a crime thriller. For the more romantic at heart it includes two love stories; one unfulfilled and the other with broken trust. Worthy of at least a few viewings. Also, Anwar is great as an English rag doll with looks and brains. Buy it.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Endangered Movie, January 24, 2010
This review is from: The Ripper [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I have been waiting, waiting, waiting ... in vain for the dvd. The picture and audio quality of the VHS tape beats many Blu-ray renditions, about equal to the similar "From Hell" BD starring Johnny Depp. This movie unfortunately was overshadowed by the Johnny Depp version, but I consider this the better movie. The correct British accent a bonus.
The quality of the VHS is good enough for it to be transferred to a dvd for conservation purposes. It will not take too much effort or expense. The diction was clear enough to dispense with subtitles. Actors like Michael York do not mumble inaudibly. It's the Queen's English for everybody (late Victorian era). This movie was shot largely in Melbourne.
The star of this movie is Gabrielle Anwar, an Audrey Hepburn-esque actress, whose career I followed after seeing this movie on TV; in small movies like "Pursuit of Honour" and I thought she fizzled out. Until the hit TV series "Burn Notice". Gabrielle Anwar looks remarkably well preserved in "Burn Notice" when compared to much earlier "Ripper". When playing the prostitute in "The Ripper" she is the epitome of innocence. She exudes sex appeal in "Burn Notice", showing off her long legs and bare feet at every opportunity in the Miami TV episodes: kind of incongruous in Victorian England, even in subdued bedroom scenes.
The movie is relatively fast paced, telling the story within 1 hour and 40 minutes. Costumes are impressive. Movie sets were authentic and impressive. Dialogue is witty without being cliched. "All whores are women" is not cliched in the movie's context, and "I washed and I washed but I never feel clean". Suspense is in the story telling, not in cheap scare tactics.
Arsenic was used to treat syphilis in those days, and it comes out in sweat smelling like apricots. Apricots in "Ripper", grapes in "From Hell". If you want to know how an "A" lister like Johnny Depp impacts the outcome of a movie, just compare these two movies. The slightly inferior one (even with Depp factored in) is getting massive circulation, while the better movie is in danger of extinction. Patrick Bergin is very competent, is every bit an actor as Depp, but is not the charismatic crowd puller like Johnny Depp.
Like "Burn Notice", this movie explains intricacies and details as we go along. More depth than the TV episodes, of course. Educational too. This passes as a super Victorian version of Burn Notice (the better episodes), the difference being that Patrick Bergin was always in danger of being "Burned" investigating the Crown Prince.
If this movie were released today, I wager it will have its following. Gabrielle Anwar commands considerable Star Power today.
Come on Universal, get the dvd or BD out. Do not tempt me to make my own dvd out of the tape to preserve the movie for myself: your electronic lock was not that great and can easily be broken :))
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