"From Hell" The True Story Behind The Movie

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Chu Ju Lin

Eng 205

26/OCT/2004

Research Paper #2

“From Hell” The True Story Behind The Movie

“ From Hell” is anther movie based on the case of Jack The Ripper, by the New 20th Century Fox Production. The Ripper haunted Whitechapel, a district of East London, during the late 1880s. He was said to be the first documented and investigated serial killer at the time. One thing we should ask ourselves when we are watching this two hour masterpiece: was the movie historically accurate? I believe the answer is far more complicated than a sheer yes or not. The deliver of the Whitechapel in 1880s and the illustration of the everyday lives of its resident were very accurate. On the other hand, the plot of the movie had deviated theatrically from the historical fact. But the combination of historical facts and fiction, gives us the movie “ From Hell”. And we shall ask why the movie is filled with make-up stories? These inaccuracies in the film would mislead those who have no previous knowledge of the ripper case false.

The portrayal of the Whitechapel district was very realistic:

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  1. Murders were common in Whitechapel in the 19th century. Pubs and prostitutes were side by side with shops. The poverty and despair can be easily noticed in the film.

Most streets in Whitechapel were narrow. People often  in  with little light and ventilation. The area was filled with  where the Ripper’s victims found their "customers." Some of the popular hangouts of 1888, like "," are still open and are still .

On August 31, 1888 the Ripper’s terror first struck Whitechapel.  ("Polly") Nichols, a 42-year-old mother of five who  on Flower and Dean Street, was brutally murdered. ...

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