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The real identity of Jack the Ripper will probably never be known. The evidence is only circumstantial for the best of the many theories about who the mad killer of 1888 London was. Most of the theories could be discarded after thorough investigations. But, there is little likelihood that the world will ever know for sure the identity of the most notorious homicidal killer of all time. No eyewitness ever came forward. More than a century later there's little chance that any new evidence exists. And less chance even of finding it, if any does exist. So, the murder cases of Jack the Ripper will likely go unsolved forever.
But that won't stop sleuths from investigating or the curious from speculating. And more movies may yet be made about the subject. This 1988 British movie is from a TV mini-series. It has a conclusion and unmasks Jack the Ripper for the slaying of five women from Aug. 31 to Nov. 9, 1888. The writers supposedly assembled the best and the latest evidence to arrive at their conclusion.
The movie just touches on, but doesn't go deeply into the confusion that surely existed at the time over different players in the investigations. One wonders if a clue or two might not have been lost, misplaced or dismissed. In the confusion that surely existed with handling of the various cases between different units of the law, were all the clues, tips and pieces of evidence kept intact, shared among the law groups and passed on? Different people led various investigations from the London Metro police and from Scotland yard.
This film's conclusion is as logical and probable as any. The details of the murders are portrayed accurately. Likewise some of the other situations of the time - notably, the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. The movie combines some of the investigators into the one primary and longest investigator, Detective Inspector Frederick Abberline. Michael Caine plays that role superbly. All of the cast give top performances.
The movie shows the extent to which London was all but mesmerized by the killings. It shows how frantic the efforts must have been by the law to find and bring the killer to justice. And, the film has excellent sets, costumes and other aspects that reflect the culture of the time. This is a nice historical film as well. Anyone curious about the legend should thoroughly enjoy this film.
While history may never reveal the real identify of Jack the Ripper, it's highly probable that this film's conclusion is right. It's logical and fits with the conditions of the killings, the start and end of them, and the real people alive at that time.
score 10/10
SimonJack 29 January 2018
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4047010/ |
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1-3-2021 12:07:06