Hands of the Ripper

Scarecrow-88

A doctor attempts to cure the daughter of Jack the Ripper through Freudian psychology, but can not keep her from following in father's footsteps, her mania triggered by light reflected from glass(..mostly a diamond of some sort) and a kiss to the cheek.

The film opens with the Ripper fleeing the authorities and a mob of locals into his home, killing his wife after she discovers he's the serial killer, with his daughter, Anna, experiencing the whole ordeal from her crib. Years later, Anna(Angharad Rees) is assisting a con-artist who claims to communicate with the dead, while also used as a prostitute for wealthy members of society. Her first violent outburst leads to the murder of her guardian, in front of a member of Parliament, Dysart(Derek Godfrey). Dysart exits from the building while Dr. John Pritchard(Eric Porter)follows the scream noticing him in the process, soon discovering Anna in paralyzed state, as if lost mentally to her surroundings. Pritchard doesn't implicate Dysart, using his pull to search the background history of Anna, hoping to uncover her past. Pritchard wishes to understand the state of mine of a killer..why does she kill? Anna will be his example, guinea pig, and this will come with a price. Anna will continue to kill as long as the Ripper inside holds a power in her subconscious, and Pritchard's attempts to cover up her crimes will soon cost him dearly. Pritchard will be aided by the testimony of a medium who sees the incident after "previewing the memories of that very night" from Anna's mind, her in a state of hypnosis, resulting in a disconcerting situation when Jack is triggered once again accidentally.

Startlingly violent Hammer film, again mines the mythos of Jack the Ripper, this time using the possibility of a daughter who may've experienced his murderous tendencies, effected psychologically to the point that she's an unwilling tool for his continued mayhem. You can actually hear his voice whispering for her to kill. Most of the time, a woman casts a friendly kiss to Anna's cheek, her face freezing into a blank stare, resulting in some sort of sharp blade killing them. A maid is sliced across the throat. A prostitute offers her a place to rest, resulting in her face being stabbed by hair pins(..this grisly scene has the poor woman attempting to shield her face by her hand, the pins going through it and into her eye!). Another victim is actually penetrated through the body with a sword(..in a awe-inspiring moment, the victim uses a door handle to remove it). Keith Bell is Pritchard's son, Michael. Jane Merrow is Michael's blind fiancé, Laura(..she's the potential victim in the harrowing climax set in the whispering hall). Director Peter Sasdy was one of the luckier Hammer directors allowed a bit of freedom to present his subject matter in a more elaborate, explicit way. While you don't have much in the way of nudity(..just a bit of Anna bathing in a tub), the violence even shocked me. This is the kind of film that might receive a cult following if it got a proper DVD release which would lift it from obscurity. Giving a unique way for crazy Jack to continue his work through his daughter is quite a fascinating premise. Tragic, incredibly powerful ending. Again, Hammer successfully transports us back to this period in London. Great performances from all involved. A real sleeper.

score 7/10

Scarecrow-88 11 July 2009

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2094356/