Jack - O Estripador

....When it achieves such perfection :lavish costumes,splendid settings,excellent performances (a topflight cast,with a wonderful Caine as the lead ,the beautiful Jane Seymour and all the others providing adequate support).It really brings us back in Victorian London and the screenplay features very clever ideas such as the introduction of Stevenson's "Doctor Jekill and Mr Hyde" (the scene on the stage is mind-boggling).If the telly made such gems every week,nobody would go to the movie theaters anymore.

This version (out of many on the subject of Britain's most famous serial killer) is by far, my favourite.

I have studied Jack the Ripper for many years, read many books, seen many documentaries, and even been on the Jack the Ripper tour in Whitechapel, where I saw the actual murder sites.

The acting is first class from everyone involved (notably from Lewis Collins as Sgt. Godley, Steve Payne as Billy White and Amande Assante as Richard Mansfield), and the direction is first class.

There are only two things I didn't like about this:

1) The Killer's Identity - I just do not agree that he was Jack the Ripper.

2) Once again, the Prostitutes were portrayed as good looking showgirls, when in reality they were ugly, toothless old crones. (Only Mary Jane Kelly was attractive, and Lysette Anthony who played her in this film, bares a remarkable resembelance to the real Kelly).

It's a shame this movie is not available on video or DVD. I was fortunate enough to have taped it off the TV, and have kept it ever since.

For any budding Ripperologists out there, I would strongly recommend you see this. But I`ll leave it up to you, if you agree with who they say it was -- I certainly don't.

I hate to admit this, but I have always been fascinated with Jack the Ripper. I have probably seen every movie and special about his crimes and have read quite a few books as well. There have been many movies made on the case (one was directed by Alfred Hitchcock). My favorite was an episode of Boris Karloff's Thriller tv show called "Yours Truly Jack the Ripper". It was written by Robert Bloch the man who wrote Psycho. This miniseries was a delight to watch and Michael Caine gives a wonderful performance as Inspector Abberline. They do a great job of re-creating the horrid living conditions in the East End of London. The only let down for me was the way this film ended. I wont give it away but I was hoping they would be original about who our boy Jack really was. Instead, the theory they propose is an old one and I feel it is preposterous. Other then that, this is a great film and I wish that they would put it out on video.

Positive:

• intense and atmospheric
• played very well

Negative:

• the film provides a killer, although the real case has never been clarified beyond doubt

Michael Caine is truly brilliant in this outstanding mini-series. Despite the trappings of being a TV production, it transcends it's limitations and delivers a thrilling take on the infamous unsolved Jack the Ripper case.

Outstanding work from al involved.