Jack The Ripper, Lobotomies and Police Corruption: A Short Study on From Hell
Brain surgery and the Dangers of Psychiatry
The psychological horror film, From Hell (2001)1, offers a unique, though not necessarily better, take on the story of Jack the Ripper2. The film is set in the working classes of Victorian London in 1888, and tells a story of crime, police corruption, prostitution, and secret societies with a smidge of brain surgery. One of our goals is to compile all the films that portray psychosurgery, lobotomies, or similar themes, and this post belongs to that series.
The Official trailer for this film.
Plot Summary
The film opens with a group of prostitutes who barely manage to survive in the dangerous streets of 19th-century London, being accosted by debtors, violent clients, and a serial killer on the loose. Some of them start to appear mutilated on the street, and the police investigate. Inspector Abbeline (Johnny Depp) takes an interest in the case.
Abbeline is an unconventional detective; he successfully relies on opium induced visions to solve complicated cases3. He finds the case interesting, and begins by recalling some of his hallucinogenic experiences, however, he finds that his visions were not as accurate. Rather than doubting them, he concludes that what he saw pertained to a different crime.
Mary Kelly, one of the sex workers, is presented as smarter and prettier than most. She is good friends with Ann, a former sex worker, who married a rich artist named Albert and had his baby4. Ann had asked Albert to help pay her former colleagues' debts, and they agreed to meet. Later, Ann and Albert are kidnapped by men in suits. Then, Ann is interrogated and thrown in jail.
At this point, the film introduces other important characters: Dr Ferral and Sir William, the Royal Family’s doctor. Dr. Ferral is said to be working on a revolutionary brain surgery that will allegedly turn violent patients into manageable ones, all the while reducing their suffering. He gives Ann brain surgery to cure her alleged hysteria and paranoid delusions.
Back in the streets, other sex workers belonging to this group are killed. Mary Kelly and her friends grow worried. They are being picked out by a mysterious murderer in the shadows
Inspector Abbeline's sleuthing allows him to determine that the murderer is not working alone, that they are likely trained as a surgeon, and a member of the higher class. The chief of the constabulary hinders his efforts because he is convinced that the killer must either be a jew or a low-level butcher.
Abbeline unsuccessfully tried to contact Dr. Feral, on the other hand Sir William is more collaborative. William tells Abbeline he also thought the killer had surgical training. During one of these conversations, the audience learns that the Prince has syphilis and will die soon5. They also learns that the Prince is Albert and he had run away to marry Ann (the sex worker).
With this information in mind, Inspector Abbeline suspects that a branch of the secret police may have been behind the kidnapping of Ann and decides to investigate further. Mary Kelly learns of the true identity of Ann’s husband and fears she and her friends are being targeted for knowing a state secret. Abbeline concludes that the killer must be a member of the government. When trying to prevent the murder of Mary Kelly, Abbeline discovers a masonic plot to both silence the prostitutes and carry out a ritual. He stops Sir William from killing Mary Kelly.
The Masons decide to interfere, and they arrest Sir William and prevent the details from becoming public. They decided that Sir William must receive brain surgery; the same operation he used to keep Ann quiet. The Freemasons are disappointed with how William screwed up their plan.
Meanwhile, Mary Kelly managed to escape with Ann’s daughter. Abbeline, alone and in London, decides to binge on opium, possibly intending to commit suicide, as he cannot bear the guilt of his past. He ovrerdoses and dies.
![From Hell [2001] - Subversive Rabbit](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zdRC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd486d5fe-468a-4606-80a2-da5af14cdb99_750x400.webp "From Hell [2001] - Subversive Rabbit")
Weaponizing psychiatry
The use of psychiatry and psychosurgery in the film provides an interestingly unique interpretation of the role that authorities give to science. Similar to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, psychiatry is weaponized to serve the interests of the Crown and the Freemasons rather than help people in need.
Brain surgery is used to silence Ann. She had married Prince Albert and bore his legitimate son. She was silenced for the potential scandal it would represent to the Royal Family. The film suggests that such surgeries can make individuals docile and silence them. The Freemasons turn this tool against Sir William Gull, who had previously supported its use, when they realize the threat he poses. William is operated, and thus no longer threatens the freemasons.
The use of brain surgery in film suggests that those in power can wield such weapons to protect their position. Psychiatry is therefore a means to an end. The film assumes not only that these tools can work, but that they can be exploited for evil.
The surgery in the film is likely to be associated with lobotomy. Nevertheless, the representation is not quite accurate. Interestingly, a lot of the prognosis corresponds with the thoughts and goals physicians had when lobotomies became more popular (making patients manageable).
Given that the film is set, the allusion may be to the work of Gottlieb Burckhardt, who in 1888 operated on six patients’ brains to change their behavior. He excised parts of the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortex to reduce violent behavior. His work was criticized at the time.
In the real world, lobotomies were used for their capacity to render unmanageable patients, who suffered from violent outbursts or crippling paranoia, into calm and agreeable ones at the cost of making them more dull and unimaginative. In the worst cases, it would turn them into vegetative states, entirely unresponsive for outside stimuli. In the film, brainn surgery serves the purposes of both the Crown and the Freemasons because it extinguishes threats under the guise of therapeutic interventions.
However, while watching the film, we did struggle with some of the creative decisions surrounding the use of lobotomy and murder, alternatively. Being a retelling of Jack the Ripper, the murder of the prostitutes was essential to the story, however, as an audience, we found it difficult to understand why causing a widespread panic across the city, and violently murdering innocent women, was a better way of silencing people than the lobotomy already used to silence others.
Policing and Sleuthing in From Hell
The film touches on other subjects related to crime, criminal activity, and sleuthing. Abbeline’s boss, for example, is convinced no member of the upper classes would be capable of committing such heinous murders. In several instances, he challenges Abbeline and pushes him to consider others as likely culprits.
Abbeline’s use of opium induced visions as a means for sleuthing breakthroughs is odd from our vantage point6. While other policemen are not shown using such methods, they also appear to trust and value Abbeline’s visions. Thus suggesting that this was perceived as a legitimate process. This fits into a narrative pattern often seen in film where the greatest feats of sleuthing come from eureka-like moments rather than being produced through arduous detective work and examination.
Conclusion
In conclusion, From Hell offers a dark and imaginative take on Victorian London, where the powerful weaponize early psychiatry for their sinister agendas. The film chillingly portrays the potential for psychosurgery, as seen in Ann's lobotomy, to silence dissent, as well as the corruption and immorality present in state institutions, as demonstrated by the monarchy and the secret police. While the historical accuracy of psychosurgery and its portrayal of the procedure is debatable, the film effectively captures a siniter view of science serving oppressive ends. Nevertheless, the narrative intertwining of lobotomy with the public brutality of the Ripper murders creates a logical inconsistency within the story. Despite this, From Hell remains a fascinating and peculiar exploration of how crime, state power, and science overlap in 19th-century London.
The film is based on a graphic novel in which tells a similar story from the point of view of the killer.
The movie makes an effort to recreate the deaths of these women. It shows some of the real images that were taken. It also perpetuates a series of myths including the one that grape stems were found at the site of the murders.
While the investigator in real life shares his name, the real life Abberline was neither an addict nor a clarivoyant.
The premise of the film is faulty because by this time there were laws that forbade a Catholic from ascending to the throne.
In real life the Prince died of influenza and there is no evidence he had a sexually transmitted disease.