![Jack The Ripper The Definite Story Art](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/312ROOS73gL.jpg)
In the World of-Jack the Ripper
THE STORY:
This two-part docudrama does something different with its chronicling
of the Jack the Ripper murders. Well, not only does it present expert recounts
by Ripperologosts whom are very proficient in this field, and a complementary
shed load of still images too – but it also uses CGI
re-enactments to enhance this overall program. Also, in addition to this, it
centres its tale primarily on the victims and there surroundings, rather then
the murder himself, Jack the Ripper. To elaborate...
- Emma Smith was believed to be one of the first of Jack the Rippers victims –even though she managed to briefly survive her attack and state that she was beaten up by a gang.
- Martha Tabran was a forty nine year old alcoholic woman whom husband left her due to her drinking habit. Now she tried to curb her sobriety by taking a job at a stately home – but eventually she gave into temptation and the rest is now history.
- Mary Ann Nichols was a petite and clean woman that was in her thirties. She became estranged from her husband due to an affair he was having – which he denies – and when she moved to Whitechapel, she started drinking in a rather laborious manner and became a prostitute.
- Annie Chapman was a forty-year-old alcoholic woman from Paddington. She became estranged from her husband when her insobriety impeded her work duties – as they were both domestics in Windsor. And since moving to Whitechapel, her drinking got so bad, that she started selling herself for drink.
- Elizabeth Stride is of Swedish decent. She once worked
with her husband running a coffee shop in London until they parted ways for reasons unknown. She was
well educated, cultured, and had a drinking problem too.
Obviously, there are many similarities between these women’s
origins and demise – i.e. they were all alcoholics, separated from their
husbands, and were all murdered whilst trying to provide funding for their
lodgings. However, there are instances of contradiction too:
- The men whom these women were spotted with prior to their deaths, were all slightly differentiating in nature.
- In each death, the varying degree of savagery deployed was somewhat bi-polar in disposition and execution.
- Even though the police presence increased in incremental stages by each killing, these women still went out and wanted a drink.
- Witness statements about these women’s life and times were not always accurate.
- The lo-cals that these women were found in were sometimes heavily pedestrianised – even at the early hour of the morning.
To be continued...
THE REVIEW:
Now as this is only the first part of a two-part docudrama,
I can only review ‘Jack the Ripper – the Definitive Story’ with what it has
presented so far, as well as what makes it so different from the rest of the
Jack the Ripper documentaries that I have seen, so...
What is new? For
a start, I did like the CGI re-construction
– as it gives us – the viewer – a visual impression to what Whitechapel was
like back in the day. Now for those of you whom have frequented Whitechapel
within recent years, you can tell that it has been tampered about with since
1888. This CGI way, we get to see what Jack
and his victims once saw – even though it is slightly more flat and polished in
that way graphics can behave on screen – as if it was a video game or
something.
![Mary Kelly Death Photo](http://www.casebook.org/images/srkelly.jpg)
Is it any good?
As a documentary goes, this one is up there with the best of them. Granted,
sometimes the transposition of the real-life actors on a virtual background can
be kind of distracting – but not by much. Moreover, some of the facts that have
been on show so far are those of the Wikipedia-variety – and not always as
in-depth as I would have liked. Still, this is only part one of a two part
tale, so maybe I am jumping the gun so to speak.
So what is the story
so far? So far, this documentary has told from two of the non-conical five
(Emma Smith and Martha Tabran) right up to the first of the double event (Elizabeth Stride), whilst at the same time injecting
a bit of background facts here and there – Lipsky – Abberline – bloody
Sunday – et al. And do you know what? I can’t wait to see the next part... to
be continued.
THE RATING: A
JACK THE RIPPER – THE DEFINITIVE STORY (PART 1)
Reviewed by David Andrews
on
October 03, 2011
Rating:
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