The infant daughter of Jack the Ripper is witness to the brutal murder
of her mother by her father. Fifteen years later she is a troubled young
woman who is seemingly possessed by the spirit of her father. While in a
trance she continues his murderous killing spree but has no
recollection of the events afterwards. A sympathetic psychiatrist takes
her in and is convinced he can cure her condition. Soon, however, he
regrets his decision.
Hands of the Ripper is a 1971 British horror film directed by Peter Sasdy for Hammer Film Productions. I watched Grave Of The Vampire before viewing this film. This film is like The Godfather compared to the clunker.
Hammer's trademark gothic style permeates this suspenseful thriller,
considered one of the acclaimed British studio's superior efforts,
thanks largely to the directorial skills of Peter Sasdy. This marked his
last feature-length collaboration with the studio until 1980, when he
returned to direct installments of the Hammer House of Horror television
series. In the film's prologue, young Anna, the infant daughter of the
notorious Jack the Ripper, witnesses her mother's brutal murder at her
father's hands. Years
later, the lovely teenage Anna (Angharad Rees) is plagued by traumatic
memories of the incident and repressed impulses in which love and death
are inextricably linked. These impulses finally turn homicidal when her
emotions are stirred, spelling doom for anyone who arouses her. Anna's
case is handled by the repressed psychoanalyst, Dr. Pritchard (Eric
Porter), whose growing physical attraction to the girl could result in
far worse than a mere breach of professional ethics. Sasdy weaves the
psychological elements through the story with finesse, paralleling the
sexual tension between the doctor and his patient with the mounting
horror of the inevitable outcome.
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| Ouch |
‘Hands of the Ripper' is a rather underrated and enjoyable Hammer film. The
film is slow, methodical and story based which may not appeal to those who
like lots of `action' in their flicks, but anyone who likes classic horror
wonderfully entwined with a near-gripping thriller should find something
enjoyable here. This is also one of more intelligent Hammer
films, as the screenplay efficiently blends together historical horror
with accurate psychological theories. The climax, set in the
St.Paul Cathedral's gallery of whispers, is breathtaking and almost
hauntingly poetic.
The film is immensely creepy and scary, with
a suspense level that is higher than in most Hammer flicks, and the
murders are brutal and very bloody. The atmosphere is eerie and tense
and, as usual for Hammer, the film is shot in great Gothic locations.
The performances are great. Eric Porter delivers an excellent
performance as Dr. Pritchard, and Angharad Rees deserves special praise
for her outstanding performance in the role of Anna. All said, this is
a shamefully underrated film. Creepy, stylish, excellently acted and
stunningly suspenseful from the beginning to the end "Hands Of The
Ripper" is a great gem from Hammer that no lover of Horror can afford
to miss!
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| The Doctor and Anna |
Trivia:
For the climactic scenes in St Paul's Cathedral - permission was
requested and turned down to film on location. A replica was built
instead.
Lynda Baron's character is named after one of Jack the Ripper's real-life victims, Elizabeth Stride, whose nickname was "Long Liz".
American censors removed 16 seconds from the murder sequences.
The film was released as a double bill with Twins of Evil (1971)
After Room to Let (1950), this is the second Hammer film to use Jack the Ripper as its subject matter.
In a conversation between Dr Pritchard and Dysart, they mention "Our
Queen Victoria". The film is set 15 years after the Ripper murders,
making it 1903, two years after Queen Victoria died.
