A great title for a great Hammer horror film, bursting with the Gothic atmosphere we all know and love. Instead of the latest monster, be it Dracula or Frankenstein, Hammer opted for the psychological thriller in this film, in much the same way as DEMONS OF THE MIND or FEAR IN THE NIGHT. And it works. The setting is the grim and gloomy back streets of London, familiar to us from things like THE CREEPING FLESH. Personally I love this type of setting myself, and Hammer were among the best at bringing us sleazy horror full of prostitutes and sexual repulsion.
What helps to make the film work is the distinguished cast, lead by a stern and commanding Eric Porter (THE LOST CONTINENT) as Dr. Pritchard, whose philosophy that the end always justifies the means leads him to coldly dismiss the bodies that Anna has recently murdered. Angharad Rees, who plays the young schizophrenic girl, does a great, scary believable job of conveying the difficult impression that there are two personalities in her body trying to get out. The supporting cast is also effective, especially Keith Bell and Derek Godfrey.
While the score may not be one of Hammer's most memorable, the images on screen always hold the viewer's attention. I think that Hammer made a brave and correct decision to move away from the more traditional monster horrors in the early '70s and tackle some more psychological terrors, and this film's treatment of a mental disorder is both intriguing and sometimes frightening. The pacing is also good, and the film seems to fly by, while the ending at St Paul's Cathedral is a powerful finale where death and destruction are the order of the day.
Of course, as the more lenient approach to gore arrived in the '70s, Hammer decided to fill their films with as much of it as possible. It makes for good drama, definitely. HANDS OF THE RIPPER is a disturbing exercise in fear and deserves another look.
What helps to make the film work is the distinguished cast, lead by a stern and commanding Eric Porter (THE LOST CONTINENT) as Dr. Pritchard, whose philosophy that the end always justifies the means leads him to coldly dismiss the bodies that Anna has recently murdered. Angharad Rees, who plays the young schizophrenic girl, does a great, scary believable job of conveying the difficult impression that there are two personalities in her body trying to get out. The supporting cast is also effective, especially Keith Bell and Derek Godfrey.
While the score may not be one of Hammer's most memorable, the images on screen always hold the viewer's attention. I think that Hammer made a brave and correct decision to move away from the more traditional monster horrors in the early '70s and tackle some more psychological terrors, and this film's treatment of a mental disorder is both intriguing and sometimes frightening. The pacing is also good, and the film seems to fly by, while the ending at St Paul's Cathedral is a powerful finale where death and destruction are the order of the day.
Of course, as the more lenient approach to gore arrived in the '70s, Hammer decided to fill their films with as much of it as possible. It makes for good drama, definitely. HANDS OF THE RIPPER is a disturbing exercise in fear and deserves another look.