Johnny Depp's Most Haunting Performance
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — From Hell
NiKoDay — 12 years ago(July 30, 2013 11:28 PM)
I don't know that I can say that his performance in "From Hell," a fairly stylish but mediocre hollywood film, is better than say, Edward or Captain Jack, but it is his most compelling, complex, serious, subtle, and troubled. I've seen this film a couple times over the years, and while I find it numbingly dull in parts, something about J.D.'s performance here is really compelling. Depp really seems to be channeling something here deep within, a pain and addiction without parody, hyperbole or hiding behind masks. He seems nakedly tortured, as if he's a part of a different movie, a darker movie, a rawer movie, a better movie than the one going on around him.. The character is claravoyant, extremely gifted, beautiful, passive, troubled, touched by greatness and not wanting it, and, wella drug addict. His drug is absinthe, opiates, tobaccoDepp seems to know this man, his pain, and his momentary release from that pain. It may seem stylish, but underneath it's ugly and painful. With great artistry, he nails those feelings. It's not a performance that's ever talked about, lost among his wilder more eccentric characters, but in its subtlety and openness it may be his best.
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Sauvage_98 — 12 years ago(November 27, 2013 02:15 AM)
Not sure if it's even one of his best performances but I agree with you that it's a compelling, complex, serious and subtle performance.
"Tell yourself whatever you need to hear, you're the only one listening." -
willsgb — 11 years ago(September 12, 2014 08:31 PM)
I agree wholeheartedly. I just watched this film again, and to be honest, I don't understand why it gets written off by so many people; it's got a lot of tension, character and intrigue, and above all it is carried by strong performances, particular depp's. just the way he talks to people, the stare in his eyes, his focus when investigating, and his passion and rage in his most urgent and angry moments, are outstanding. he does the accent well too I thought, and just painted a really broad and vivid picture of the character he was portraying.
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leBratPrincess — 11 years ago(September 26, 2014 09:08 AM)
Its the subject matter, most people can't and don't want to admit stark reality. I personally thought this was a masterpiece film, Depp nailed it. Whether it was all that factually correct or not - it should have been more. Aside from the I love this film.
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stitchesaresore — 10 years ago(July 18, 2015 12:57 AM)
And this (correct) response shows why Depp doesn't get enough recognition for this role. He certainly wasn't playing a historically accurate character in a historically accurate film. However he was playing exactly the person that the script called for and he did blow that out of the park. With Depp's recent track record its sometimes hard to remember just how vast his skill is.
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puirt-a-beul — 10 years ago(July 26, 2015 12:03 AM)
Not the historical one, no. But I never thought the film was trying to be anything but a fantasy riff on the real-life events; it didn't seem to me to be pretending to be history.
And I think Depp did a great job of creating a credible character within a Gothic horror context.
You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment. -
bear022013-588-696101 — 10 years ago(May 19, 2015 12:48 PM)
This film is without peer.The entire film and every character has/have given all that they possessed.
To dismiss or criticize this work of art is nonsense.
Depp,Coltrane.all of them.best effort and end product in last thirty years or more.. -
puirt-a-beul — 10 years ago(March 22, 2016 12:24 AM)
I love the film, but "work of art" is maybe a
little
too strong.
And most of the cast was great, but I do think Heather Graham fell a little short of the general standard.
You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.