Doctor Orloff (yes that's his name, same as in that other Franco classic) is a nice doctor during the days, but as soon as the night and the agony comes he transforms into Jack the Ripper and goes out to slash the life out of chosen prostitutes. After the sliced up body of Sally Brown is found in the Thames by a fisherman named Charlie, Inspector Selby decide it's time to investigate. Or at least interrogate some witnesses, all who describes the supposed killer differently, except for a blind man who turns in a perfect description complete with smell and size. Fisherman Charlie recognizes this as his doctor Orloff, and decides to blackmail him for a little money. Stupid idea and adios Charlie. Meanwhile Inspector Selby's ballet dancing ex-girlfriend Cynthia decides to help out the investigation and stop the terror by dressing up as a prostitute in an attempt at catching Jack the Ripper.

Despite not being a very conventional film Jack the Ripper is nontheless one of the more conventional efforts from wildman Jess Franco. As such the more fanatic fans tend to not like it, but it also shows what Franco can do when given a decent budget and a Klaus Kinski in (allegedly) a good mood. Because Kinski does a great Ripper in this movie. At first he looks bored to death, as if he's on valium or something, but eventually you'll realize that his wonderfully restrained performance here is downright spooky and effective. As one of the greatest actors of his kind Kinski knew what he was doing even in "pieces of shit" (to lend a description from his own auto-biography) like this. I don't know where his scary contemptuous and repugnant face expressions here comes from (I can guess) but it suits the Orloff character perfectly. Orloff hates everyone, not only women. Although especially women since his mother was a prostitute and he must now become Jack the Ripper and kill every immoral woman violently before he dumps their bodies in the river. Apart from Kinski's Orloff, Lina Romay gives a likable performance as Marika the sing & dance prostitute. Too bad she isn't on screen longer.

As for the rest of this Erwin C. Dietrich production, it's very bizarre to watch it in German language and Zurich looks nothing at all like Victoria's London in the late 19th century. And, as said, the historic accuracy doesn't add up to much and the psychological profile is thin. But it doesn't matter much. For most of the time Jack the Ripper works nevertheless. The cinematography is atmospheric and often breathtaking, with lots of long shadows and fog and direct light. Sometimes it even feels like a Werner Herzog film, partly because of the Kinski factor of course, only Franco can't match Herzog for intensity at any point. The direction feels sometimes unfocused and often flat cold and unengaged, as if the director isn't really interested. But then there's a handful of scenes which are visually stunning in their bizarre beauty, like the death-scene of Lina Romay in the woods. There's also at least a couple of interesting plot threds that someone never bothered (or could afford) to explore further. Like the deal with the maid who helps Orloff dumping the body parts. Or why the woman who finally catches Orloff (played by Josephine Chaplin, daughter of the more famous Charlie) bear such a strong resemblance to Orloff's mother (seen in a flashback). Perhaps I'm watching an incomplete version, there seem to be so many of them around, but I don't think so as this is the version approved by producer Dietrich as the "director's cut". In any case, despite all its flaws Jack the Ripper is still enough of a stylish ride through the most famous serial murder case of all. Add to all this an absolutely fantastic organ score by Walter Baumgartner. I don't know if it's really suitable, but it stays in your head nevertheless. As does the performance by Kinski. Recommended viewing despite everything.