<grumble mutter need to pick a damned Victorian icon already>
Okay, folks. Give me movies! Specifically, movies that depict the gritty underbelly of Victorian London. Think Sweeney Todd or From Hell. Or Gangs of New York, except not about America. Things far, far away from the prettified Oscar Wilde side of London.
What’s out there?
The grittiest, dirtiest London movie I can remember seeing is The Libertine but it’s Restoration era, not Victorian.
Oh yeah. The image of a syphilis-rotted Johnny Depp is never going to leave my retinas.
I know, and I saw it on the big screen too. It’s seared into my nightmares. 😉
P.S. Another really gritty movie was Perfume, but it takes place in France. OMG, the beginning, though, where the fishseller gives birth and kicks the baby under the table with all the fish guts, well … let’s just say, you have to see it to truly appreciate its vivid grossness.
I’ve debated seeing Perfume. It looks interesting, but it also looks borderline gratuitously gross.
Oliver Twist, and I’m sure there are more that won’t pull outta da brain….
Is there any particular production of it that’s good?
You know, I can’t think of any movies, but I’m curious as to whether you’ve ever read The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers.
That one, no. I’ve read a few of his others.
But there’s no place like London!
No, there’s no place like London.
From Hell. Although for detail, and grime I’d recommend the book more.
Sadly, I KNOW I’m forgetting a few things that should be very obvious and are sitting on my movie shelves, but my mind id a blank.
You are also missing the obvious fact that I already listed From Hell in the post. <g>
I’m secretly illiterate. It’s my dark secret. I don’t even know what I’m typing, right now, it’s just a bunch of random letters.
I’m having the same experience as many – I feel like I should be able to think of a lot, but I just…can’t. If America worked, though, The Alienist (which is a book) would probably qualify, it’s pretty spiffy and pretty gritty.
Oh, I can manage books. But I’d like more movies, if I can find ’em.
The Elephant Man (1980)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939, with Basil Rathbone, before they reset the character in modern times)
The Great Train Robbery (1979)
But my favorite gritty Victorian Londons are from books: The Quincunx by Charles Palliser and The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber. I can’t think of any movie that takes you quite into the sewer like these.
I’d forgotten that someone recommended the Faber to me — thanks!
