Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)
Peter (2011)
DVD5 | IMG | PAL 16:9 (720x576) | 01:24:48 | 4,48 Gb
Audio: English AC3 5.1 @ 448 Kbps | Subtitles: None
Genre: Drama | UK
DVD5 | IMG | PAL 16:9 (720x576) | 01:24:48 | 4,48 Gb
Audio: English AC3 5.1 @ 448 Kbps | Subtitles: None
Genre: Drama | UK
Peter: A Portrait of A Serial Killer is a feature film that delivers uncompromising performances and rare, shocking archive to reveal for the first time ever the astonishing TRUE story of The Yorkshire Ripper . Exploring his childhood, the sadistic murders of 13 women and his ongoing psychological treatment, the audience journey into the dark and twisted mind of Britain s most notorious serial killer. Psychiatrists say he is a dangerous paranoid schizophrenic, many think he is simply Evil; this film challenges the audience to make up their own mind.
IMDB
"Peter: Portrait of a Killer" is a psychological study of "Yorkshire Ripper" Peter Sutcliffe who from 1969 to 1981 killed 13 women and assaulted 7 others in and around Yorkshire, England.
Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)
![Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)]()
The movie interlaces actual media footage from the time with surrealistic and dreamy artistry to give an interpretation of Peter's psychological condition. The actual media footage contains interviews with Peter's father, media reports from TV networks, and interviews with police officers.
The movie has a vibrant, intense, and surreal mood throughout and refrains, to the movie's benefit, from ever portraying the vulgarity of the crimes or violence of any kind. The movie generally uses Christian motifs as a foundation for the psychological interpretation and balances it out with some modern psychoanalytical ideas.
Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)
![Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)]()
Part of the impressiveness of the movie is its lack of any type of bias against Peter or clichéd psychoanalysis that you would normally expect from a movie like this. The movie at times tends to even glorify Peter as a sort of crucified Christ figure and sides against the police and the modern community, a fact that will probably upset a lot of people but something that makes for a more interesting and fair movie.
While it is clear the budget for this film was small, it ends up being a very visually impressive movie anyway. While the writing does not stun you with its depth of thinking, it has enough depth and originality to leave you intellectually satisfied.IMDB Reviewer
Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)
Hot on the heels of Appropriate Adult, ITV’s excellent take on Fred West, comes this equally intelligent and gripping feature based on the life of Peter Sutcliffe aka The Yorkshire Ripper, who wreaked havoc in Bradford during the late seventies going on a murder spree killing thirteen women.
Most movies of this genre glamorise the perpetrators turning them into cartoon villains, while media and the police turn these pathetically damaged human beings into iconic figures. With clever use of archive footage, writer/director Skip Kite has produced a riveting docu-drama that is a combination of the more bleak moments in the BBC’s excellent Play For Today and the disturbing, surreal early works of David Lynch.
Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)
![Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)]()
Walt Kissack ‘s portrayal of Sutcliffe is an absolute tour de force. In a gripping performance he reveals the dark and light of the killer, an undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenic who believes he is on a divine mission, in a chilling and believable performance that guarantees him an exceptional career.
It’s interesting to watch Kissack/Sutcliffe interact with his creepy shrink, Dr Spencer (played beautifully by Gary Sharkey in the style of Alec Guinness meets Nosferatu) a man who like most of the authorities involved in this saga seems to have his own agenda.
Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)
![Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)]()
The victims play a secondary role in the movie reflecting exactly how it was at the time. “You’ve made your point eight times and if you continue making your point you’re simply going to produce public sympathy for these prostitutes”, is the unbelievable opening gambit in a psychiatrists televised plea to the Ripper.
Kite captures the joyless, bleak ‘grim up North’ atmosphere of Bradford with its drab pubs playing host to the depressed unemployed, worn out whores shooting up in their feet and, possibly to emphasise that this is the 80s, a welcome cameo appearance from Nicholas ‘Hazel Ball. This is all accompanied by a superb soundtrack including a memorable and haunting inclusion of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Power Of Love.
Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)
![Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)]()
It’s a film that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled and will definitely polarise the audience and media. How this bypassed general release and went straight to video is anyone’s guess. This is a gripping, thought provoking stuff and an extraordinarily accomplished debut for all involved.
Peter: A Study for a Portrait of a Serial Killer (2011)
Thanks to fabled.
No More Mirrors.