'Leviathan' Review: James Mansell's Short Film Is Gripping, Gritty And Worthy Of Feature-Length Treatment
- Alex Leptos
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
"Although this never happened, these three people were alive at the time of the Whitechapel murders, so the film acts as a unique perspective on what could have been. How would a woman, like Margaret Harkness, have reacted to the killings, and to how the victims were treated by the press and by the men (trying) to solve the crime. I am beyond proud of this work and hope it reaches an audience who are bothintrigued by the premise and use the world's most alluring unsolved crime to turn a light on the challenges facing people today. This project has been particularly special for me as it's allowed me to bring to life my very own great-great-great grandfather, the man who inspired Sherlock Holmes, Professor Joseph Bell. Working on LEVIATHAN has been an incredible experience and I’m excited to share it with the world."
- James Mansell (director)
The story of Jack the Ripper continues to fascinate and inspire even over a century later. It is still studied, disected, debated, and endlessly fictionalised. One such fictionalisation is A Knife In The Fog by Bradley Harper- it imagines a scenario in which three real-life historical figures come together to confront the Whitechapel murders. This short film by director James Mansell, titled Leviathan, brings that story to life.
It's 1888, and another slain victim has landed on the table of renowned surgeon Joseph Bell (who happens to be James Mansell's great-great-great grandfather). He is joined by Arthur Conan Doyle- a writer and physician; and Margaret Harkness- a journalist and former nurse- to examine the body; the three each brining their respective expertise to the chilling investigation.
Matthew Lloyd Davies (The Madness of King George) portrays Professor Joseph Bell, whose sharp eye and impressive mind made him a useful asset to the police forces of the time. In fact, he inspired a certain character by the name of Sherlock Holmes to be created by Arthur Conan Doyle, portrayed here by Rafe Bird (Ripper's Revenge). It is Margaret Harkness though who dominates this affair.
Played by Lauren Cornelius (Gavin and Stacey, Call the Midwife), Harkness is used to having to fight for her voice being a woman in the 1800s and so approaches the situation on the defensive, making sure to be taken seriously with an acid tongue that ensures the men's judgement isn't clouded by sexist thinking. Unfortunately that also means that she runs the risk of coming off rather unlikeable, but that is the least of her worries. Harkness has a particular interest in the lives of those living on the fringe of society and so additionally brings with her a very human understanding to the victims, insisting that they are seen as real people and not just another "unfortunate."
Ultimately, this low-budget short plays out like the opening act of a much larger feature. It sets the tone, introduces the characters, their motives and lays the foundations for an interesting story. The ending credits also have stylised visuals that make it feel like the opening credits (the kind that I wouldn't skip!) of your next favourite binge-worthy series.
The quality of Leviathan can easily rival any high quality BBC production from the visuals, costumes, set, performances and score- it achieves more in one room with mood and character than many features do with a full runtime. James Mansell's Leviathan is a short that is gripping and gritty. The rich, slow-burn, dialogue-driven atmosphere that lingers long after it ends makes me desperately want to see more, and shows that it is deserving of full feature-length treatment.
James Mansell is already making waves in the short film space, but with Leviathan, he shows that he's more than capable of stepping into more prominent territory.
About the filmmaker
James Mansell is an award-winning British director, writer and producer, James’ career spans film, television, music videos and branded content. He has a background in film, television, music videos, corporate and documentaries. He began working in broadcast television as a camera operator before beginning to direct.
His films are available on platforms such as CryptTV, DUST, Amazon Prime and Samsung
TV Plus.
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