Griffith
With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Manhunter - Like the series that inspired these review sessions, we end at the beginning. I've never been as big a Manhunter fan as Silence of the Lambs, partly because I was introduced to this world through Silence and the books so came to Manhunter later, at which point I was more concerned with how it deviated from Red Dragon than how it brought it to life, or helped pioneer a genre on-screen, without which there'd probably be no Silence of the Lambs as we know it.
As the title suggests, the Graham character and his methods are emphasized front and center here, to the detriment of Reba and even Dolarhyde, who is both more grounded but less explained; here he only wants to be desired. The whole "Red Dragon" plot is basically excised, only given passing reference with another of Blake's Dragon paintings. I never liked that about it, but it does effectively make Dolarhyde more relatable as an average killer than the more elaborate and operatic elements in the book and later adaptations. Tom Noonan is still the only person to portray Dolarhyde that even comes close to having the appropriate physical presence.
But again, this movie is really about Will Graham's and the FBI's techniques hunting a killer more than the killer himself, and the premise of the TV show Hannibal probably owes as much to this film than any other source material, particularly the focus on Graham's unique mind and milestones in his life like the death of Garret Jacob Hobbs, a killer referenced throughout the film that's a major presence on the show. As for Graham's portrayal here, Petersen is good as the moody and emotionally wounded Graham, he's even a dick to Jack Crawford in this version, though the emotion can be a bit over the top, but most of that's in the script, like his fleeing the hospital after speaking to Lecter, or Lecktor in this case. Cox is a much more grounded Lecter too. Less whimsical or supernatural, no mystique, more just a base murderer and sadist, albeit a smart one.
A quick aside, it's actually kind of amazing the later Red Dragon film adaptation basically ignores Graham's trauma and inherent weirdness considering it's the basis of his character and relationships to his family, Crawford, Lecter, Dolarhyde and everything else! If Graham is just a straight arrow, what does Lecter even mean by them being alike or nobody being safe with Graham? I guess he's just talking shit in that version. I don't want to compare these movies too much except to say if you could put the themes of this movie into Red Dragon's framework, you'd have the perfect adaptation of the book. Alas, respectively you end up with the heart of the story in one and the technicalities in the other. The advantage Manhunter has over it or any of the other films, and even the other books, is it doesn't owe anything to the success of Silence of the Lambs or the popularity of Hannibal Lecter and can stand on its own, which is important to remember. That this is its own thing is a distinguishing feature, and it takes liberties with the material to delve deeper into the Graham character as would become a feature of the show based on it.
On its own merits, Manhunter is an atmospheric, stylish, and haunting thriller, that's for better or worse of its time. The set design is striking, though sometimes for the wrong reasons, and the score is cool but some of the musical choices otherwise seem dated, inappropriate or even silly now. It's a very slow moving, introspective film as well, another staple of the 70s and early 80s. Actually, if it wasn't so obviously a Mann film you might be reminded of John Carpenter's early work (my wife picked up on this, and also hates those and this film =). Anyway, I kind of envy Oburi's affection for the film, I love a lot of movies like this too, but only find myself able to appreciate it in a rather bloodless way, feeling conflicted about the influential film it is versus the source material it's not. That's why for me it'll always be good but not great like it is to others.
Hannibal On-Screen Ranks:
1. The Silence of the Lambs - The most exquisite taste.
2. Hannibal (series) - Creatively cannibalistic cuisine.
3. Manhunter/Red Dragon - Selective ingredients, but wasteful.
5. Hannibal (film) - This is your brain on the skillet.
6. Hannibal Rising - You'll want to chew your leg off!
Hannibal Book Ranks:
1. Red Dragon - A hearty, red filet mingon.
2. Hannibal - A deliciously decadent and depraved ham.
3. The Silence of the Lambs - Crown roast of lamb that gets overshadowed by the dish's more popular form.
?. Hannibal Rising - Jack in the Box? Maybe I'll read it, has to be better than the film... Except the author wrote the screenplay too!
As the title suggests, the Graham character and his methods are emphasized front and center here, to the detriment of Reba and even Dolarhyde, who is both more grounded but less explained; here he only wants to be desired. The whole "Red Dragon" plot is basically excised, only given passing reference with another of Blake's Dragon paintings. I never liked that about it, but it does effectively make Dolarhyde more relatable as an average killer than the more elaborate and operatic elements in the book and later adaptations. Tom Noonan is still the only person to portray Dolarhyde that even comes close to having the appropriate physical presence.
But again, this movie is really about Will Graham's and the FBI's techniques hunting a killer more than the killer himself, and the premise of the TV show Hannibal probably owes as much to this film than any other source material, particularly the focus on Graham's unique mind and milestones in his life like the death of Garret Jacob Hobbs, a killer referenced throughout the film that's a major presence on the show. As for Graham's portrayal here, Petersen is good as the moody and emotionally wounded Graham, he's even a dick to Jack Crawford in this version, though the emotion can be a bit over the top, but most of that's in the script, like his fleeing the hospital after speaking to Lecter, or Lecktor in this case. Cox is a much more grounded Lecter too. Less whimsical or supernatural, no mystique, more just a base murderer and sadist, albeit a smart one.
A quick aside, it's actually kind of amazing the later Red Dragon film adaptation basically ignores Graham's trauma and inherent weirdness considering it's the basis of his character and relationships to his family, Crawford, Lecter, Dolarhyde and everything else! If Graham is just a straight arrow, what does Lecter even mean by them being alike or nobody being safe with Graham? I guess he's just talking shit in that version. I don't want to compare these movies too much except to say if you could put the themes of this movie into Red Dragon's framework, you'd have the perfect adaptation of the book. Alas, respectively you end up with the heart of the story in one and the technicalities in the other. The advantage Manhunter has over it or any of the other films, and even the other books, is it doesn't owe anything to the success of Silence of the Lambs or the popularity of Hannibal Lecter and can stand on its own, which is important to remember. That this is its own thing is a distinguishing feature, and it takes liberties with the material to delve deeper into the Graham character as would become a feature of the show based on it.
On its own merits, Manhunter is an atmospheric, stylish, and haunting thriller, that's for better or worse of its time. The set design is striking, though sometimes for the wrong reasons, and the score is cool but some of the musical choices otherwise seem dated, inappropriate or even silly now. It's a very slow moving, introspective film as well, another staple of the 70s and early 80s. Actually, if it wasn't so obviously a Mann film you might be reminded of John Carpenter's early work (my wife picked up on this, and also hates those and this film =). Anyway, I kind of envy Oburi's affection for the film, I love a lot of movies like this too, but only find myself able to appreciate it in a rather bloodless way, feeling conflicted about the influential film it is versus the source material it's not. That's why for me it'll always be good but not great like it is to others.
Hannibal On-Screen Ranks:
1. The Silence of the Lambs - The most exquisite taste.
2. Hannibal (series) - Creatively cannibalistic cuisine.
3. Manhunter/Red Dragon - Selective ingredients, but wasteful.
5. Hannibal (film) - This is your brain on the skillet.
6. Hannibal Rising - You'll want to chew your leg off!
Hannibal Book Ranks:
1. Red Dragon - A hearty, red filet mingon.
2. Hannibal - A deliciously decadent and depraved ham.
3. The Silence of the Lambs - Crown roast of lamb that gets overshadowed by the dish's more popular form.
?. Hannibal Rising - Jack in the Box? Maybe I'll read it, has to be better than the film... Except the author wrote the screenplay too!
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