Although hugely disappointing, Lecter�s return in The Silence of the Lambs sequel Hannibal did enough at the box-office to justify, alarmingly quickly, everyone involved looking at another installment in the series. With Thomas Harris not being anywhere near so quick to pen a fourth novel, the producers� attention instead turned to redoing the first book in the series, Red Dragon. Already filmed in 1986 under the title Manhunter by a then unknown Michael Mann (Ali, Heat), they were convinced they had enough new material to refresh the story, including Hopkins� incarnation of the cannibalistic doctor (played in the original equally well but entirely differently by another Brit, Brian Cox) and some powerful scenes dropped for the lower budget version.
Credit must go to everyone for realizing (too late for 2001�s Hannibal) that although the most iconic villain of 90's cinema, Lecter wasn�t alone in The Silence of the Lambs in the serial killer stakes. Instead he was a fascinating side character in Starling�s search for the deranged Buffalo Bill and in this capacity was brought in to steal many scenes but was never the real nemesis. This formula (after the sequel�s failed mad old cannibal on the loose folly) is revisited, as FBI agent Will Graham (Ed Norton) elicits Lecter�s psychoanalytic skills in profiling and capturing The Tooth Fairy, another serial killer who is eluding capture and will kill again. This allows the real strength of the story to be the investigation, which is every bit as interesting (if not more so) than Lambs�. Graham is a stronger character and so is less subject to the mental sparring than Jodie Foster�s Agent Starling was, while much of Lecter�s terror was undone by Hannibal, leaving a slightly regretful feeling in the Graham-Lecter confrontations of �I really used to be scared of that guy�. Some of his stature is regained, but it remains a shame he was brought so low.
Obviously if you have seen Manhunter, the plot essentials will not surprise, however the elevated budget and experience involved produces a much more professional, effective look about the picture. With so many heavyweight actors in the cast, there is no real standout performance, although Philip Seymour Hoffman is his usual brilliant self as the greasy Tatler journalist following the case and Fiennes makes a great Dolarhyde. Also, perhaps surprisingly for the director of Rush Hour 2, Brett Ratner shows a sure touch and invokes the mood of Lambs as well as could have been hoped. This is a welcome return to form for everyone in the Lecter series, and one which knows the strengths to which it must play. |
