I told you I was having an old friend for dinner!
The works of writer Thomas Harris have become somewhat legendary on the big screen. While not as widely adapted or recognizable as Stephen King, his stories have reached a level of critical acclaim, primarily thanks to his most notorious and terrifying character: Hannibal Lector, aka Hannibal The Cannibal. As portrayed by Acadamy Award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins (this is the role that earned him his Oscar), Hannibal Lector has reached a level of cult status amongst the most famous horror cinema villains. All with only ten minutes of screentime in the 1992 Best Picture winner, The Silence of the Lambs, based on the Thomas Harris novel.
As much well-deserved acclaim as that film has earned, there are a few other films out there based on Thomas Harris's books. One of them is Red Dragon: a story taking place before The Silence of the Lambs and involving Hannibal Lector in some capacity. This story has received the cinematic treatment twice: in 1986 (under the title Manhunter) and again in 2002 (retaining the original book's title). Both are decent thrillers in their own right with their individual strengths and weaknesses. However, in my humble opinion, one is clearly the better film, regardless of how well it may or may not follow the book.
This review will focus on the films as presented, without any critique of their merits as adaptations.
Alright, let's dig in!
The Story
Both films follow the exploits of former FBI criminal profiler Will Graham. After a traumatic incident involving Will's arrest of Hannibal Lector, resulting in serious injury (both physically and emotionally), Will feels he's fulfilled his duty and wants to spend his remaining days with his family. However, when word of a strange and terrifying new killer emerges, referred to by the authorities as The Tooth Fairy, the FBI begs Will to return to the field for this case, as he's the only one with the skills and talent needed to bring the killer to justice. Cliché? Yes! But it makes for a good story.
Both films succeed in delivering an engaging and haunting tale in their own unique ways. However, what ultimately separates them (and what makes one a bit more engaging than the other) is how they choose to tell the story.
Presentation
Manhunter from 1986 was directed by one of my favorite directors, Michael Mann: late of classic works of cinema like Heat, The Insider, Collateral, and Public Enemies. One of Michael Mann's many distinct qualities is his keen sense of visual style. His use of color and subtle yet stylized lighting sets him apart from most directors, making his films an incredible sight to behold. Regardless of the genre, you can pick out a Michael Mann film in a crowd from a single glance.
In contrast, Red Dragon from 2002 was helmed by Brett Ratner: a director who is less of a visionary artist and more of a go-to studio errand boy. He's less interested in presenting a visually striking film and more about getting a product made in a timely fashion with little to no personal flair or identity. That's not to say he makes ugly or terrible films, far from it. Merely that it's impossible to pick out his films without seeing his name. He's incredibly by-the-numbers with seemingly little to no interest in livening things up.
Manhunter has a superior visual style and better striking images that pop right off the screen of the two films. Resulting in a thriller that succeeds in playing with your mind in more ways than one, at least from a visual standpoint.
Scares/Main Villian
These being perfect Halloween stories, it's expected that they deliver on the spookiness once in a while. Since this is a story of a serial killer, most scares emanate from the killer and the aftermath of his terrible deeds. Plus, sometimes less is much more than you may think.
In Manhunter, as portrayed by Tom Noonan, the killer doesn't appear on screen until at least an hour into the story. Plus, to build genuine tension amongst the rest of the cast, Tom Noonan was hidden away for the majority of production, so there would be a genuine sense of uncertainty, and maybe a little bit of genuine terror, for the rest of the cast. Much like how Bill Skarsgård was hidden from the child actors in IT from 2017.
When Noonan finally appears on screen for the first time, it's seriously terrifying. His evil and danger had been built up to the boiling point, making his grand entrance all the more uncomfortable. Not to mention Noonan's performance is spot on.
When compared to the killer's portrayal by Ralph Fiennes in Red Dragon from 2002, it doesn't have quite the same impact. They opted to not only introduce him much sooner in the story and give him lots more screentime, but they also play him up as more sympathetic than necessary. Again, if this is how it was in the book, I'm glad they kept that dynamic from the original story. I just disagree with it. Regardless of mental health issues and past traumatic experiences, in my opinion, there is no justification or sympathy for acts of cold-blooded murder.
While Ralph Fiennes is a tremendous actor, and he does indeed bring his A-game to his role in Red Dragon (2002), I can't help but feel as if his talent was wasted in this film. Like, his performance might have worked in a different story altogether.
Hannibal Lector
You knew we would have to touch base on this sooner or later.
Despite Manhunter technically being the first film to feature Lector, I believe that it goes without saying that Anthony Hopkins is the Hannibal lector. Much like how the late Sir Sean Connery will always be the James Bond.
The hungry doctor was initially portrayed by Brian Cox, whom some of you may remember as William Striker from X-Men 2 and that guy who yelled at Nicholas Cage in Adaptation. Appropriately for Halloween, you may also remember him as Mr. Kreeg from Trick 'r Treat. While he is a dedicated & talented actor who does his usual professional best in Manhunter, it's challenging (to put it delicately) to see anyone else in the role. It may be unfair, I admit, but watching Anthony Hopkins do his thing is like enjoying a homemade chocolate cake. Anything else just can't compare.
To be fair, as fantastic as Anthony Hopkins is in the role, it's probably the only real reason Red Dragon was made in the first place.
Hanniable Lector has, at most, five minutes of screentime in Manhunter, a stark contrast to his presence in Red Dragon (2002), where he appears in seemingly every other scene. As entertaining as watching Anthony Hopkins chew the scenery is (no pun intended), one can't help but suspect that many of his scenes were added out of studio demand. Once again, I must humbly ask that you please refrain from making comparisons to the book.
Conclusion
Of the two films, Manhunter feels more like an engaging thriller with striking visuals, a compelling villain, and proper use of everyone's talents. While Red Dragon (2002) has its moments, especially with scenes between Anthony Hopkins and Edward Norton, it doesn't feel as intense or as invigorating as what came before. If you're interested in checking them both out, by all means, please do so. If, however, you're interested in a recommendation for just one of them, I'd put my money on Manhunter, both as an excellent film and a perfect choice for Halloween.
Thus concludes the first Spooky Special for 2021. Tune in next time as we explore, not a feature film, but a Netflix original series, one that will have you seeing Ghosts in every corner of the house...literally.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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