I can't believe there are people out there (in my family no less) who haven't seen The Silence of the Lambs (which I have already posted about on this blog), their first introduction being Hannibal (the TV Series), which I enjoy, but which is a another version entirely, my feeling being strongly that you should watch the movie. And so a mission within my house is to watch them all, we've done Silence and now we go to Red Dragon, not in chronological sequence (filming or story line), because I am rather partial to Ridley Scott's Hannibal, preferring it to Red Dragon, and think it's the befitting end to the Hopkins-Lecter era.
To Red Dragon then.
For those who don't know, sequentially Red Dragon (the third Hopkins outing) is actually the prequel to The Silence of the Lambs. Commencing with a free Hannibal about to be caught and imprisoned, and the taunting relationship he has with his captor, Will Graham (Edward Norton, flexing for all he's worth) - the Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter relationship being the central relationship in the television show. But Will Graham is after a serial killer called The Tooth Fairy (a brilliantly creepy Ralph Fiennes), who has already butchered two entire families, and Hannibal could be the key to solving the crime...
Red Dragon is my personal least favorite of this trilogy (I don't really count Hannibal Rising here as part of this trilogy, feeling that the portrayal is more connected with the tone of the television show, which I am afan of btw). And that's okay, because Red Dragon is actually the second time that this outing for Hannibal has been brought to screen. Not many people know this, that the book was originally adapted into a movie in the 80's called Manhunter, and that while their were some slight alterations (like Hannibal Lecter being spellt Hannibal Lektor), it is still an adaptation, which I haven't seen although I actually own a copy. What this means, is that Anthony Hopkin's Oscar winning portrayal of Lecter, was not the first time the character was brought to life. While this was one of the factors which has had me on pause in terms of watching Manhunter, now that I have seen three different actors play the part, there seems no sense in putting it on hold for much longer, especially seeing as I am busy writing about this great movie villain, might as well factor in all interpretations. Oh, Brian Cox was the original actor who donned the mask..
For all it's failings, Red Dragon is still a great thriller, alot of it's reduced sheen being directly related to the effect The Silence of the Lambs had on movie making, and the many similar explorations of Serial Killers in the movies which it spawned. Hannibal is a much better movie within the cannon (obviously as a second runner to The Silence of the Lambs), with it's viewing to be mused about in the future.
Not an Oscar movie, but still great viewing, and part of an ever expanding Oscar winning world.
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