Film Review: Hannibal (2001)

Hollywood’s ability to ruin its own legacy should never be underestimated, even when that legacy includes the most celebrated, most popular and most influential films. In case of The Silence of the Lambs it happened quite quickly. Less than a decade after its Oscar and box office triumph it received a sequel in form of Hannibal, 2001 film directed by Ridley Scott.

The plot begins ten years after the events in the original film. All that time Hannibal Lecter (played by Anthony Hopkins), former psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, has been evading attempts of authorities to apprehend him following his daring escape from mental hospital. He found new home in Florence where, due to his impeccable knowledge of Italian culture and language, finds a job of museum custodian under the name “Dr. Fell”. All that time Clarice Starling (played by Julianne Moore), whom Lecter had helped to catch another serial killer, has spent trying to apprehend him and prevent another series of cannibalistic murders. Her career, however, is jeopardy after she took part in seemingly routine drug-related arrest that has turned into massacre. This represents an opportunity for Mason Verger (played by Gary Oldman), influential tycoon who was left paralysed and disfigured by Lecter during one of his therapy sessions. Verger uses his political connections, which include sexist Justice Department official Paul Krendler (played by Ray Liotta), to have Clarice assigned to Lecter’s case. Verger, himself a sadistic paedophile, wants revenge and plans to use Starling as bait for Lecter. In the meantime, Rinaldo Pazzi (played by Giancarlo Giannini), police inspector in Florence, identifies “Dr. Fell” as Lecter, but keeps that information for himself, hoping to collect 3 million US$ bounty put up by Verger.

Sequel to The Silence of the Lambs was inevitable, partly because of its huge commercial success, and partly because the film’s ending allowed such possibility. It was also all but inevitable that the standards set so high by Oscar-awarded film won’t be met in the next film. Despite that, what Hannibal ultimately delivered was one of the the least pleasant surprises of early 21st Century cinema. The person most responsible is Thomas Harris, author of 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs. He was under great pressure to deliver a sequel and probably encouraged by the fact that The Silence, published in 1988, was itself a sequel to Red Dragon, novel that introduced the character of Hannibal Lecter (played by Brian Cox in Manhunter, its 1986 adaptation). Harris attributed success of its work to the characters and plot being bizarre and decided to steer Hannibal firmly in that direction. Violence and various form of psychopathology became even more extreme, Hannibal Lecter was promoted from sinister presence in the background into the main character and, more importantly, the enigmatic and complex relationship between him and Starling was turned into full romance.

This proved to be unacceptable to two out of three persons that are usually credited the most for success of The Silence. Both Jodie Foster, an actress who had won Oscar for playing Starling, and Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme, refused to take part in the film. Foster was replaced by Julianne Moore, while direction was given to Ridley Scott, who was just finishing Gladiator, his greatest hit. Anthony Hopkins, on the other hand, decided to repeat the most iconic role of his career. He also used it as an opportunity to take it in somewhat different direction. While Lecter is still murderous monster, he is also shown to be a refined intellectual and connoisseur of high art and culture, a person to whom audience is manipulated to root for. Lecter being the actual protagonist (instead of Clarice Starling, who is here reduced to second fiddle) also meant that his adversaries must make him look good. So, the script introduces despicable character of Mason Verger (played by Gary Oldman whose talents are wasted under heavy makeup) whose predictably gruesome ending will be actually underwhelming. Talents of great Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini are also wasted in the role of corrupt policeman and Ray Liotta doesn’t add much to the role of corrupt federal official.

Scott, quality of whose films often had more to do with quality of script than his own directing talents, appears to be more interested in picturesque Florentine locations than credible plot or characters, and his style at times give impression of Hannibal being two-hour long music video than actual feature film. But his disregard for script and emphasis on visuals instead of story makes this film unbearable in the scenes of killings of mutilations. With MPAA censors apparently in awe of Oscar-winning predecessor and sequel being directed by Oscar winner, Hannibal features some of the most graphic and unpleasant scenes of butchery in history of mainstream Hollywood cinema. This culminates at the infamous scene at the end when Lecter demonstrates his culinary skills to one of his victims in a way that is likely to give nightmares to more sensitive among the viewers. As a result, Hannibal is an experience that is simply not worth risking someone’s psychological well-being. Although it had good commercial results on the account of predecessor’s popularity and Hopkins’ stellar power, Hannibal was considered to be a disappointment. In 2002 Hopkins repeated role of Lecter in prequel Red Dragon (remake of Manhunter), while in 2007 French actor Gaspard Uliell played Lecter in another prequel under title Hannibal Rising.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

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