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12-2024

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Watched Michael Mann’s Manhunter

(No, he didn’t choose the title)

So I’ve been in both a Hannibal mood and a Michael Mann mood recently, so I thought I’d take a look at the original adaptation of the original novel. And I gotta say, it’s very interesting to look at it both isolated and in the context of everything that came afterwards

First of all, it’s got a great cast. Unlike the sequels there aren’t really any names in the cast outside of Brian Cox, but everyone gives a great performance, especially William Petersen as Will Graham. Whenever he’d do the character’s signature monologues while talking to himself, it’s nothing but him talking directly to the camera in single takes, he doesn’t have the luxury of cuts or montages to fall back on. Brian Cox’s Hannibal Lecktor is the most understated version, but that doesn’t mean he’s missing the kind of fruity cattiness that makes him so fascinating to watch. The two of them have great chemistry that definitely does have hints of the homoerotic, but I just wish I was able to watch more of them. The killer who they’ve reunited over, Francis Dolarhyde, is played by Tom Noonan, is also a real treat. He’s so tall and imposing, and a great antagonist. One of the flaws of the movie is how little time is spent on him. (Ironically the book has the opposite problem, having page after page describe every single injustice Dolarhyde has faced as a child to the point of being cartoonishly tragic.) As I haven’t finished the Hannibal show, I can’t comment on its portrayal of the Red Dragon, so I have to give it to the 2002 movie for the best version of him. All of the rest of the cast, such as Dennis Farina, Kim Greist, and Joan Allen are all extremely natural and do a good job even if they aren’t as memorable as future performances in the series

From a filmmaking perspective, it’s beautiful. Michael Mann and cinematographer Dante Spinotti have beautiful imagery that they love to linger on, the score is that kind of 80s synth sound that horror and thrillers have severely lacked in the last few decades, and it all builds up to a movie that has the perfect amount of style and substance.

I’ll compare it to the other movies in the series that I’ve seen, Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon. It’s very interesting to watch compared to the former, since that one is unique in that it goes for a very naturalistic visual style, which pairs well with the more animated cast. And then Red Dragon makes the cast even more animated somehow, and has become perhaps the most stylized thing outside of the TV series, though I think it backfired into becoming style over substance, which is odd considering it has the same source material and cinematographer, but 16 years and a worse director make all the difference. Mann’s iconic level of detail may be a bit overboard, to the point where most of the crew left before wrapping and the ending is very noticeably cobbled together and short, but you won’t see Brett Ratner have people ride an elevator in a building several blocks away timed exactly to rise as Will figures out the killer’s motive, being basically a Lightbulb moment.

All in all, if you’re a fan of either Hannibal Lecter, thrillers, or just movies in general, give this a watch, it’s very much a hidden gem