HANNIBAL
A MGM & Universal Pictures release 

review by Joseph B. Mauceri

SYNOPSIS: For ten years Dr. Hannibal Lecter been in to hide in plain site. Circumstances once again place him in the spotlight and on the FBI "Ten Most Wanted List." Clarice Starling is on the case, but it is a race to see who will get to the good doctor first. His reemergence has set in motion a hit squad financed by his only surviving victim. Coming from a wealthy family, he has the power and influence to orchestrate things from behind the scenes and worm his way within government offices. Mason Verger has set in motion a series of events that he hopes will trap his tormentor, but has awakened a sleeping monster. 

REVIEW: Given all the press about Thomas Harris' controversial sequel, Jodie Foster declining to reprise her role and Jonathan Demme's lack of interest in directing the sequel it is little wonder that this film would get made. Producer Dino De Laurentiis was able to salvage the film by attracting the extremely talented director Ridley Scott. He is fortunate to get Julianne Moore to bring Clarice Starling to life in the sequel. Regardless, you have to feel that something magical is about to happen when, as Harris was able to bring Lecter out of retirement, Dino and the project enticed actor Anthony Hopkins out of retirement.

HANNIBAL is sure to stir up its fair share of controversy. At the end of the day Anthony Hopkins delivers one of those performances of a lifetime. Lecter may commit unspeakable acts, but Hopkins' body language and inflections create some of the film's truly scary moments. Watching him work on screen was reminiscent of the legendary performances by Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein monster, or Lugosi as Dracula. The actor taps into a primal side that speaks to the darkness within us all. Dr. Lecter is not with out his lighter side. Hopkins allows a sense of the dark comedy to naturally flow into the character without it detracting from presence or actions.

Director Ridley Scott takes the world Harris created on the page for Lecter and vitalizes it. The locations, especially Florence, become a presence. He plays with light and shadow to create tension and suspense, and when Hannibal strikes his actions resonate. The director plays with the audience with as much skill and finesse as Lecter toys with his prey. His end result is a visual style that is a blend of "Gladiator" and "Blade Runner."

The film's Achilles heel is the ending, which both the writers and directors struggled with. My immediate reaction was to rebel. I viewed it as something that not simply emasculates the character, but destroys his larger-the-life mystical presence. I should also note that I was not a fan of Harris' ending. As I thought about the film's resolution, thinking about how it is shot and what is actually shown on screen, I began to be more forgiving and actually now feel it is the best of a tight situation. Unfortunately, the final Lecter scene is a bit gratuitous, and reeks of a typical Hollywood anticlimax.

HANNIBAL is a sweeping tale that smartly parallels the film's Dante subplot. Julianne Moore seamlessly slips into the role of a more mature, experienced Clarice Starling. Regardless of what you may think about the plot, Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal is without question the stuff cinematic legends are made of. Given the character's nature, I don't believe that HANNIBAL is any more or less graphic then "Silence of the Lambs." However, you will leave the audience feeling the presence of Lecter in the world thanks to Scott and Hopkins.
 

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http://www.hannibalmovie.com

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