Hannibal 2001

The continuing saga of Hannibal Lecter the murdering cannibal. He is presently in Italy and works as a curator at a museum. Clarice Starling the FBI agent whom he aided to apprehend a serial killer was placed in charge of an operation but when one of her men botches it shes called to the mat by the Bureau. One high ranking official Paul Krendler has it in for her. But she gets a reprieve because Mason Verger one of Lecters victims who is looking to get back at Lecter for what Lecter did to him wants to use Starling to lure him out. When Lecter sends her a note she learns that hes in Italy so she asks the police to keep an eye out for him. But a corrupt policeman who wants to get the reward that Verger placed on him tells Verger where he is. But they fail to get him. Later Verger decides to frame Starling which makes Lecter return to the States. And the race to get Lecter begins.

Review

Hannibal is a pure pleasure! While a little unevenly paced (the beginning was a bit slow) David Mamet and Steve Zallian have done a good job of telling the basic story Thomas Harris gave to us and incidently the book was incredibly underrated by critics whose thought processes seem to have been damaged by too little quality literature. People have complained that it took ten years for Harris to write it well read it! It is chockablock full of mythology astronomical and religious themes that weave their way throughout. The threads never break. The movie would have had to be eight hours long to even begin to explore the depths plumbed by Harris in the book.

Anthony Hopkins is as usual brilliant! Julianne Moore was sexy and strong. Giancarlo Giannini was outstanding and Gary Oldman creditable. My only complaint with casting was Ray Liotta who just didnt have "it".

Having seen this movie three times thus far I will say that watching it is like peeling layers off an onion. You see more and more with each viewing little treasures and nuggets that you find almost by accident. The first time I saw it I left the theatre not really knowing what I thought of it. Then I found myself smiling. I did like it. When I went back again (and again!) I liked it more and more.

Gory Not really and I consider myself pretty sensitive to gore. I have seen far worse. The story does have violence in it and I think Ridley Scott while depicting an integral part of the story handled the violence tastefully (if youll pardon the expression).

Is it as good as Silence of the Lambs No. Its DIFFERENT from SotL. In Silence we had a caged monster whose intensity was extremely focussed. Here we have a monster who is on the loose in a great big world free to indulge in his passions. Hannibal Lecters essence has not changed. Hes merely in a different situation.

My only disappointments were The changed ending. This was the major one. I realize the critics lambasted Thomas Harris for the ending in the book saying "Clarice would never have done that" but Clarice was the child of Harris imagination. The author is god and if god says a character will do something who are we to secondguess

The length of the movie. It could have been a little longer and more focus could have been put on the relationship between Hannibal and Clarice specifically his obsession with her and the time they spent together after the fiasco at the Verger Estate.

It was also too bad that Mason Vergers sister Margot was written out of the script.

All in all though I thoroughly enjoyed the dark humor and the adventure. Hans Zimmers score is magnificent! This is a really good film not a great film but a really good one. Dont go into it expecting to see another Silence of the Lambs. Its not and I dont think anyone has ever tried to claim that it is. Expect to see a weird and wonderful love story and an adventure! (Its just too bad about that ending!)