I'll throw in my lot with those who found this film appealing. While we classify it as one of the "Lecktor" films, the character of Dr, Lecktor actually has relatively little screen time. Still, his is one of the pivotal roles, and provides tantalizing, incomplete glimpses as to what is really going on.
I found William Petersen as FBI manhunter Will Graham much more appealing than Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling. Maybe its because of Foster's affected hillbilly accent and moist-sounding lisp that for some reason she adapted for her character. Petersen's portrayal of Graham as the haunted, introspective, reluctant hero is more complex and believable. You get the sense that he is driven by inner demons to solve the crime he is faced with, but doesn't really want to be there and would much rather spend the remainder of his days in the bosom of his family on the beaches of Captiva Island.
But, the centerpiece of the film is the terrifying portrayal of psychotic killer Francis Dollarhyde by the underrated but talented actor Tom Noonan. Noonan's hulking build seems a stark contrast to his character's quiet, introverted, soft-spoken persona, which hides the inner embodiment of pure, psychotic evil. Here is a guy who runs a photo lab by day but returns every night to a spooky, surreal lair which obviously reflects his inner psychosis, which he has learned to hide from view. The symbolism of his relationship with the blind Reba (Joan Allen) is obvious. His character is able to present a normal appearance to everyone around him yet goes out on the night of a full moon and slaughters whole families whose pictures he has processed, simply to fulfill his fantasies.
I thought the only annoying character was the sleazy reporter Freddy Loundes (Stephen Lang). Lang does a good job of portraying him, however, and I understand the place of this character in the story. He just wasn't very likeable or believable.
Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor was quite appealing, I'd say on a par with Anthony Hopkins, which is rather remarkable. His character has much less real violence about him than the Lecktor of "Silence of the Lambs", but skillful screenwriting and acting gives you just the hint of the malevolence lurking within Lecktor's persona.
While some have criticized the lack of detail and filling out of the film's characters, I think that this was done deliberately. You get glimpses and intimations, subtle clues and incomplete inferences, just enough to provide a tantalizing peek at the darker pattern beyond that the viewer must try to complete himself. Kind of like the clues the Manhunter must piece together to solve the mystery.
So give this film a viewing if you can manage the tension and the buildup to the shattering climax. Then give the family a hug afterwards, and make sure your doors and windows are locked at night, and especially remember to lock the deadbolt if you have a plate glass patio door...
I found William Petersen as FBI manhunter Will Graham much more appealing than Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling. Maybe its because of Foster's affected hillbilly accent and moist-sounding lisp that for some reason she adapted for her character. Petersen's portrayal of Graham as the haunted, introspective, reluctant hero is more complex and believable. You get the sense that he is driven by inner demons to solve the crime he is faced with, but doesn't really want to be there and would much rather spend the remainder of his days in the bosom of his family on the beaches of Captiva Island.
But, the centerpiece of the film is the terrifying portrayal of psychotic killer Francis Dollarhyde by the underrated but talented actor Tom Noonan. Noonan's hulking build seems a stark contrast to his character's quiet, introverted, soft-spoken persona, which hides the inner embodiment of pure, psychotic evil. Here is a guy who runs a photo lab by day but returns every night to a spooky, surreal lair which obviously reflects his inner psychosis, which he has learned to hide from view. The symbolism of his relationship with the blind Reba (Joan Allen) is obvious. His character is able to present a normal appearance to everyone around him yet goes out on the night of a full moon and slaughters whole families whose pictures he has processed, simply to fulfill his fantasies.
I thought the only annoying character was the sleazy reporter Freddy Loundes (Stephen Lang). Lang does a good job of portraying him, however, and I understand the place of this character in the story. He just wasn't very likeable or believable.
Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor was quite appealing, I'd say on a par with Anthony Hopkins, which is rather remarkable. His character has much less real violence about him than the Lecktor of "Silence of the Lambs", but skillful screenwriting and acting gives you just the hint of the malevolence lurking within Lecktor's persona.
While some have criticized the lack of detail and filling out of the film's characters, I think that this was done deliberately. You get glimpses and intimations, subtle clues and incomplete inferences, just enough to provide a tantalizing peek at the darker pattern beyond that the viewer must try to complete himself. Kind of like the clues the Manhunter must piece together to solve the mystery.
So give this film a viewing if you can manage the tension and the buildup to the shattering climax. Then give the family a hug afterwards, and make sure your doors and windows are locked at night, and especially remember to lock the deadbolt if you have a plate glass patio door...