Red Dragon
Silence of the Lambs fans, rejoice! Less than two years after the abomination known as Hannibal was unleashed upon the masses, Silence fans can exult in knowing that the outstanding new prequel Red Dragon captures the spirit and greatness of the original Oscar winner. It's everything that Hannibal should have been: suspenseful, intelligent, well-written and featuring an outstanding supporting cast.
Thomas Harris' novel "Red Dragon" has actually already been made into a solid movie more than a decade ago by Michael Mann, who later directed such films as Heat, The Insider and Ali. This 1986 film, Manhunter, starred British actor Brian Cox as "Hannibal the Cannibal" and developed a cult following, with some fans even proclaiming that it tops Silence (I'm not among them).
Now, Universal Studios has released Red Dragon, claiming that Manhunter wasn't true to the original novel and other assorted reasons why a second "Red Dragon" film is necessary. Translation: Univeral desperately wants to cash in as much as possible on the ongoing "Hannibal the Cannibal" phenomenon. Unlike with Hannibal, however, this time it's released a film that's worthy of big box office business.
Red Dragon commences with a brief-but-chilling prologue that introduces the relationship between FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). A few years later, Graham is retired from the job -- too much stress -- and Lecter is imprisoned at the Baltimore State Forensics Hospital's prison ward, under the supervision of Lambs alum Dr. Frederick Chilton (Anthony Heald).
When two families are brutally murdered under similar circumstances, FBI Director Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel) approaches Graham about coming out of retirement to help with the case. Graham has a unique ability to see crimes through the eyes of the perpretator, and he reluctantly agrees to help out.
As Graham works to solve the case, eventually enlisting the help of Dr. Lecter, the film also introduces the murderer Graham is chasing. He's a deranged man named Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes), who suffered an unhealthy childhood and now has an unhealthier obsession with becoming the "Red Dragon." But there's also a sliver of humanity buried somewhere beneath Dolarhyde's derangement, as illustrated in his relationship with a blind coworker (Emily Watson).
Can Graham stop Dolarhype before he kills again? Will Lecter co-operate with Graham or double-cross his investigation? Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Family Man) keeps you pinned to your seat as he unveils the answers to these questions amidst a plethora of plot twists, disquieting imagery and moody music.
Screenwriter Ted Tally, the Oscar winning scribe of The Silence of the Lambs, deserves much of the credit for Dragon's success. After all, he's the one key player who was involved in Dragon and Lambs, but not Hannibal (he smartly declined to adapt that dreadful book). Tally injects the same intelligence into this screenplay that he did in Silence, delivering memorable, complex chactacters that interact with one another in fascinating ways. And in a classy nod to Lambs, Tally drops in a few well-executed references to that film.
The cast, packed with Oscar winners and nominees, is outstanding. Hopkins is again riveting, charismatic and petrifying as Dr. Lecter, and this time -- unlike in Hannibal -- the writing doesn't desert him. Norton (Fight Club) proves his talent once again by taking what could have been a semi-cliche role -- burnt-out cop returns to the job -- and cutting much deeper. Fiennes (Quiz Show) fills out this impressive triumvirate with a powerhouse turn as a conflicted, deeply disturbed murderer. Credit Fiennes and Watson for expertly handling tricky, unsettling scenes that could have doomed the film if not done properly.
It's also a treat to see Heald reprise his despicable Dr. Chilton character. When we last saw Chilton in Lambs, he was about to enjoy a most unexpected dinner date with Hannibal the Cannibal. While the Red Dragon makeup crew can't disguise the fact that his character looks 10 years older when he should look a few years younger, it's a nice tie to Lambs (at the screening I attended, Heald got a enthusiastic reaction every time he was on screen). On a related note, it's too bad that the filmmakers couldn't land Scott Glenn to reprise his Jack Crawford role, though Keitel does a solid job in the role. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights) and Mary Louise-Parker round out one of the best casts in recent memory.
O.K., so Red Dragon's not as good as The Silence of the Lambs. The unique female dynamic of Jodie Foster's Agent Starling is absent. Inevitably, some of the film's scenes have a been-there-done-that-feel. And director Brett Ratner, while easily doing career-best work and trouncing Ridley Scott's hammy Hannibal job, isn't yet in the same class as Lambs director Jonathon Demme.
Make no mistake, though, this is a major movie event. Against the odds, Red Dragon is a terrifying, smart thriller with outstanding performances galore. This time, Silence of the Lambs fans won't be disappointed.
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There's a classic Lecter scene in which he enjoys some red wine in his cell. While it's impossible to tell if it's chianti -- and if he's enjoying some fava beans with it -- it should inspire you to do some sipping of your own.
The Ralph Fiennes-Emily Watson relationship isn't exactly the stuff classic romances are made of.
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