Review of:Red Dragon (2002)
Director:Brett Ratner
Rating:
Starring:Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Harvey Keitel
Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) is maybe the best-known movie mass murderer of all time. In his past films like Silence of the Lambs we glean a look at the man, and some of his motivations. In Hannibal we see the cold calculating animal that he actually is, dropping all inhibition in the killings that he carries out. With Red Dragon we meet Hannibal before he was infamous for the cannibalistic crimes that he committed. We see him in his true complex element as a patron of the arts, and also as an animal among the sheep.
In the film he is helping F.B.I. agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) on a serial killer case. The killer is attacking and then cutting certain portions out of his victim's body. Sounds intriguingly familiar to someone we know. Hannibal Lecter is helping Graham develop a profile of the killer, which he has done on more than one occasion. Graham is closing in, and feels that he is missing just a key bit of information that would make his mind understand the motives behind the killings. When he finally does make all of the connections he captures the killer in dramatic fashion. It just so happens that the killer that he has been seeking is actually Dr. Lector who is put into jail, and becomes infamous for the murders he committed.
That is the beginning of what turns out to be a very good addition to the Hannibal Lecter series. Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 2) seems to have his finger on the pulse of what has made the previous films such a success. Although the film is not really on par with Silence of the Lambs it does make a strong case that it could be better than Hannibal. Where Hannibal showed us visually what made Lecter a monster this film uses more of the innuendo of suggestion. A style that I prefer over just leaving everything hanging out and taking all of the guesswork out of it. Anthony Hopkins reprises his role as Hannibal Lecter and the screen time that he puts in is the highlight of the film. When he is on screen with Edward Norton the chemistry between the two makes you wish that the whole film just focused on their relationship. But alas it does not. Like the Silence of the Lambs there is another killer that takes up residence as the main killer of the movie, and this time it is Ralph Fiennes as Francis Dolarhyde (The Tooth Fairy).
Ralph Fiennes does an excellent job of conveying the young boy innocence into the personality of Francis Dolarhyde. That innocence is what draws you into his character, and what ultimately makes you recoil in horror as you realize what he really is. He is a big fan of Hannibal and starts a correspondence with his hero.
To catch the Tooth Fairy the F.B.I. tries to get Will Graham on the case who by this time has retired after his ordeal with Hannibal. Somewhat apprehensive he joins in the hunt for this new killer who is murdering whole families. Stumped on how to catch the killer he goes to the one source that he has depended on in the past. Hannibal. This is the combination of characters that take Red Dragon a step above the normal fare. To bad the screen time they share is minimized by the story of the Tooth Fairy although it is interesting also. One part of the film that was enjoyable was seeing some of Hannibal's future victims before their demise in future films.
Edward Norton ends up being a big focal point where all of the other characters work off of, and he takes it to the next level with them all. I myself would hope that the Norton Hopkins combination could be put together again in a future film. For a movie that states that it is the beginning chapter in the story of Hannibal, it makes you hope that future chapters are still in the making.
