Hannibal

[Note: This review may contain material that could be considered spoilers. Proceed with caution.]

Hannibal is such a different film than The Silence of the Lambs that its barely sufficient to call it a sequel. It's more of a character continuation. The primary characters are the same, there are some plot links to the first, but in general the entire atomsphere of the film is entirely different. While totally different from the masterpiece that was Silence, Hannibal is actually a very enjoyable film that, dare I say it, makes you wince in uneasy laughter.

Thomas Harris' book was nothing short of a letdown to almost all who read it. Having not read it I cannot say for sure, but I feel that the change in mood of the film is what turned people off. People griped about how gruesome it was, even Jodie Foster opted out of the film adaptation partly because of this factor. Gory it is - actually very much so - but the gore is handled in an almost funny tongue-in-cheek sort of way. Ridley Scott and crew opted for a satirical approach to the characters this time around and it makes the entire proceedings seemingly fly by. You'll without a doubt wonder where the last two hours went.

In addition, the character of Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter is so impeccably performed by Anthony Hopkins and developed so wonderfully that its hard not to understand exactly what he's doing. Sure he's a psychopath with interesting tastes, but we can anticipate his every move now that we already know him from the first film. Lecter is the perfect continuation of what we've seen in Silence, and he's just as captivating as he was ten years ago. Clarice Starling does almost as well though her character has changed almost entirely. She's despised within the FBI and struggles to keep her job. Her devotion never allows her to take a backseat, however. During most of the running time she's a rebellious veteran of the staff and displays an entirely different attitude than she did in the first film. This, unfortunately, was probably not a good decision. I still fell in love with Clarice, but not as much as I would have if she had been more like the Clarice in the first film. Julianne Moore takes over Jodie Foster's part with uncanny accuracy, even spotting a similar Virginian accent. Moore could have made an even bigger impression if her character had a bigger part. This, though, is just one of the many ways in which Hannibal differs greatly from The Silence of the Lambs.

Ridley Scott's Italian landscapes are of great beauty, and John Mathieson's cinematography is virtuoso. The dark Italian scenes are clearly the best of the film, and the red of the oozing blood glows with intensity. Ridley Scott is a visual auteur that ranks among the best in the business, and Steven Zallian's script (working from David Mamet's original adaption of the book) allows Scott to fully realize his visual potential. There in't a place in the world that is more suited for a film of this much visual sophistication, and Ridley utilizes every bit of Italy's luscious appearance. Adding to the effects of the beauty is Hans Zimmer's fantastic peaceful score.

The film is paced pretty well, with the beginning perhaps being the only down time. During this time we see how Mason Verger (an uncredited Gary Oldman hidden underneath amazing makeup) was brutally victimized by Lecter. Verger has vowed for revenge and will stop at nothing to get it. He's willing to spend whatever it takes to have The Cannibal suffer as he has. Clarice Starling is still hunting our favorite serial killer down, and our resident flesh-eating M.D. is basically content living in a world where he can roam free and Clarice is forever the worthy adversary.

Thus sets up one of the most interestingly bizarre love stories I've ever seen. That's right, it's a love story. It's also a film that is easily one of the more gory I've ever laid witness to. The climactic scene is one of the most extreme, absurdly funny duels in the kitchen I've ever seen. It's obvious tongue-in-cheek attitude makes you twinge in horror but at the same time makes it impossible to look away. Hannibal, while not of the same caliber of its predecessor and sometimes plagued with problems, is entertaining and one of the more surreal experiences I've had in a movie theater.

On a scale of 1 to 10 stir fry ingredients : 7