This is what can be shortly described as the true '80s film - the soundtrack is incredibly memorable and addictive.
Overall hardly better than SotL and i don't know why people even compare Hopkins with Cox who has too little screen time in the first place - but anyway i like the subtlety of Cox, just he was surprisingly underused.
Also to add that Ridley Scott did an interesting job with ''Hannibal''.
''Red Dragon'' is not something that i am likely to watch ever as its director seems (very) unreliable.
When C.S.I. premiered, I remember some media buzz about William Petersen's casting being a big deal. I didn't know why, but after watching Manhunter, I get it. It was a kind of stunt casting. Here he is as a broken FBI profiler in Hannibal Leckter's first movie outing (again relegated to manipulating events from a jail cell). While you can't beat Anthony Hopkins' iconic performance in Silence of the Lambs, Brian Cox offers a smart, dangerous Leckter (original spelling), he's just not in it enough to really compete. After all, the real threat is an entirely different cannibal killer played by Paul Noonan who manages to be creepy and sympathetic, which is no mean feat given the material. But the real star here is director Michael Mann who never fails to fill his frame with interest. The procedural vibe could have been quite dry, but the lighting, use of unusual locations, etc. really give Manhunter a slick sheen that elevates it beyond most thrillers. I also love how William Blake's poetry, art and philosophy are woven into the killer's modus operandi, but hardly addressed in the film. Blake was one of my specialties in university and I see it very clearly (in particular how the crimes refer to sight). Based on the novel Red Dragon, of which there is also a (Hopkins)adaptation - I don't imagine it can be better than this.
I can't believe that people actually think that Red Dragon is better than Manhunter. But in a way, I find it even harder to believe that people think Peterson was a better lead than Edward Norton.
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Comments 1 - 14 of 14
Torgo
The tiger scene!Slylingual24
This is the best episode of CSI everBolero Tenebris
This is what can be shortly described as the true '80s film - the soundtrack is incredibly memorable and addictive.Overall hardly better than SotL and i don't know why people even compare Hopkins with Cox who has too little screen time in the first place - but anyway i like the subtlety of Cox, just he was surprisingly underused.
Also to add that Ridley Scott did an interesting job with ''Hannibal''.
''Red Dragon'' is not something that i am likely to watch ever as its director seems (very) unreliable.
Cassiodoro
I love Red Dragon but Manhunter is clearly a superior movie.Liv Ullmann
Pretty faithful to the book in most cases, except on end.LORD HORROR
Tom Noonan vastly superior to Feines, love this movie, especially when "strong as I am" kicks in.MCParks19
That was the most Eighties thing I've ever seen.Siskoid
When C.S.I. premiered, I remember some media buzz about William Petersen's casting being a big deal. I didn't know why, but after watching Manhunter, I get it. It was a kind of stunt casting. Here he is as a broken FBI profiler in Hannibal Leckter's first movie outing (again relegated to manipulating events from a jail cell). While you can't beat Anthony Hopkins' iconic performance in Silence of the Lambs, Brian Cox offers a smart, dangerous Leckter (original spelling), he's just not in it enough to really compete. After all, the real threat is an entirely different cannibal killer played by Paul Noonan who manages to be creepy and sympathetic, which is no mean feat given the material. But the real star here is director Michael Mann who never fails to fill his frame with interest. The procedural vibe could have been quite dry, but the lighting, use of unusual locations, etc. really give Manhunter a slick sheen that elevates it beyond most thrillers. I also love how William Blake's poetry, art and philosophy are woven into the killer's modus operandi, but hardly addressed in the film. Blake was one of my specialties in university and I see it very clearly (in particular how the crimes refer to sight). Based on the novel Red Dragon, of which there is also a (Hopkins)adaptation - I don't imagine it can be better than this.tuttleAC
I can't believe that people actually think that Red Dragon is better than Manhunter. But in a way, I find it even harder to believe that people think Peterson was a better lead than Edward Norton.Agent69
Huge pacing problems. It drags.Publius
Petersen is a better Will Graham, but Red Dragon is so much better. Ralph Fiennes rocks.tessaleonie
I think the remake is actually better, this one is surprisingly dated. Though i must say Petersen makes a good/better Will GrahamJellybrother
Anthony Hopkins is the only Hannibal Lecter, there just can't be another!nicolaskrizan
parallellitieshttp://1001movies.posterous.com/975