Manhunter (1986)

Though it will always be remembered as the movie featuring the "other" Hannibal Lecter, Michael Mann's 1986 thriller Manhunter is nearly as good as The Silence of the Lambs, and in some respects it's arguably even better. Based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon, which introduced the world to the nefarious killer Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter, the film stars William Petersen (giving a suitably brooding performance) as ex-FBI agent Will Graham, who is coaxed out of semiretirement to track down a serial killer who has thwarted the authorities at every turn.

Graham's approach to the case is a perilous one. First he seeks counsel with Lecter (Brian Cox) in the latter's high-security prison cell--an encounter that is utterly horrifying in its psychological effect--and then he begins to mold his own psyche to that of the killer, with potentially devastating results. As directed by Mann (who was at the acme of his success with TV's Miami Vice), this sophisticated cat-and-mouse game never resorts to the compromise of cheap thrills. Predating Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of Lecter by four years, Cox plays the character closer to Harris's original, lower-key conception, and he's no less compelling in the role. Petersen is equally well cast, and as always Mann employs rock music to astonishing effect, using nearly all of Iron Butterfly's heavy-metal epic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" to accompany the film's heart-stopping climactic sequence. All of this makes Manhunter one of the finest films of its kind, as well as further proof that Harris's fiction is a blessing to any filmmaker brave enough to adapt it. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com essential video

Rubbish

For those who enjoyed all of the other Hannibal Lector Movies, plesse avoid this one as it is a load of rubbish and I will not be watching it again. It is of a very low quality and seems to be a remake of the original Red Dragon which was in my eyes one of the best of the series of movies. December 28, 2008

Manhunter remains memorable

When it comes to the "serial killer genre," I suppose Michael Mann's 1986 film "Manhunter" began it all. One could argue for Richard Fleischer's superb The Boston Strangler in 1968, but no matter. Mann's tight and stylish version of Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon is a thoroughly fascinating work. To this day, I recall the terror felt during the early sequence when Will Graham (William Petersen) investigates the blood-soaked crime scene alone, practically whispering his version of the events into a tape recorder. It's a deeply chilling segment, and one of the first times I can recall such an investigative process shown on film.

Mann, early in his career here, still had his trademark Miami Vice: Season One & Two touches, stark colors, unique MTV-styled camera angles and the insertion of pop music at unexpected moments. The technique has dated the film, though his use of Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is brilliant.

I have grown to like Petersen as he's aged as an actor, but in "Manhunter," he was a bit too young and bland for my taste. I would have liked to seen a more established, brooding actor in the role. But the supporting cast, including Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang and Joan Allen, never disappoint. Tom Noonan gives a haunting performance as the hunted serial killer, but his work is so good it threatens to capsize the film. He does not enter the proceedings until midway in, and the film changes course en route to the shocking climax. His struggles are heartbreaking, and it puts an uncomfortably human face on a terrifying monster. But once the film changes focus, and a face is put to the killer, much of the suspense and fear of the investigation is lost.

I have never liked how the police arrive at the exact moment Noonan's character is about to commit a murder, and his house, an isolated structure that looks as if it were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, does not fit such a lonely and disturbed man. But this was 1986, and back then we were dancing to Rio by Duran Duran with Patrick Nagel prints hanging on the wall. So who am I to blame Mann for wanting to be hip?

"Manhunter" is perhaps best known for having the first film version of the Hannibal Lecter character, played with extraordinary coolness by Brian Cox. It results in pretty much just an extended cameo, but the scene plays with uncommon menace. Cox's Lecter is not be fooled with and, unlike Anthony Hopkins' portrayal, he is unremittingly evil.

After all these years, "Manhunter" holds up, with multiple scenes that remain memorable to this day. It's a fine work by a master director. While far inferior to Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs (Two-Disc Collector's Edition), it blows the remake, Red Dragon (Widescreen Collector's Edition) in 2002, out of the water. In terms of this often times repellent genre, this ranks as one of the greats. November 9, 2008

Best Hannibal Lecter Movie

The set, the music and especially the actors and director are excellent. It is the best of the movies done with the Hannibal Lecter character. August 2, 2008

Outstanding performance by William Peterson

This was one of the first William Peterson movies I had ever seen. The first one was "To Live and Die in L.A." If you haven't seen that one, pick it up.
Even though this movie has been reproduced, this is still worth watching. The villian is menacing and more frightening than Ralphe Fiennes, although I love Ralphe. Check it out if you haven't already!!! July 20, 2008

Ultimately not that great

It's hard to guess what would have happened to "Manhunter" if "The Silence of the Lambs" hadn't turned Hannibal Lecter (Lecktor in this film) into a popular phenomenon. However, the film was made, released, and seen on its own terms (and flopped on its own terms if it comes to that) in 1986, so I will try not to compare it to "Silence" or the other adaptation of the same source material, 2002's "Red Dragon." Taken independently, however, Manhunter still is largely a failed movie, never managing to lift itself from the morass of mediocre thrillers that one can often find in shopping mall bargain bins.

The plot of the film is not the problem. Successfully adapted from Thomas Harris's critically-acclaimed thriller (entitled Red Dragon), Manhunter follows the efforts of mentally-scarred FBI consultant Will Graham as he attempts to capture a new serial killer dubbed "The Tooth Fairy." While the overall outline of the plot is reasonably formulaic (it's fairly clear the movie will climax with a confrontation between Graham and the killer) the film takes several interesting and unexpected turns.

The real problem is that the actors fail to generate any tension with their performances. Brian Cox's Hannibal Lecter may be slightly chilling in his banality, but his frostiness lacks menace. William Peterson's Will Graham is a complete dissapointment. Very little about mid-80's William Peterson screams "emotionally-scarred." He seems every bit an everyman--the standard movie flatfoot. While that might be useful or beneficial in some roles, Manhunter requires that Graham be weak--tortured by the demons of his past--and Peterson seems more like a boxer than a basket-case. As the killer, Francis Dollarhyde, Tom Noonan certainly looks imposing. However, one senses he was chosen precisely because of those intimidating looks, not because of his thespian skills. It might help if the screenplay gave him a bit more to work with, but nonetheless he is not always convincing. Dennis Farina and Kim Greist are adequate in their roles as FBI man Crawford and Graham's wife, respectively.

Still, despite the principal actors' sleepwalking, the movie is not without its moments. Stephen Lang is suitably greasy as a tabloid reporter, and Joan Allen is very delicate as Dollarhyde's blind love interest. The climactic shootout set to Iron Butterfly's In A Gadda-da-vida is very well-directed, even if its impact is blunted by a sappy happy ending to outdo all sappy happy endings (The turtles are going to be okay). It's worth a look, especially if you like "Silence" or thillers, but it's just not terribly good. And I didn't even get into how dated it is. July 8, 2008

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