Hannibal is by far the best film of this 2001, so far. That's a pretty bold statement isn't it. Not if you consider the selection of films wev'e had to choose from over the past few months.

In Hannibal, Anthony Hopkins reprises his role as the charming cannibal, Hannibal Lecter, with indie fav Julliane Moore taking on Jodie Foster’s part as FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling. Please indulge me to get this out of the way right off the bat: Julliane Moore is outstanding and I believe- surpasses the emotional depth and acting range of Jodi Foster and was truly the perfect candidate for the role. Fans of the original film, Silence of the Lambs, will not be disappointed in the slightest.

Hannibal Lecter is still the charismatic villain in the film, which starts off by going into an update of Clarice Starling, who, after being forced to shoot a woman who was sporting an assault gun, who happened to be holding a baby, in what became a drug bust-turned bloodbath, which in turn brings bad publicity for the Bureau and more importantly, Clarice, she is shortly thereafter put on suspension and has to turn in her badge until all the politics of the media circus die down.

In the meantime, Mr. Lecter is out and about, who has for the most part been laying low for ten years, until he reads of Special Agent Clarice’s recent public humiliation and decides to inform her that he is indeed coming out of retirement again.

Interestingly enough, Clarice is fighting two wars in this film. One with Hannibal Lecter, and the other, with the Bureau, who have in a sense “martyred” her by ostracizing her from all cases and subject her to continual belittlement and ridicule by her less than friendly associates in the FBI.

Hannibal is a beautiful Gothic film, in that the dark Doctor spends most of his time in the city and streets of the lush and ornate sectors of Florence. That, and also Ridley Scott’s powerful direction helped -just a bit. Ridley Scott, best known for his work on major films such as Alien, and most recently, Gladiator, moves the film at a leisurely, but not at all uncomfortable pace, taking time to let the audience savor the ambience of Hannibal’s rich and learned social life, then sets you up, piece by piece, little by little, with just enough gore and violence in sparse moments that by the climax of the film, you’re ready for anything. Not that you wouldn’t be anyway, mind you-in that by seeing Hannibal you are most assuredly aware of what images you will be subject to on celluloid. The film clocks in at 133 minutes, which surprisingly moves very fast as ample time is given to character development, which greatly impacts the shocking nature of the film’s more macabre scenes.

Since I am more akin to enjoy the darker parts of the film, I feel obliged to give you a taste of what Hannibal Lecter has in store for you in this film. In perhaps by far, the most gruesome scene, Ray Liotta plays Clarice’s FBI associate who has been trying to do everything short of ruining any chances she has to continue on with her celebrated career, sits at a dinner table, drugged and soiled, with Clarice, also drugged and wearing a revealing evening gown- with Hannibal Lecter close by Ray Liotta’s side. Earlier on you heard a sawing noise coming from within the house, but you could only guess as to what that might be leading to. Hannibal then takes off Ray Liotta’s hat and you can clearly see he has sawed a circle around the very top of his head. Hannibal then takes a scalpel and begins to gently cut the remaining cords from the wound and pulls off the top of his head, exposing a pulsating, juicy brain squishing with crimson blood. Hannibal then addresses Clarice by going on about how the human brain really doesn’t feel pain and then piece by piece, begins cutting little bite size chunks of Ray’s brain out and into a portable wok-skillet on the table in front of them. Ray, still conscious, but delirious admires the smell of the meat and then begins to eat his own brain-while alive. This scene is painstakingly slow, but one that you’ll never forget nonetheless.

By far, the most disturbing scene appears much later, when Hannibal, aboard a plane, takes out his gourmet meal and begins to eat when a curious child passenger comes up to him, unafraid, and inquires as to the names of the exotic contents of the meal. The boy is particularly curious in the meat, (which is Ray Liotta’s brain) and Hannibal, refuses to let the boy taste of it, but gives in as the small boy persists that it does look good. And so, as Hannibal Lecter feeds the boy a piece of human brains amidst a flight full of people, he adds that his father always told him to try new things.

Hannibal is chilling and lush. It’s as much a Gothic Romance as Interview with the Vampire was, or any Anne Rice novel penned, in that everyone in the theater is rooting for the evil doer. I went to a completely sold out show, comprised mostly of older baby boomers, who for the most part were there to bask in the charming and charismatic glow of Anthony Hopkins. Anthony is so charming, or should I say Hannibal, is so charming in fact, that even during the most gruesomest of scenes (and this is a gross one mind you) you are bound to hear chuckles of delight from your fellow moviegoers as the blood and the body count grow ever more widespread. One thing fans of Silence of the Lambs may enjoy, is that there is definitely more physical contact between Clarice and Hannibal in this film, which is so intense as times that you may feel as though the film could change to 9 ½ weeks because the chemistry between the two characters is so strong and so confused and yet passionate-as the two enemies know more about each other and understand how the other works more than thier own person. As a side note, at the end of the book which came out long before this movie did, Special Agent Clarice and Hannibal Lecter run off together. The studio felt that wouldn’t work obviously and so was changed. Hannibal is a charged and engaging dark romance and far supersedes the original in both the emotional intimacy of the characters and the direction of the masterful Ridley Scott. Don’t miss this one!


Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age