Review of Manhunter (1986) by Richard G — 16 Jun 2008
Yes I had the 2002 version in mind when I watched this film. However, it was still dreadful. None of the actors were compelling in their roles and Cox's Lecter is menacing yet underused. The score is awful and does not capture any of the intensity of the Harris novel, the notable exception was the use of 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' at the end of the film. Mann's decision to focus the film primarily on the effects of Will Graham and his family was a visible detraction from possible interesting character development of Dollarhyde and Lecter and shows the poor quality of the screenplay. The decision to film some of the bedroom scenes in a 'moody blue' tint made the scenes seem more like an unwanted porno rather than an intense psychological thriller.
All in all, this was a poor prototype and I am glad that Red Dragon (2002) learned from its mistakes and gave more thought to creating the intense atmosphere Harris evokes in his books.
This review of Manhunter (1986) was written by Richard G on 16 Jun 2008.
Manhunter has generally received positive reviews.
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