Review of Manhunter (1986) by Miles H — 11 Feb 2008
"Silence of the Lambs" was an excellent film, but I like this one even more. It's very different, with a very different kind of protagonist in Will Graham, played excellently by William L.
Petersen. He's just as vulnerable as Clarice Starling, but he's got more serious scars that color him dark, mental and physical. Mann's trademark ambient realism is put to great use here, and it feels just perfect for a film about serial murder.
It's the most real and moody of all the Hannibal Lecter films. And speaking of Lecter, let's talk about Brian Cox. Anthony Hopkins will remain the face of Lecter in film history, but Cox gives the better performance.
Hopkins was great as well, but his Lecter was more traditionally creepy. Cox isn't creepy. He's absolutely terrifying. Yet he downplays it all. The tone of his voice, the tempo of his words, his piercing eyes, all evoke horror without a single hiss or slurp.
Tom Noonan is also quite frightening as The Tooth Fairy (sorry Ralph Fiennes, but you were owned by the predecessor). There are no cliched thrills to be found here. The power of the story and the world created are enough, and Mann is smart enough to keep a local scope.
It's one of the best serial killer films I've ever seen, and anyone who's ever gotten to know Hannibal Lecter should be morally obligated to see it.
This review of Manhunter (1986) was written by Miles H on 11 Feb 2008.
Manhunter has generally received positive reviews.
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