(Oh, Hannibal my Hannibal, wherefore are thou my Hannibal? Probably out there gnoshing on someone's head with some horseradish sauce on the side.)
CAST: Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Ray Liotta, Gary Oldman, Giancarlo Giannini, Frankie Faison, Francesca Neri, Zeljko Ivanek, Hazelle Goodman.
DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and rather grotesque love stories straight ahead...
LECTER: Would you ever dream of saying: "Stop. If you love me, you'll stop."
CLARICE: Not in a thousand years.
LECTER: (almost proud) Not in a thousand years? That's my girl...
- Scene from HANNIBAL
With the stunning success of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS in the early 90's - including Academy Awards for Best Actor, Actress, Picture, Picture and Director - it was pretty much a given that a sequel would eventually come along. Stars Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster seemed amenable to reprising their Oscar-sealed roles as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the brilliant but psychotic serial killer/psychiatrist, and Clarice Starling, the FBI trainee-turned-agent that catches his fancy. It was just a matter of novelist Thomas Harris writing the follow-up novel to SILENCE.
In the late 90's, Harris finally delivered. Titled simply as "Hannibal," the novel immediately rose to the top of the international bestseller lists. This doesn't mean, though, that the novel was embraced as warmly as its predecessor. Far from it. In fact, "Hannibal" sharply divided readers. Those expecting a fast, linear thriller in the vein of SILENCE were disappointed by the new novel's multi-threaded plot that spanned two continents and several subplots.
The biggest bone of contention, however, was "Hannibal's" ending. If you haven't read the book, I won't spoil it for you. If you have, then you know what I'm talking about. Requiring a gargantuan suspension of disbelief, the ending isn't exactly terrible. Just... very odd and different. Now, "odd" and "different" are normally okay in my book. Unfortunately, the ending is also illogical - requiring us to accept that Clarice Starling would change her value system so radically that she would actually.... well, like I said, I won't spoil it. Let's just say that, while I find the ending intriguing, I ultimately don't agree with it because it negates all the character groundwork established in the first novel.
Evidently, Jodie Foster felt the same way. She despised the ending with a capital "D." Like a lot of readers including myself, she couldn't accept that Clarice would do what the novel showed her doing at the end. When adapting the novel for the silver screen, several top-flight screenwriters including Steve Zaillian and David Mamet set about changing the book's ending to something more acceptable. Even with that, though, Foster still eventually dropped out of the production. Faced with the loss of it's Academy-Award winning star who'd cemented the character of Clarice Starling in the minds millions of audience members, the producers scrambled to find a suitable replacement.
Names like Angelina Jolie, Helen Hunt, Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, Gillian Anderson and others were bandied about. Eventually, they settled on actress Julianne Moore. Moore was the perfect caliber of actress the part needed, having amassed an impressive body of work to attest to her talent but still managing to avoid being tabloid fodder. In other words, she was cut from the same cloth as Jodie Foster, which is what the role of Clarice Starling needed. With this vital role filled, production moved forward.
HANNIBAL is set 10 years after the events of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Hannibal Lecter is still at large, and Clarice Starling is now a world-weary agent whose current assignment is leading the DEA and DCPD for a raid on Evelda Drumgo (Hazelle Goodman), a drug dealer that Clarice has busted before. During a pre-raid briefing, Clarice exerts her authority over the operation. When a cocky dipshit of DCPD detective tries to prove how big his dick is by patronizing Clarice, she basically verbally castrates him right then and there. Clearly, Clarice hasn't lost her toughness. Go, girl.
Unfortunately, the raid goes south in a very big way - in a Titanic-big way. Clarice sees that Evelda - that sneaky bitch - has brought her infant with her to work that day. Not wanting a kid caught in the crossfire, Clarice orders everyone to stand down.
Unfortunately, the DCPD dick (in more ways than one) that she humiliated earlier wants to save face and opens fire on Evelda's people anyway. This leads to such a cluster-fuck of stellar proportions that Clarice ends up being blamed for it all - despite having clearly behaved above reproach. Meanwhile, the DCPD dick probably got a promotion or something. How's that for fairness?
Fortunately, Clarice has a patron saint in one Mason Verger (Gary Oldman). The scion of a powerful meat-packing dynasty, Verger also just happens to be Hannibal Lecter's only surviving victim. See, Lecter was Verger's court-appointed psychiatrist in the wake of the latter's conviction for being, well, a disgusting slimeball towards minors. Lecter, clearly realizing that a world without Mason would be a better one, got him all doped up on hallucinogenics - convinced him to: (1) hang himself while jerking off; (2) peel his face off with a shard of glass; then (3) feed it to the dogs.
Well, Lecter's joke on Verger apparently left the latter: (1) paralyzed; (2) ugly as sin; (3) and mad as hell - at the not-so-good doctor. Basically, Verger has declared a bounty of $3 million for anyone who can provide information on Lecter's capture. Also, Verger thinks that by requesting Clarice be re-assigned to the Hannibal Lecter case, the not-so-good doctor may try to initiate contact - and possibly give away his hiding place.
In other words, Clarice is now Verger's pawn in his game of "Hunt Down and Kill Hannibal Lecter." Clarice doesn't have much say in this because her FBI bosses pretty much bow down and comply with Verger - who's very politically-connected. In other words, they're all his bitches. Especially mega-asshole Paul Krendler (Ray Liotta), who would probably go down on Verger if he asked him to. Yuck. Clarice, being the pragmatic Lutheran that she is, realizes things could be worse than being assigned to a celebrated case - and gets busy.
Well, right now you're probably thinking, "The fucking movie is called HANNIBAL. Where the fuck is he?" Thank you, kind reader, for asking. See, Dr. Hannibal Lecter and I have something in common: a deep and abiding love for Italy and all things Italian. Recall that his cell in SILENCE were papered with sketches of the Duomo in Florence. Three guesses as to where the not-so-good doctor has absconded to. First two definitely don't count.
If you answered, "Why... Florence, of course!" then clearly you are the smartest one in your circle of friends. Yes, Dr. Lecter is now living in lovely Firenze under the alias of "Dr. Fell," and is apparently in charge of the prestigious Caponni library. The previous curator went missing - AHEM - not too long ago and "Dr. Fell" was gracious enough to step in to replace him. How generous of him. And how fucking convenient.
Anyhow, the disappearance of Lecter's predecessor is what causes Inspector Rinaldo Pazzi (Giancarlo Giannini) to come snooping around the Capponi library to see what's what. Needless to say, Pazzi gradually grows suspicious of Lecter and begins to tail him around Florence. During one of these stalking sessions, Pazzi notices that Lecter always wipes his fingerprints off restaurant utensils and glasses that he uses. How very, very odd. Hmmmmmmmmm....
Meanwhile, Clarice has received a letter from Lecter that reads like World's Kinkiest Love Letter. Noticing that the paper has a fragrant scent, Clarice cannily enlists the aid of perfume experts who tell her that the bouquet was engineered specifically using a rare ingredient - which is basically whale vomit. How whale vomit can be used for making perfume I live up to you guys to figure out. Anyway, only a few places in the world, apparently, use this rare ingredient. They're located in London, Tokyo, Paris.... and Florence.
DUN-DA-DUN-DUN!
Over in Belle Italia, Pazzi is growing increasingly sure that "Fell" is actually Lecter. Noticing an ad on the internet for a reward for Lecter's capture, Pazzi contact's Mason Verger's people and begins to cut a deal with the devil - or at least someone who looks just like him. Why is Pazzi doing this, you ask? Why doesn't he just tell his own people at the Firenze questura about Lecter? Won't he get some sort of recognition for being the detective that caught Lecter?
Well, evidenly, Pazzi feels that the $3 million that Verger will pay him in exchange for Lecter's capture is recognition enough. Besides, he also has a young wife, Allegra (Francesca Neri), whom he has to keep happy with trips to the opera, expensive gifts, and vacations in New England. Sadly, Pazzi grossly underestimates his adversary, because Lecter is the quickest of quick studies... and is at least ten steps ahead of Pazzi.
So... Will Pazzi succeed in nabbing Lecter? Or will Lecter enjoy, ahem, a Florentine meal of Spaghetti A la Pazzi? Will Clarice trace Lecter's whereabouts in time to save Pazzi from himself? Will Lecter return to the States to initiate contact with Clarice? What is Lecter's master plan? Will Krendler be part of it? Or will he end up a meal for Lecter? What about Allegra? Will Lecter consider trading Clarice in for her? I mean, come one: Allegra's a hot Italian babe. I sure as hell would. See below:
BUT, SERIOUSLY: If there was ever a film that had huge shoes to fill, it was HANNIBAL. As the follow-up to a much-loved (and much-feared) suspense classic like THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, it was always going to be an uphill battle. Fair praise should be given to Thomas Harris for producing a sequel that diverges from its predecessors more business-like tone, and going for something more European and surreal. With the exception of that infamous ending, there's really not much wrong with the book. Fortunately, screenwriter Steven Zaillian gives the film an alternate ending that is very satisfying - and leaves the door open for a sequel - should the producers and Harris decide to go that route.
Being partially set in Italy - the loveliest place on Earth - HANNIBAL has a very brooding and moodily atmospheric feel to it that SILENCE didn't have. While the first film had its own atmosphere that was often cast aside by its fast-moving plot, this film is slower-paced and very sensual. Slowly, one begins to realize that HANNIBAL wasn't meant to be a kinetic, race-against-time thriller like SILENCE, but instead a sort of dark love story between two people who can never be together. I think a lot of folks were disappointed with HANNIBAL because they were expecting another film SILENCE. But the two are as different as night and day.
Ridley Scott's direction underscores the dream-like atmosphere. This surreal feel is never more present than in the Florence scenes. Scott transforms the ancient city into a funhouse of shadows, mist, shapes, and moving bars of light. It would be difficult to portray Italy in any way less than ravishing, but Scott not only emphasizes Florence's beauty but also the darkness and foreboding that the casual eye easily misses. Constantly juxtaposing darkness with beauty in the same way that he's done will all of his films (ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER, SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, BLACK RAIN, THELMA AND LOUISE), Scott turns HANNIBAL into something approaching a grisly fairy tale. Even the Stateside scenes have a moody, off-kilter quality the reminds one of a half-remembered dream.
The big question here is whether Julianne Moore measures up to Jodie Foster? Well, the short answer is "Yes." The complex answer is: "You can't really compare the two performances because each actress is playing Clarice Starling at a different chapter in her life." Foster's Starling was ambitious, driven, playful, intuitive, and full of the fire and confidence that one has when their life is still ahead of them. Moore, on the other hand, is portraying Clarice at a time in her life when she's started to become disillusioned with the FBI - with its ruthless politics and duplicitous superiors like Krendler. As a result, her portrayal of Starling is chillier, more detached and wary, and no longer starry-eyed. Moore, however, manages to still hint at a reservoir of softness and innocence, especially in her brief scenes with Frankie Faison as Barney, Lecter's old asylum attendant. In the end, it's better to gauge Moore's performance based on the character that she's playing now, instead of comparing it to Foster's ten years ago - which essayed the same person at a much more promising time in her life. In either case, Moore is terrific.
Anthony Hopkins delivers the same playful and lethal performance that he delivered in SILENCE, and all the unspoken stuff in that film are revealed more explicitly this time around. For example: (1) Verger wonders out loud if Lecter has a carnal interest in Clarice; (2) Lecter writes a letter to Clarice that seems to taunt her, but is really a letter of support in her time of need; (3) Allegra asking Lecter at the opera if he believes that a man can fall in love with a woman after just a brief encounter; (4) Lecter purchases designer evening shoes and a dress for Clarice; and (5) at the climax of the film, Lecter's exchange with Clarice while she's trapped in the kitchen with him, pretty much all spell out what's going on inside of him. Anthony Hopkins plays all of the character's level vividly. Just as he clicked with Foster, so, too, does Hopkins click with Moore.
As for the supporting cast, Ray Liotta is just the right blend of smarmy, sleazy, and oily as Krendler. Suffice it to say, he deserves his gory fate at Lecter's hands. Giancarlo Giannini is perfection as Inspector Pazzi, the decent cop whose desire to hold on to his wife pushes him to make some very dangerous decisions - which he ultimately pays for with his life. Frankie Faison makes a nice impression from the first film as Barney, and as I mentioned before his scenes with Moore as Clarice have a nice warmth to them.
Finally, in her small but fairly important role as Allegra - the woman for whom Pazzi takes the great risks that he does - Francesca Neri is absolutely dazzling. She only has a couple of scenes, but one of them forms the emotional heart of the film: when Allegra and Lecter discuss the opera they just saw. See below:
ALLEGRA: (reading from libretto) "Joyous love seemed to me, the while he held my heart in his hand. And in his arms, my lady lay asleep - wrapped in a veil."
LECTER: (quoting from memory) "He woke her then, and trembling and obedient, she ate that burning heart from his hand... Weeping, I saw him then depart from me..."
ALLEGRA: Doctor Fell, do you believe that a man can become so obsessed with a woman from a single encounter?
LECTER: Could he daily feel a stab of hunger for her? And get nourishment from the very sight of her? Yes, I think so. But... would she see through the bars of his plight - and ache for him?
This brief scene cuts right through the heart of the Lecter-Clarice conundrum with graceful and elegant efficiency. It is one of my Top Five Favorite Scenes of All Time, and its due largely to the lovely writing - and Hopkins and Neri's tender delivery. I'm glad that Ridley Scott and Steve Zaillian made the decision to soften the character of Allegra. In the book she was quite unysmpathetic and shrill - a woman who clearly only cared about money and not at all about her husband. You could care less whether or not Lecter killed her. In the film, Allegra is much more likable and clearly cares for Pazzi - and Francesca Neri makes her memorable.
All in all, HANNIBAL may not be the excellent film that THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is. However, it is a very good film that is sadly misunderstood and unfairly maligned. If only people would forget about expecting it to be a thriller - and see if for the very dark romance that it is - then they would see what a gem this movie is.
