Topic: Film Review: Red Dragon

By Jack on 2002-10-02 10:48:33



Release Date: October 4th, 2002 (Friday)
Directed By: Brett Ratner
Written By: Thomas Harris (novel), Ted Tally (screenplay)
Photography: Dante Spinotti
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Anthony Heald

Hannibal Lector is with little doubt a favorite movie serial killer (I say "movie serial killer" because the 20 serial killers I saw on the TV had mullets and seemed to lack the suave and intelligence that Hannibal has) among moviegoers today and with the success of Ridley Scott's Hannibal, studios couldn't avoid making the Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal prequel.

Trivia: Michael Mann directed a variation of this film in 1986 called Manhunter originally to be titled "Red Dragon" after the novel, but when Year of the Dragon flopped, producer Dino de Laurentiis decided to avoid a "dragon" title. While terribly outdated it's still a great film check it out.

As a fan of the Thomas Harris novels and their film adaptations I expected a lot from this film and been eagerly awaiting its release. Then I heard Brett Ratner was directing... Brett Ratner the director of Money Talks, the Rush Hour films and a Mariah Carey music video! Now I'm not saying he's not a good director but really, could he pull off a suspense thriller? Believe it or not, he did!

Of course, he got help from some of the most important crew members of Silence Of The Lambs; Screenwriter Ted Tally does another adequate adaptation of the great novel by Thomas Harris (which, by the way is not easily transferred to script without losing many a psychological twists which can only be written and experienced in a book) and a score by none other than Danny Elfman.

But the most outstanding work in this film would be that of cinematographer Dante Spinotti. Spinotti, who also shot Manhunter returned for another splendid visual adaptation of the book and almost makes you forget his already superior work from the 80's.

Additionally, the star-studded cast contained some of Hollywood's most distinguished actors, Sir Anthony Hopkins again as Lecter (Trivia: Jude Law was considered for the role of a younger Hannibal Lecter), Edward Norton (who's work was somewhat disappointing) playing FBI agent Graham and finally a mildly disturbing preformance by Ralph Fiennes as "The Tooth Fairy". ?All this on top of an exceptional cast of supporting actors including Harvey Keitel, particularly from the always fabulous Philip Seymour Hoffman as a seedy, tabloid journalist and the remarkable Emily Watson as an angelic, blind woman.. that's just to name a few.

The main fault in the movie, in my opinion, lies in the somewhat weak script. It was strong enough to hold up most of the movie, but it fell short in developing the serial killer's character. Unlike the shocking twist at the end of the Silence of the Lambs, the ending was somewhat predictable and similar to the way every other serial killer thriller ends.

Conclusion: Brett Ratner (keep your eye on this guy, his next job is the new Superman film) ?with the help of cinematographer Dante Spinotti has succeeded in the retelling of Harris' novel. See this film. 7.6/10

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