This is the Brilliance
In my last blog, I said that the nugget of gold in Thomas Harris’s Red Dragon was the character of Hannibal Lecter. To me, Lecter is a fascinating, multilayered character. He is, of course, one of the creepiest villains in recent history. Here, in one of the best scenes of the movie, Lecter shows just how horrible he can be:
Yep, definite creep-factor there. But for all of that, he also has his moments of charm and strong sense of fair play. That is what makes Lecter endlessly fascinating.
In this scene, Lecter plays a game with Clarice: Quid Pro Quo. She tells him something, and he tells her something. After Clarice reveals her personal information about her father, Lecter could have easily backed out of his agreement, but he doesn't. He is a man of his word. And, as Clarice says later, he wouldn't go back on his word. He would think it rude.
We also see this sense of fair play in Lecter's final contact with Clarice. He has no desire to hurt her, even though he knows she will have to hunt him. However, he has no trouble going after his old enemy, the doctor who lied to him.
Although Lecter simply as a character is riveting, I would argue that Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of him is a big part of what has made Lecter such an iconic figure. Many people don't realize there was an earlier portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in the mid-80s that was not done by Anthony Hopkins. The 1986 Michael Mann film Manhunter was the first movie based off of Thomas's Red Dragon. In it, Anthony Hopkins does not portray Hannibal Lecter (sorry, couldn't find any clips, but you can see his performance as a part of someone's critic of the old vs. new versions of Manhunter and Red Dragon here, if you care to). And while Brian Cox's portrayal of Lecter is interesting, it just does not have that flare that makes Hopkins's portrayal so iconic.
Similarly, Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling is fantastic. Julianne Moore in the second movie just does not have the same intensity that Jodie Foster brought to the role. In Foster's portrayal, you can tell there is something broken in Starling that she will forever be trying to fix.
The last thing that makes The Silence of the Lambs such a fantastic movie is the performance of Ted Levine as Jame Gumb. The first time I saw the movie, I was so taken with the chemistry between Foster and Hopkins that I totally overlooked Levine's brilliant performance. But each time I revisit the movie, I notice his role more and more.
This film, which started with a stellar storyline by Thomas Harris, was made even better by the incredible performances of some very talented people. It remains, to this day, one of my all-time favorite films. It is not big and action-y. It does not have grand special effects. Instead, it is filmed up close and intimately. The majority of the shots (particularly of Clarice and Hannibal) are filmed in medium close shots or close shots to give a feel of intimacy. While medium close shots are not unusual (they are the industry standard), the number of close shots IS unusual. The effect is to give the film an intensity and unsettled feeling it might not otherwise have. And that intensity is what makes the film so brilliant.
Yep, definite creep-factor there. But for all of that, he also has his moments of charm and strong sense of fair play. That is what makes Lecter endlessly fascinating.
In this scene, Lecter plays a game with Clarice: Quid Pro Quo. She tells him something, and he tells her something. After Clarice reveals her personal information about her father, Lecter could have easily backed out of his agreement, but he doesn't. He is a man of his word. And, as Clarice says later, he wouldn't go back on his word. He would think it rude.
We also see this sense of fair play in Lecter's final contact with Clarice. He has no desire to hurt her, even though he knows she will have to hunt him. However, he has no trouble going after his old enemy, the doctor who lied to him.
Although Lecter simply as a character is riveting, I would argue that Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of him is a big part of what has made Lecter such an iconic figure. Many people don't realize there was an earlier portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in the mid-80s that was not done by Anthony Hopkins. The 1986 Michael Mann film Manhunter was the first movie based off of Thomas's Red Dragon. In it, Anthony Hopkins does not portray Hannibal Lecter (sorry, couldn't find any clips, but you can see his performance as a part of someone's critic of the old vs. new versions of Manhunter and Red Dragon here, if you care to). And while Brian Cox's portrayal of Lecter is interesting, it just does not have that flare that makes Hopkins's portrayal so iconic.
Similarly, Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling is fantastic. Julianne Moore in the second movie just does not have the same intensity that Jodie Foster brought to the role. In Foster's portrayal, you can tell there is something broken in Starling that she will forever be trying to fix.
The last thing that makes The Silence of the Lambs such a fantastic movie is the performance of Ted Levine as Jame Gumb. The first time I saw the movie, I was so taken with the chemistry between Foster and Hopkins that I totally overlooked Levine's brilliant performance. But each time I revisit the movie, I notice his role more and more.
At the end of the movie I think we get our first impression that Lecter may not be a complete sociopath, or maybe he's a sociopath with standards? Who knows. But he knows that he had a patient client relationship with Starling and I think a bit of his old habits of a psychotherapist kicked in, and maybe that made him reconnect a bit to the world? I think Lecter is tacit in acknowledging that by not seeking revenge on Starling. Their relationship remains professional and Lecter gets to feel that he actually helped someone. Of course I'm not talking about the sequel at this point. But I think it's interesting to note that Jodi Foster turned down the role several times before they gave the part to Julianne Moore. It wasn't the scripts though. Foster apparently had trouble with where Thomas Harris took the character. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when actors respect the story more than money.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned the quid pro quo scene. On rewatching this, I noticed this is a pivotal scene. Not just for the film but for the universe. There is a moment, just a short moment where they form an alliance as resolved and open as that of the Fellowship of the Ring. It is small, but important for Lecter and Clarice. I'll have to read the novel to see if that is elaborated on in the text.
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