RED DRAGON
US, 2002, 125 minutes, Colour.
Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Mary Louise Parker, Anthony Heald, Frank Whaley, Bill Duke, Marybeth Hurt.
Directed by Brett Ratner.
This is a very well crafted detection thriller, written by Ted Tally who won an Oscar for his adaptation of Silence of the Lambs. He obviously understands Hannibal Lecter very intimately and has written another tour-de-force for Anthony Hopkins. Not being a fan of the film Hannibal (where Hopkins did a lot of mugging as Hannibal Lecter and seemed, with Gary Oldman, to be inhabiting quite a different film from the serious one with Julianne Moore as Clarice Starling), I was very glad to see how well Red Dragon had been made.
Red Dragon had been adapted for the screen for director Michael Mann in 1986. The film was called Manhunter and had a fine cast with William Petersen as Will Graham, Brian Cox as Lecter, Dennis Farina as Jack Crawford, Tom Noonan as Francis Dolarhyde, Stephen Lang as Freddie Loundes and Joan Allen as Reba. Novelist Thomas Harris, after the success of his previous books and films has added a prologue which explains how FBI agent, Will Graham, had worked with Lecter as a consulting forensic psychologist and was then almost killed as he unmasked Lecter. This sequence opens this film very effectively.
The plot is well constructed: Graham's recovery then resignation from the FBI, his being called in as a consultor, his growing involvement in solving the murders perpetrated by the killer the media dubs The Tooth Fairy. He then visits Dr Lecter who, as he was later to do with Clarice Starling, subtly challenges Graham while he helps solve the case while urging the killer to attack Graham's family.
As a piece of detective work, the film is continually fascinating, Will Graham being an astute intuitive but needing Lecter's insane intuitions to understand the killer. It also has its moments of startling horror as well as some sequences, especially at the end, of terror. The director is Brett Ratner whose experience is in music videos and the Jackie Chan Rush Hour films.
The cast is top-rate. Anthony Hopkins is more subdued as Lecter, returning to his style in Silence of the Lambs. Edward Norton proves that he is one of Hollywood's most talented young actors and is completely convincing as Will Graham. Harvey Keitel is reliable as Crawford, Emily Watson touching as the blind Reba and Philip Seymour Hoffman does his sleazy best as journalist, Freddy Loundes. But it is Ralph Fiennes as the killer who gives a truly frightening subtle performance. Excellent, but definitely not for the fainthearted.
1. The impact of the film in itself, the third film in Anthony Hopkins' series as Hannibal Lector, the remake of the 1986 film? Audience expectations of the characters, the themes?
2. The title, William Blake's poetry and art, the scriptural references to the Book of Revelation, the images, the tattoo on Dolarhyde, his words, possessed by the red dragon, insanity?
3. The background of the American cities, the countryside, Florida, Washington, Alabama? Authentic atmosphere? The FBI headquarters? The interiors of the homes of the victims, Hannibal Lector's house, his prison cell? The musical score?
4. The prologue, Hannibal Lector listening to the music, the dinner afterwards, the small talk at the table, the food, Lector's insanity? Will Graham's arrival, his relationship to Lector, psychology, forensic information? The opening of the book, sweetbreads in the French cookery book? Lector's attack on Graham, each wounding the other? The relationship between the two in terms of detection, competitiveness, right and wrong, sanity and insanity?
5. The credits and Dolarhyde's diary, the newspaper clippings, the information about both Lector and Graham, the written comments?
6. Will Graham, with his family, a nice family, retired from the FBI, working on boats in Florida, the phone call, Crawford's visit, the motivation, his consultations, seeing the photos of the dead families?
7. His decision to go, his wife asking him not to? Visiting the house for lead's house, his intuitions, what he noticed, using his recorder, the reconstruction of what happened, looking at the rooms, the blood? His ideas, imagination, intuitions? Lecturing the FBI task force? His speculations on the mirrors, eyes, the images? His visit to the Alabama house, in the grounds, the woods, the tree, surveillance from the tree, the red dragon carved? His seeking out the references in information about Blake?
8. Crawford, his work in detection, his friendship with Graham, his suggesting that they visit Lector? The psychiatrist in the prison and his ambitions about his own book? His appearing foolish? The visit to Lector, the old relationship between Graham and Lector, enmity, seeming friendship, the seductive tone of Lector, oodles of time? Graham and his wariness? Lector joking about his family's address and phone number? The proposal, Lector thinking, the risks, privileges, the challenge? The agreement and his suggestions?
9. Francis Dolahyde and the diary, information about him as a child, his grandmother, the house, bodily functions, his grandmother's threats? His operation, the harelip, bodybuilding? Love of Blake, the tattoo on his back? His work, the infrared development of photos? His encountering Reba, Ralph and his winking at Francis? Talking with Reba, discovering she was blind, going out with her, their discussions, her ability to transform him into some gentleness, her staying the night and its effect on him? The morning, his fears, seeing her in the garden? His discussions with the red dragon, the voices in his head? The satanic aspect of the voices? His dilemma whether to kill her or not?
10. His writing the letter to Lector, the authorities having sixty minutes to get the letter, decipher it, get clues? The missing section? The techniques and detail of getting the information from the tissue? His suggestion that he goes after Graham's family? Lector and his phone call, his suave persuading of the woman to give him all the classified information? The FBI warning the family and taking Mrs Graham and the boy away?
11. Fred Loundes, his meeting with Will Graham, the past, wanting and exclusive, photos? The leaking of the story about Graham and Lector? The FBI and their decision to use him, giving him an exclusive, its being published? The effect on Dolarhyde, his abducting Loundes? His exhibitionism? Loundes and his fear, trying to wheedle his way out, agreeing to the recording, his being set alight, in the carpark?
12. The FBI and their examination of the clues about the van, about the wheelchair? Graham and his continually looking at the family videos, persuading authorities to send them to FBI headquarters? The clue, the interiors of the house, the company in St Louis, tracking down Dolarhyde and being in the office?
13. Dolarhyde and his torment, his visiting the Brooklyn museum, looking at the Blake painting, tearing and eating it? His trying to change because of his relationship with Reba?
14. Ralph and his date with Reba, Dolarhyde killing him? Abducting Reba? His confession to her, her fears? The fire, his seeming death, an alibi?
15. The character of Reba, her blindness, her talk about her experience, her skills in sensing, with Francis, the outing, talking? The visit to the zoo, the tiger and touching it? The final night, her fears, rescue? Her self-deprecation because she did not detect how mad she was? Reassured by Graham?
16. The FBI and Graham lulled into a false security, the teeth marks, the discovery that it was Ralph's body? The serenity of the home, Dolarhyde's intrusion, his taking the boy, Graham and his technique of confronting Dolarhyde, repeating the abusive words of his grandmother? The confrontation, his wife coming into the house? The shooting?
17. Lector's final letter to Graham, summing up the situation - and in his cell waiting for Clarice Starling?
18. A film of detail on FBI detective work? Forensic psychology? Insanity and violence? Innocent victims?
