Hannibal (2001)

	Directed by: Ridley Scott	COUNTRY UK/USA GENRE Thriller NORWEGIAN TITLE Hannibal RUNNING TIME 131 minutes
	Produced by: Dino De Laurentiis Martha De Laurentiis Ridley Scott
	Written by (based on the novel by Thomas Harris): David Mamet Steve Zaillian

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Hannibal Lecter	Anthony Hopkins	½
Clarice Starling	Julianne Moore	½
Mason Verger	Gary Oldman	½
Paul Krendler	Ray Liotta
Insp. Renaldo Pazzi	Giancarlo Giannini	½
Allegra Pazzi	Francesca Neri	½
Dr. Cordell Doemling	Zeljko Ivanek	½

Review

There is something refreshing about sequels that appear with a time separation as substantial as that of this follow-up to the incomparable The Silence of the Lambs. That is not to say the project isn't driven by commercial interests, but with a new director and a new approach by both the screenwriters and the author alike, Hannibal emerges as an autonomous work - more an elaboration on Hannibal Lecter's persona and life than an outright continuation of Jonathan Demme's film.

Under Ridley Scott's direction, Hannibal lacks the drive and suspense of its predecessor, but makes up for it through its delicate atmosphere and seductive nature. In Hannibal, Dr. Lecter's creepiness is conveyed in a more sensual manner, bordering on the erotic. It's a development that suits both him and his surroundings. Narratively the film is structured as two separate pursuits of Lecter on two different continents by two highly interesting characters, played with vigour and conviction by Gary Oldman and Giancarlo Giannini. Both subplots have a brooding, sinister atmosphere, but at the same time are highly interesting from both a social and characterological point of view. Our old hero, Clarice Starling, balances it all as the mediator caught in the middle. Although looking the part, Julianne Moore is the film's weakest point. She isn't able to satisfactorily convey the emotional connection Starling has to Lecter, and the ambivalence that Foster so brilliantly portrayed is missing - especially towards the end of the film in some of the most crucial and captivating scenes.

Luckily, Anthony Hopkins is on hand to carry the weight, which he does to perfection. He builds on the intimidating figure he created in The Silence of the Lambs and adds new aspects to him here in Hannibal. His character has become superhuman in a playfully devilish manner. Still, it's his not completely absent goodness that makes him truly alluring, and his relationship with Starling is deep, yearning and affecting. There's a vulnerability to Lecter here that brings him closer to us while at the same time making his enigma even more interesting. And Scott has the flair to make the portrayal of the character poetic and beautiful – which is almost as impressive as Gary Oldman's ability to make a disfigured, self-indulgent pedophile appealing.