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    		•

    FILMS

    Manhunter (1986)
  • Starring William L. Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, Tom Noonan

  • Directed by Michael Mann

    • It's virtually impossible to watch this film without comparing it to, or at least considering, the source material Red Dragon by Thomas Harris or it's far superior sequel The Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal was somewhat disappointing and largely forgettable. But any way you slice the cake, if you've seen either of Manhunter's sequels, this film has a lot to live up to.

    Just so everyone knows where I'm coming from: I've never read any of Harris' novels, have seen Lambs a half dozen times, and Hannibal once.

    Manhunter has a lot to overcome—it's an '80s movie, with all that implies. This means that you can expect any or all of the following: uneven and, at times, questionable acting; an electronic keyboard soundtrack that is more funny than suspenseful; a wardrobe that puts Crocket and Tubbs to shame; an obnoxious journalist with a flock o' seagulls haircut; and a general, all-around lack of excitement.

    Sounds like I didn't like the movie, doesn't it? Well, that's not precisely true. I did like it. Actually, allow me to qualify that last sentence ever-so-slightly. I liked it for what it was, found it interesting to see some early incarnations of known characters (Dr. Lecter, Dr. Chilton, Jack Crawford) but I probably won't ever watch it again. A second viewing would be too painful, as the mystery is gone and there just isn't enough suspense, action, or intrigue to interest me.

    I consider Anthony Hopkins' Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs to be one of the best all-time performances. Of any movie ever made, Hopkins' portrayal ranks at least in the top-five. Lecter is a well-written, memorable character that Hopkins completely nails. So, it's no small feat when I say that I thought Brian Cox did a good job as the first incarnation of the good doctor. Granted, Cox comes nowhere near what Hopkins did with the role five years later, but that's OK. In Manhunter, Lecter's role is minute and, for what he's given, Cox does an admirable job. (At times, he comes off more as a weasel than a mad, man-eating genius, but there's not much to be done about that. It was the '80s. Most characters in most movies came off as weasels.)

    But this story isn't about Lecter or Clarice Starling. All of that is in the sequel. This one is about FBI Agent Will Graham who is pulled out of retirement (or is it just a leave of absence? I'm not sure the film ever explains) to aide in hunting down a serial killer. Graham captured Lecter and so the Bureau needs him to track down one more. This murderer kills by the lunar cycle, so the clock is ticking. If Graham doesn't find the man soon, another body will surface.

    Francis Dollarhyde is our resident murderous villain. He's freakishly tall and balding and extraordinarily creepy. When he develops a relationship with a blind woman (played by Joan Allen) we think that the cycle of murder may stop. He's found someone who might be able to love him. (Boy, she's really blind. I thought blind people were supposed to have other heightened senses. Guess she missed that day in Blind class.) But, it's not to be. Thinking he's being cheated on, he resumes his hatred and wallows in his own freakishness. And then, as if this wasn't bad enough, he plays Iron Butterfly's "Inna Godda Davida" excruciatingly loud. And it's an 8-track, no less.

    Rock on with your bad self, Francis!

    My favorite scene in Manhunter was probably the flaming corpse rolling down a ramp in a wheelchair. That's always good for a laugh, or in my case, a decidedly unmanly scream.

    This movie isn't bad. Now while that's not a ringing endorsement, it's about the best I can say. This may just be my young-man-of-the-'90s-living-in-the-new-millennium-sensibilities, but Manhunter is slow. Sometimes irredeemably slow. And if you get the feeling that Graham is going to utter the phrase, "You bastard!" then he probably will, and you should mute the television to save yourself some heartache. (This line should've been excised from the film upon its release on DVD.)

    If you're interested in knowing the complete story of Lecter then by all means rent this one. It could be fun to kick off a movie-watching marathon of the three Thomas Harris film adaptations.


    WHOOP! WHOOP!
    Francis Dollarhyde (at right) raises the roof for the younger generation.