Red Dragon
Directed by Brent Ratner     

 Review by Rada Djurica     

The cannibal is back. He's back! The diabolically irresistible Hannibal Lecter is back to scare you again. Well, beside building up the box-office, of course.

Seven years before "The Silence of the Lambs," novelist Thomas Harris wrote "Red Dragon," where he introduced the forensic psychiatrist, Dr Hannibal Lecter. If the story seems familiar, an earlier movie was made based on the novel, "Manhunter" (1986), starring William L. Petersen and Brian Cox. So technically, "Red Dragon" is a re-make, not just another film in the series. What the original lacked is made up for by Anthony Hopkins, who is absolutely perfect for the meaty role of Lecter.

The enticing opening sequence explains Lecter's background and his bizarre relationship with intuitive detective Will Graham (Edward Norton). Jody Foster in "The Silence of the Lambs" explored a similar relationship. In a sense, the detectives are playing on the opposite side, seeking to gain the respect of a mad man, Hannibal the Cannibal. You almost begin to like Hannibal and to dislike his victims. Lecter would reply, "If you like me that much, then let me eat you."

Imagine a culinary diversion, as the plot begins to unfold. Hannibal Cannibal eats his guests and gets caught. With Lecter kept in a hospital for the criminally insane, Graham is lured out of retirement in Florida by his former boss (Harvey Keitel) to use his impressive power to catch creepy ritualistic serial killer Francis (Ralph Fiennes). The serial killer is called The Tooth Fairy because he strikes sleeping families under the full moon. Of course, The Tooth Fairy is an admirer of Dr. Lecter's cannibalistic work. So what is it about Hannibal Lecter? He's a menacing master manipulator, communicating with both Graham and Francis Dolarhyde.

Working with Oscar-winning "Silence of the Lambs" screenwriter Ted Tally, director Brett Ratner keeps the tension high, as well as through excellent casting. "Red Dragon" is a suspenseful, creepy chiller thriller that remands Hannibal's legendary recipe for death. The truth is, dangerous criminals don't think like us. They like to shock, show off their creativity in crime. Cruel creativity without mercy. According to criminologists, lawbreakers do not dismiss rules or morality except when their personal codes interfere with what they want. If a criminal wants something, he takes it, no matter the consequences. Criminals are selfish, impulsive and self-indulgent. Just like Hannibal.

This concept motivates the story of "Red Dragon," which borrows symbolic weight from the animal described in the Book of Revelations. The Red Dragon is a beast that has taken possession of a serial killer's mind and compels him, even against his will, to commit crimes, transforming him to a level above mortals. This is not an everyday occurrence!

Since many movie fans have seen the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs," you can expect scary moment to pop up from time to time. The difference is that now we are accustomed to a multitude of similar horror flicks. Even more frequently, we've witnessed the horrid finales of thrillers. What we look for in "Red Dragon," then, is intelligent characterisations and funny dialogue. You get that, but never enough. The wit and wisdom, of course, comes from the mouth of Hannibal himself, as expected.

Hannibal is back to the institution, and Will is trying to pick his brain (so to speak), to find out about a serial killer who slices up his victims with broken glass from mirrors. Will is uneasy in this strange relationship, while, of course, Hannibal is more secure than Houdini himself.

As Will gets deeper into the case of the serial killer, he begins to meet his enemy, Hannibal, for consultations. Brett Ratner's direction highlights the conflicting feelings. On the other hand, we note the intellectual attraction that two clever people feel for each other. Already seen in the previous films, right? If we feel a chill when Hopkins appears onscreen, we feel a chill, also, by the fine portrayal of the killer, Francis. He's a person who had been abused repeatedly as a child, a victim of incest and of vicious manipulation by his grandmother. Dolarhyde is repressed, unable to express himself, except under a full moon when he is possessed by the Red Dragon. The Red Dragon is also the subject of a painting by the British poet, William Blake.

"The Red Dragon" is the real thing: a mature, witty, serious look at the world of a criminal psychopathology. The film covers all of the bases. It is well done but also easily forgettable. Ultimately, the horrid monstrosity of the crimes is not enough, especially when it's been seen before.