Red Dragon (2002)

Directed by: Brett Ratner | 124 minutes | horror, thriller | Actors: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Harvey Keitel, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anthony Heald, Ken Leung, Frankie Faison, Tyler Patrick Jones

‘Red Dragon’ is the pre-history (prequel) of the strong ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991). It is also the remake of ‘Manhunter’ (1986) which was based on Thomas Harris’ bestselling book ‘Red Dragon’ (1981). This part in the Hannibal series was directed by Brett Ratner of Rush Hour (1998). Unlike Hannibal (2001), screenwriter Ted Tally of ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ did cooperate. The film has the same style and feeling as ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, also because Hannibal Lecter spends most of the time behind bars. Where Hannibal focused on shock horror, ‘Red Dragon’ picks up the suspense again.

This time no pupil Clarice Starling but special agent Will Graham, the man who arrested Hannibal Lecter. Graham has the unique gift of being able to enter the minds of serial killers. It is a gift and a curse at the same time. His contact with psychopath Lecter left Graham traumatized and he quit the FBI early. Desperation leads his old FBI boss Crawford (Harvey Keitel) to him and him to Dr. reader. From then on, the psychological games that Hannibal loves so much begin. For the prequel, Anthony Hopkins lost ten pounds to look younger. Wrinkles were digitally removed.

The role of Francis Dolarhyde is played by Ralph Fiennes from ‘The English Patient’ (1996) and ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ (2005). Francis has been severely mistreated in his youth with the result that he carries a monster in and on him. Red Dragon refers to the huge tattoo on his back, after a painting by William Blake (eight hours of face painting). Fiennes superbly plays the part of a man tormented by a split personality. You get sympathy for his character. Emily Watson also impresses as the blind Reba who is the only one who can reach Francis.

Just like in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, it proves once again how life-threatening the locked up Lecter can be. Many a viewer will smile when Dr. Chilton at the end announces the arrival of Clarice Starling. Equal to ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ ‘Red Dragon’ does not. The film is also not as good as ‘Manhunter’, it lacks the originality for that. But it is in many ways a decent thriller, a good addition to the Hannibal series. Moreover, the film has Anthony Hopkins to offer. ‘Red Dragon’ is the last time Anthony Hopkins in the skin of Dr. Lecter crawled. The filming of Harris’s new Lecter novel ‘Young Hannibal: Behind the Mask’ (2006) required younger versions of the cannibal. This is the prequel to ‘Red Drago’n and ‘Manhunter’, how Hannibal became The Cannibal.