Manhunter (1986)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Michael Mann

Writers:

Thomas Harris (novel)
Michael Mann (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 August 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

(reissue) Hannibal Lecter's legacy of evil begins here.

Plot:

An FBI specialist tracks a serial killer who appears to select his victims at random. |

Plot Keywords:

FBI | Serial Killer | Held At Gunpoint | Tiger | Child Murder

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

William Petersen	...	Will Graham
Kim Greist	...	Molly Graham
Joan Allen	...	Reba McClane
Brian Cox	...	Dr. Hannibal Lecktor
Dennis Farina	...	Jack Crawford
Tom Noonan	...	Francis Dollarhyde
Stephen Lang	...	Freddy Lounds
David Seaman	...	Kevin Graham
Benjamin Hendrickson	...	Dr. Frederick Chilton
Michael Talbott	...	Geehan
Dan Butler	...	Jimmy Price (as Dan E. Butler)
Michele Shay	...	Beverly Katz
Robin Moseley	...	Sarah
Paul Perri	...	Dr. Sidney Bloom
Patricia Charbonneau	...	Mrs. Sherman

Also Known As:

Red Dragon (USA) (original script title)
Red Dragon: The Curse of Hannibal Lecter (USA) (TV title)

Runtime:

119 min | USA:124 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Brazil:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (re-rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) (original rating) | France:-12 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

Trivia:

Tom Noonan (Dollarhyde) spent many hours in make-up so that artists could paint fake tattoos on his back and torso modeled after William Blake's "Great Red Dragon" paintings. Though Noonan appeared with the tattoos in publicity photographs (available in a Special Edition DVD), director Michael Mann concluded that the tattoos were too "over the top," and discarded the idea.

Goofs:

Continuity: White object (pen?) on the ground in front of National Tattler security guard in parking garage disappears in next shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jack Crawford: We should have talked at the boatyard. You don't wanna talk about it here.
Will Graham: I'm not fallin' all over myself to talk about much anywhere, Jack.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Manhunt (2003) (VG)

Soundtrack:

FREEZE

Hannibal unglamorized

This film reminds me of a deglamorized verison of the Hannibal films. IMO it has a more realistic view to it. Instead of the likable and friendly Ed Norton, we have the moody and intense William Petersen playing Will Graham. Brian Cox's Hannibal is just as clever as Anthony Hopkins' but not as charismatic. Thus, that makes him more realistic, instead of superhuman, like the character later becomes. Instead of a spooky dark basement prison as in Slience or Hannibal, we have an austure white cell. Ralph Fiennes' Dolarhyde is quiet to the point of being a mute and almost semi retarded almost. I can't see how the girl would be attacted to him (even if she is blind). Tom Noonhan's Dolarhyde is more amible and friendly. He actually speaks in a friendly voice, at times even being a normal person. Even the ending is more realistic. Instead of having a supspense full thilling end, it ends rather anti-climaticly...but thus is life.