You want the scent? Smell yourself (Manhunter (DVD))

Member Name: steerpyke

Product:	Manhunter (DVD)
Date:	14/01/06 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: a dark and masterful film

Disadvantages: subject matter may be disturbing to some

Many people may not be aware that before Silence of the Lambs, its sequel, Hannibal and its prequel, Red Dragon and the whole Hannibal Lector phenomena, there was a film that started the ball rolling. Manhunter is the film that brought Lector (then spelt Lecktor) to the film worlds attention, and although later remade as Red Dragon, its is this original version that deserves a lot of the accolades that were later to be bestowed on the film versions of novelist Thomas Harris’s creations. Even if you have seen the remake, this film stands as a worthy revisit to the story and although it obviously covers a lot of the same ground, it is a darker and more menacing adaptation, but more of that later.

Michael Mann’s 1986 film stands halfway between horror and crime thriller, having the hid behind the cushions atmosphere of the former and the intricacies and plot twists of the later. The film is cantered around Will Graham (Will Petersen) a retired F.B.I. specialist who is persuaded to come out of retirement by his boss to help with the investigation of a serial killer. Having a particular empathic talent for the task, but against his wife’s wishes Graham takes the case on and returns to the dangerous work of hunting down the protagonist before he can kill again. The storyline is nothing overly original in its outline, but what makes it work so well is the way we are taken by the main character down the thought process of a particularly nasty and unique serial killer. In order to catch this murderer Graham has to first understand how he works and therefore take on the psyche of his twisted quarry.

In tracking down the killer he has to face his past to gain some understanding of an old adversary. Hannibal Lecktor is introduced to us from his prison cell as Graham confronts him to re-tune his mind to the way killers see their work. Lecktor nearly killed Graham in a past episode that isn’t dwelt on too much in the film, it is sufficient to say that they have a connection and the mind games that are played by Lecktor on Graham show the complexities of the situation. But this is not a film about Hannibal Leckor, even though he has to become the focal point of later films, here he is only a support role and features in the story in only a limited capacity. Brian Cox plays a worthy part and depicts him as a sly and manipulative creature as opposed to Anthony Hopkins later majestic personification of pure evil. He does a splendid job with the time allowed, but as I said this is not a Lecktor driven movie. Petersen plays the role of the fragile and slowly deteriorating agent, all the human frailties on show and very believable. Edward Norton’s role in the remake, whilst in keeping with the look of that movie is a very one-dimensional affair by comparison, and that’s coming from someone who normally has only good things to say about him.

Tom Noonan as the protagonist, Dollarhyde also turns in a great performance. Whilst you can’t forgive the man or even understand why he’s doing what he is doing, you don’t lose sight of the man underneath this murderous creation that he has become. He is bewildered by affection when it’s given and his relationship with Reba shows the normal human anxieties of an innocent youth. But as if not to lose sight of what he is about we are constantly reminded that this is a man possessed. Also of note is Kim Griest as Grahams wife, who manages to capture the anxiety and fear of the spouse of someone involved in such dangerous work.

The film has a gritty look and the dark and brooding environments are probably as much to do with budget and technology, as they are design. But rather than have a detrimental effect they make exactly the right backdrop. This reality and low-key setting is one that is constantly being sought by much bigger budget films, but works here because of rather than in spite of limited cash availability. The remake was a very slick affair but Mann's treatment here is better suited to the subject matter. His use of music works well especially in the climactic final scenes when Dollarhyde is about to destroy the one person that he is growing to love.

As I said in the opening salvo, this is worth a look even if you have seen the re-make as it has a better feel to it and also a different ending, less complex and more appealing to the realistic nature of the film. It also has a slightly different ending from the book in its treatment of the main character. This is a great film for fans of this sort of storyline, a darkly delivered tale where even the characters on the side of apparent good are flawed and fragile. A good counter for the slick nature of the later films and a good prequel to the fantastic Silence of the Lambs.

Summary: a great prequel to Silence of the Lambs