Following the critically acclaimed 1991 classicSilence of the Lambs, one of the most unsettling psychological horror films of all time, the story ofAnthony Hopkins’ cannibalistic Hannibal Lecter continued on - both forward and backward. Though it has largely been forgotten, there was the much-maligned sequelHannibalin 2001 that upped the violence only to lose the dread. Then there was the tense, yet still flawed, 2002 prequelRed Dragonthat introduced us to FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) and his encounters with Lecter as he tried to stop a different serial killer known initially as the Tooth Fairy. Twenty years since its release, it is a work that finds genuine suspense in its sinister story even as its direction leaves much to be desired.
Revisiting the film after it first premiered twenty years ago, there is a strange sense of déjà vu that hangs over much of the experience. For any who have watched the recent television series that sawMads Mikkelsentake on the role of Lecter or the 1986Michael Mannfilm,Manhunter, whereBrian Coxfirst stepped into the lead, there are shared storylines and characters as all are based upon the originalRed Dragonnovel that first introduced us to the character. Each ends up serving as a demonstration of the way the same story can be reimagined by different creators. When it comes to this film, the best aspects of it all are the cast who help to carry it through some of its more conventional aspects. From the opening scene where Norton and Hopkins go head-to-head, complete with the latter sporting a ponytail, it is most engaging as a demonstration of the actors giving their all and then some to the characters.
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Anthony Hopkins Is Still a Terrifying Hannibal Lecter
This begins with Lecter hosting a dinner of unsuspecting guests who remain unaware of his tastes and the likely contents of the food they are consuming. It does require some suspension of disbelief as Hopkins is clearly older than he was in the originalSilence of the Lambs, though this is easy when he continually sinks his teeth into every scene he gets. Much like in the prior film, Lecter is not the protagonist of the story even as he is a driving force behind everything that ends up happening. Even when it has its weaker elements, there will always be something that burrows its way under your skin in seeing this character on screen once more. Take when he gets approached by Graham after the dinner who shares his big discovery about the nature of the cannibal he has been tracking. As we see the recognition creep across Lecter’s face that he is very likely going to be found out, the chill it sends down the spine as the looming potential for violence is unmistakable. It ensures that when the two get into a bloody confrontation that leaves them each injured, yet alive, you feel every blow cut deep.
The rest of the film then plays out as being a bit more of a crime thriller than anything at times. While there were certainly investigatory elements inSilence of the Lambs, the general sense of growing terror conveyed via the direction made it far more frightening. Here, we pick up with a traumatized Graham who has tried to leave this world behind, and Lecter who is now held in the institution that we remember him most for. Of course, they will soon get drawn back together with a new serial killer on the loose. While the television series had amore romantic undercurrent to these interactionsand theprior film felt more grounded than any of them, Hopkins gives everything theatrical bombast.
The Movie’s Direction Is Lackluster
There is a rage and danger lurking just below the surface in every single interaction. Though Lecter spends the entire film largely in confinement, we see that he is capable of creating chaos for all the other characters. We are never able to escape how he is conniving and cruel, a terrifying combination that Hopkins brings to life with an almost haughty disposition. Norton, while the straight man in the scenario, deserves credit as well for how he creates an understated juxtaposition to the killer he is talking with. His sense of subtlety serves the story well and, as was reported when the film first released,also led to some tensionwith the nowdisgraced former director and producerBrett Ratner. This tension between Ratner and Norton about how to approach the scene ends up being telling as the film often sees the more subtle performances undercut by the blunt direction. While the actor seemed to have a better understanding of what makes the story work and how to bring it to life, he gets hamstrung by the way many of the scenes are constructed
Red Dragon Copies Silence of the Lambs
Many of the scenes feel poorly constructed and border on being copies of the superiorSilence of the Lambs. Even the introduction we get to Lecter has a nearly identical shot to begin though soon loses the same sense of tension and darkness fromSilence of the Lambs. It lacks the patience that conveys the quiet sense of peril. Possibly aware of this, Ratner had, according toUSA Today, told Norton that he needed him to make some sort of motion to indicate Graham was scared of Lecter. To this suggestion, Norton said he had replied that “if you’ve filmed this correctly, the audience will know it.” While both the actors get us absorbed in the scene, it is the direction itself that often holds the film back in this scene and many others. Whereas the original brought us in for creepy close-ups that meant we couldn’t escape Lecter’s gaze, Ratner directs the scene in a manner that is more clumsily and conventional. There is a reason that the original scene is so iconic and memorable for just how mesmerizing it felt. All that made it great is noticeably missing here. There just isn’t the same confidence in everything being communicated visually, holding back the experience from being as great as it could be.
The Cast Saves Red Dragon
Despite all this, there is still much to appreciate in the rest of the work we’re getting to see. It isn’t just Hopkins and Norton as we also see some great performances from the rest of the cast as well. Be itHarvey Keitelas Graham’s boss,Emily Watsonas the Tooth Fairy’s next target, or the latePhilip Seymour Hoffmanas Freddy Lounds, they all add a welcome gravitas in even the smallest of scenes. Of course, there is the always rivetingRalph Fiennesasthe killer that sets the entire story in motion. Without tipping off too much of what happens towards the end for those that have not yet seen it, the way he takes us into the mind of the mass murderer through a dedicated physical and psychological performance is spectacular. There isn’t a moment where he isn’t completely inhabiting the menacing man that has struck fear into all those trying to track him down. It ensures that, by the time all pieces come together, it remains a well-acted film with great work from all in front of the camera.
