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Specs |
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- 16:9 Enhanced
- Dual Layer (RSDL 57:20)
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Languages |
- English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
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Subtitles |
English, Hebrew, Greek, Dutch, Arabic, Turkish, Icelandic, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Hindi |
Extras |
- 14 Deleted scenes - Consisting of over 34 minutes of deleted footage
- 1 Teaser trailer
- 1 Theatrical trailer
- Audio commentary - Director Ridley Scott
- 5 Featurette - Development, Production, Special Make-Up Effects, Music and Reaction
- 17 Photo gallery - 560 publicity photos
- Animated menus
- 19 TV spot
- Documentaries - Breaking the Silence: The Making of Hannibal
- 3 Multiple angle - Anatomy of a Shootout, Ridleygrams and Title Design
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Hannibal - CE |
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment/Universal .
R4 . COLOR . 131 mins .
R . PAL |
Feature |
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First released in 1991, director Jonathan Demme unleashed The Silence of the Lambs upon an unprepared international audience and, in doing so, produced one of the most tense and disturbing suspense films in modern cinema. One of only three films in the history of the Academy Awards to scoop the major Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Screenplay, The Silence of the Lambs’ box-office intake was more than $130 million. Soon after the film’s blockbuster run, it seemed inevitable that a sequel would be made to capitalise on its predecessor’s success. Stung by The Silence of the Lambs’ performance after his own production of 1986’s Manhunter (also known as Red Dragon: The Hunt for Hannibal Lecter) flopped,
Italian producer Dino de Laurentiis secured the film rights for Thomas Harris’ third novel, Hannibal, as it was being written. The powerhouse quartet most responsible for The Silence of the Lambs’ success - Jonathan Demme, Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and screenwriter Ted Tally - were approached to participate in the sequel. However, the film project seemed destined for failure before it even had a prepared script. After the completion of his novel, Harris promptly dispatched copies of Hannibal to Demme, Foster, Hopkins and Tally for their approval. However, all but
Hopkins expressed passionate objections concerning the apparent gratuitous nature of two of the book’s pivotal plot points. Tally declined the opportunity to write Hannibal’s screenplay, which was then passed into the hands of screenwriter David Mamet. At the insistence of Demme and Foster, who harboured concerns over new character elements, Mamet rewrote the screenplay no less than fifteen times. Hannibal’s troubled script was allocated to Steven Zaillian (whose credits include Schindler’s List) after Foster remarked that Mamet’s screenplay was “too grisly.”
In order to placate Foster and accommodate her rejection of the manner in which her character was portrayed in the original novel and film script, Zaillian revised and removed scenes that the actress objected to. His efforts were for nought; without explanation, Foster retired from the project, along with potential director Demme. Both De Laurentiis and Hopkins were reportedly “outraged” and “furious” with her decision. An intense search to find a replacement for Foster, as well as a new director, was conducted. Supplanting other hopefuls for the coveted role of FBI Agent Clarice
Starling, which included Gillian Anderson, Cate Blanchett, Angeline Jolie and Helen Hunt, Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights) was recruited; her rapport with Hopkins’ was considered a good omen. De Laurentiis, a long-time admirer of Ridley Scott’s directorial skills, especially of his work on The Duelists (1975) and Alien (1979), contacted the British director as he was completing post-production on Gladiator (1999). After a brief meeting with the Italian producer, Scott was commissioned to direct Hannibal with his own inimitable style. Despite its traumatic production history, Hannibal proved to be an unstoppable behemoth at the box-office. Upon its opening weekend Hannibal had grossed approximately $58 million, giving it the distinction of being the third-biggest picture debut is U.S. cinema history, exceeded only by 1997’s The Lost World:
Jurassic Park ($72 million) and 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace ($64.8 million). "Would they give you a medal, do you think, Clarice? Would you have it professionally framed and hang it on your wall to remind you of your courage and incorruptibility? All you would need for that is a mirror.
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Hannibal’s story occurs ten years after The Silence of the Lambs and Lecter’s escape from the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Despite
remaining high on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) now resides in Florence, Italy, masquerading as Dr. Fell, the newly-appointed curator of one of the city’s art museums. Lecter’s anonymity seems assured, until the arrival of an Italian detective, Rinaldo Pazzi (Giancarlo Giannini, whose credits include Lina Wertmuller's satirical 1975 classic Swept Away), who is investigating the disappearance of Dr. Fell’s predecessor. Inevitably, Pazzi learns of Dr. Fell’s true identity; however, instead of informing his superiors that he has discovered the infamous criminal psychologist, Pazzi
decides instead to keep the information to himself. Discarding his moral obligation to serve the public and uphold the law, the Italian detective seeks to apprehend Lecter himself, and obtain the lucrative $3 million reward being offered by the reclusive and malevolent Mason Verger (Gary Oldman, uncredited and unrecognisable under heavy prosthetic make-up). Lecter’s fourth victim and the only one to have survived, Verger was one of the diabolical doctor’s psychiatric patients, being treated, it seems, for his acute
paedophilia and homo-erotic tendencies. During a personal visit from Lecter, Verger was forced to perform an act of self-mutilation, lacerating his face with shards of broken glass while the tendrils of flesh were fed to his dogs. Twisted within as well as without, Verger’s obsession with Lecter is all-consuming and he creates an insidious plot to lure him out of hiding: he will use the object of Lecter’s dark affection, Clarice Starling, as bait. After the rescue of the Senator’s daughter, Catherine Martin, and the killing of Jame Gumb, Special Agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore) was the darling of the FBI. Now, however, both her career and personal life are in sharp decline. When a DEA mission to apprehend a lethal drug baroness, Evelda Drumgo (Hazelle Goodman) fails and precipitates a bloodbath resulting in the death of five people, including a police officer, Starling is unfairly singled out as a convenient scapegoat. Leading the charges of incompetence against her is the corrupt law official, Paul Krendler (Ray Liotta). Krendler, once a fellow agent in Starling’s department, the Behavioural Science section in the FBI’s Quantico Academy, continues to harbour resentment over Starling’s rejection of the sexual advancements he made throughout their
traineeship. Verger has clandestinely approached Krendler in regards to the possible whereabouts of Lecter’s location; as she is the individual who is most familiar with Lecter’s idiosyncratic behaviour, Starling is reassigned to the Behavioural Science division and the case. Slowly and methodically, Verger weaves his perverted web of intrigue and manipulation, content in the knowledge that it is only a matter of time before both Lecter and Clarice meet once more.
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Hannibal is presented in its correct aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is anamorphic. The transfer itself is immaculate and almost qualifies as reference material, bar for a few minor instances. Black levels are wonderfully solid and exhibit great depth, providing exceptional levels of contrast; John Mathieson's cinematography is reminiscent of Jeffery Kimball’s work on
Stigmata, Jacob’s Ladder and Flashdance, with impenetrable blacks and harsh,
blinding whites. The film itself has a strong modern look to it and is profoundly slick, accentuated by Scott’s creative use of slow-motion, digital video, high-speed and still photography. Details, too, are razor-sharp; there is no evidence of edge enhancement. Shadow detail is superb, appearing neither too opaque or dark; indeed, the balance of shadow level is perfect. Flesh-tones are accurate and there is no evident
colour-bleeding or oversaturation. For the most part, the film’s colour palette is muted to keep in line with its modern appearance and consists mostly of steel-greys and washed-out blues. There are no evident MPEG artefacts, nor are there any discernible film artefacts; this print can be deemed pristine. Hannibal is not an action film, yet it does
contain a dynamic shootout near the film’s beginning; despite the high level of activity and rapid cutting, there is no grain. Although there are some isolated moments throughout the film where aliasing is seen - most notably, at 14 minutes and 28 seconds involving a bridge, and a row of seating at 29 minutes and 13 seconds - they proved not to be distracting. The layer transition occurs at 57 minutes and 20 seconds. Logically placed at the end of Chapter 15, it is so slight that it was undetected until the second viewing of this title.
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There are two audio selections available, that of the English Dolby Digital 5.1 and the English DTS 5.1 sound tracks. In terms of comparison, both tracks seem to be
on an equitable level; however, to my perception at least, it appears as though the DTS 5.1 has the slight edge in regards to dialogue and sound and seems to possess both a richer texture and ambiance. This is not to suggest that the Dolby Digital 5.1 is inferior; on the contrary, it provides great ambiance that is essential in producing the film’s ominous mood. Dialogue is firmly placed within the centre speaker and is always clear and easy to understand; in particular, Hopkins’ inimitable Welsh dialect is rich and vibrant,
while Oldman’s rasping voice sounds wonderfully reptilian. In conjunction with the front soundstage, the rear surrounds provide almost constant support; instances where they are truly inactive are rare. For instance, in the scenes where Starling is working within the bowels of the Quantico FBI Building, subtle office noise and distant corridor traffic can be heard, almost outside the edge of normal human perception. Hannibal’s narrative is driven mostly by dialogue and tension, allowing relatively little use of the subwoofer; however, when it is deployed, it makes its presence known to awesome effect. The most obvious example of its devastating use is during the shootout at the Fish Market; there is deep resonance in this scene, courtesy of gunfire, shattering glass, and grinding metal. The rear soundstage also supports the violent exchange with a plethora of noise that will convince viewers they are within a heated street battle. Composer Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, Driving Miss Daisy) has scored Hannibal with a classical, almost operatic, soundtrack which is in sharp contrast to Howard Shore’s composition for The Silence of the Lambs. Shore’s instrumental arrangements were suitably dark and sombre, befitting Demme’s film perfectly. Zimmer’s score is light and melodic, underscoring Hannibal’s ghoulish humour; nowhere is this more apparent than in his subversive - some would say perverse - use of Strauss’ The Blue Danube.
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Overall |
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Hannibal can be viewed on a number of different levels. The film can be regarded as an insight of the corruptibility of the modern world when individuals forsake
morality in exchange for personal gain, whether it be financial, beneficial, or sexual. It can also be looked upon as no more than a slick and sophisticated
slasher film whose inspirations are drawn from Hitchcock’s Psycho and Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. Personally, I regarded Hannibal as a twisted, perverse love story with psychosexual elements and a dark eroticism shared between the film’s main characters, Lecter and Starling. Undoubtedly, Hannibal belongs to Anthony Hopkins. With his smooth, articulate speaking voice, which is both seductive and malevolent, Hopkins brings a sense of
intellectual sophistication that, in a lesser actor’s hands, would be most laughable. Despite Hopkins’ mesmerising performance, there is a dangerous
precedent in the producers’ attempt to transform Lecter from a cold-blooded predator with cannibalistic instincts into an anti-hero, whose motivation to kill, it seems, is governed by his abhorrence of rude and inconsiderate people. In my opinion, this severely weakens the character. One of the aspects that made The Silence of the Lambs so chilling was the apparent lack of motivation for Lecter’s criminal activities; other than the
explanation that he consumed human organs as a means of collecting ceremonial trophies, Lecter’s reasons for his murderous behaviour were purely his own. This “softening” of the Lecter character is but one of Hannibal’s flaws; the other one is the treatment of Starling’s character. Julianne Moore puts in an admirable
performance as Clarice Starling; not for one instance did I envision Jodie Foster in Moore’s role. While it is true that Moore’s Starling is sometimes stilted, this is not due to her acting abilities; indeed, she had to contend not only with the enormous pressure
of fulfilling audience expectations, but also with a film script that was heavily condensed from Harris’ novel, which suffered accordingly. Given the limitations of her supporting role (it should be remembered that Starling, although a pivotal character in the film, is not its focus), Moore is allowed moments in which to shine, most notably in her first phone conversation with Lecter and its finale, where Hannibal’s psychosexual subtext reaches its zenith. Although there are some serious structural problems with Hannibal, I cannot help but love this film. If it was directed by any other than Ridley Scott and the
film was not based on the masterful literary work by Thomas Harris, no doubt would I severely criticise Hannibal. I would recommend Hannibal to anyone who has seen The Silence of the Lambs and enjoyed it. But, under no circumstances, should there be any preconceived ideas about the film’s worth as a sequel. Both The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal beg comparison with each other, however, it is unfair as they are completely different.
LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=772
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And I quote... |
"Slick and stylish, Hannibal’s dark eroticism is infinitely more disturbing than its gruesome content ... A wonderful transfer from Columbia TriStar...
" - Shaun Bennett |
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Review Equipment |
- DVD Player:
Panasonic SC-HT80
- TV:
Panasonic TX-43P15 109cm Rear Projection
- Audio Cables:
Standard Optical
- Video Cables:
standard s-video
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