I recently purchased the DVD Hannibal Rising. I am a huge fan of the entire Lecter series and was expecting this movie to be as spellbinding as the other three. What I found was a movie so far from the book that it left more than a lot to be desired.
Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris was one of the best books in the Lecter series. It gave Hannibal Lecter a face beyond that of Anthony Hopkins. It rooted the character in reality and forced me to better understand how Hannibal the Monster was created. The book explained a character history filled with intrigue and sorrowful loss. Harris managed to capture all of the questions one could ask about a young Hannibal and answer them completely; from his superior mind to where he learned to create such realistic and wonderful art. For me, the Hannibal Rising addition to the Lecter series was the best move Thomas Harris could ever have made.
Inevitably, as a Lecter fan, I was thrilled when the movie was released. After watching each chapter multiple times, I was ready to view the complete story from beginning to end. I gathered some soft drinks and a few yummy snacks. I put on my favorite pajamas and put the children to bed early. I was in for an all-nighter. First up Hannibal Rising, then on to Red Dragon, next Silence of the Lambs and finally Hannibal; twenty minutes into Hannibal Rising and I was falling asleep.
The DVD story of Hannibal Rising is so far from the novel that it has difficulty even keeping a fan interested. The story began well into the book, large sections of truly important storyline was deleted while small parts of the story were drawn out for what seemed like forever. By the end of the movie, I had explained more to my husband (not a reader) than he watched on the screen.
What truly disappointed me about the DVD version was the gore. Sure, Hannibal Rising (the book) is a gory novel. There are blood splatters from the first page through the epilogue, but why focus only on the blood. The novel offered an important history of a man viewed by some to be one of the most romantic men every portrayed in book or film. While the film pushed him out into the audience as a mere monster.
One positive I must impart about the Hannibal Rising (DVD) was the character choice. The actor portraying Hannibal encompassed Lecter’s mannerisms brilliantly and Lady Murisaki was true to written character. But, with my applause does come a bit of finger wagging as well. I had a bit of trouble picturing Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal Rising evolving to Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. I believe it a bit far fetched, even with age progression, that this young Hannibal would become Hopkinsesque.
I was truly disappointed by Hannibal Rising (DVD). The thought of having waited for so long to purchase this DVD upsets me tremendously. My money was wasted on a half-baked version of a truly great story. Blood and gore sells in Hollywood, that has been established, but Lecter fans are more than Hollywood. We are a cult of intelligent minds expecting to see our favorite character given justice on film; this DVD came no where near close!
