Hannibal Rising
Tuesday, 13 Feb 2007 14:37
Gaspard Ulliel in Hannibal Rising
Directed by Peter Webber, out at cinemas now, starring Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li, Rhys Ifans, Dominic West, running time 117 minutes
In a nutshell…
Shadowy, brooding, bloodthirsty avenger's tragedy
What's it all about?
The latest film in the highly lucrative Lecter franchise is the story of Hannibal Lecter's evolution from war orphan to serial killer.
Lithuania, 1944. The aristocratic Lecter family flee their ancestral home and take shelter from the German army in a remote hunting lodge. After witnessing the violent deaths of his parents, the young Lecter scion Hannibal is left to care for his beloved younger sister Mischa, protecting her from the cold and hunger of a bitter Soviet winter. The children soon face new horrors as their home is invaded by a ragtag squadron of starving Nazi mercenaries – men who soon turn to cannibalism to survive.
Years later, Hannibal Lecter grows into a frighteningly intelligent young man under the care of his uncle's widow, the beautiful and compassionate Japanese noblewoman Lady Murasaki. Haunted by nightmarish memories of his sister's death, he begins a bloody quest to track down the men who killed Mischa, descending as he does so into a dark world of torture, murder and madness.
Who's in it?
The film is for the most part thoughtfully cast. Gaspard Ulliel at first moves with a hunched, brooding intensity, later adopting an insouciant grace as Hannibal grows into a self-assured, courtly adult. Although his performance can't compare with Anthony Hopkins' iconic portrayal in The Silence of the Lambs, Ulliel's facial features are actually far closer to the Lecter described in Thomas Harris' books. With sleek dark hair, hypnotic eyes and deep red, full lips he exudes an arrogant and almost vampire-like elegance.
Gong Li, last seen by Western audiences giving a deliciously serpentine performance as the malevolent Hatsumomo in Memoirs of Geisha, is dignified and elegant as the melancholy Lady Murasaki, but ultimately the thin characterisation leaves her little to work with.
As an example…
"His heart died with Mischa. What he is now there is no word for it; except monster." Parisian detective Inspector Popil follows Hannibal's early legacy of violence.
"You don't observe the human pecking order, Hannibal. You are always hurting the bullies." The headmaster of the Soviet orphanage in which Hannibal lives after World War Two berates his pupil.
"Rudeness is endemic, my lady." Hannibal presents Lady Murasaki with gruesome evidence of his revenge on the ill-mannered.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
Highly unlikely. The costumes and set design have their moments, but the script is often thin and the direction for the most part uninspired. These flaws are however unlikely to detract from the film's potential as a money spinner as the Lecter name is all but a guaranteed box office draw.
What the others say
"How did Hannibal Lecter become a liver-munching serial killer? Prequel Hannibal Rising attempts to explain, and while you may not be convinced, you'll certainly be grossed-out." BBC movies
"Like that census-taker whose liver he famously recalled eating in The Silence of the Lambs, it tries to explain Hannibal Lecter and gets absolutely nowhere." The Telegraph
So is it any good?
The overwhelming feeling of Hannibal Rising is one of wasted potential. It's never quite as scary, dark or emotionally engaging as it intends to be; though there are interesting flashes throughout of what could have been a much better film. There's an intriguingly Oedipal relationship between the young Lecter, Lady Murasaki and the police officer who watches Hannibal's decline into depravity; the three bound together by the losses they have suffered – Lady Murasaki in Hiroshima, Inspector Popil mourning family lost in the Holocaust. The pathos of their respective situations is never fully bought out, however, and weak characterisation leaves the viewer unsatisfied.
While the set design is atmospheric, the post-war scenes in Stalinist Lithuania never fully achieve their attempted mood of paranoia and darkness, and in fact the entire production feels somewhat rushed and badly edited.
Lacking either the psychological subtleties of Silence of the Lambs or the Grand Guignol theatrics of Hannibal, the audience leaves the theatre still hungry. As a standalone, formulaic revenge thriller it's engaging enough, but as an addition to the Lecter canon it's the cinematic equivalent of a side dish of wilted, overcooked vegetables next to a nice juicy filet mignon; or a corked Chianti with that infamous plate of liver and fava beans.
5/10
Rebecca Malings
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