Manhunter

For me, this is the best adaptation of any of Thomas Harris' books. I remember reading Red Dragon as a teenager and being hooked, freaked and exhilarated at the same time. When I saw Manhunter a couple of years later those feelings became intensified - this was before Silence of the Lambs and way before Hannibal Lecter became a household name, and the part was played by Brit, Brian Cox.

What made this film so successful for me was manifold: The portrayal of Dollarhyde -the serial killer: This was a man that you felt sympathy for. The fact that the film devoted almost half it's run time to him and his love affair with the blind girl, Reba McLane is a testament to the strength of the story, characterisation and acting capability of Tom Noonan. If Francis Dollarhyde was a one dimensional character then this story could not have worked.

Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecter. I've heard and read plenty of reviews saying that his portrayal as not being as good as Anthony Hopkins. All I can say is that for me, Brian Cox is a far superior Lecter than Hopkins. Don't get me wrong - I have absolute admiration for Hopkins and think that he is a fine actor, but I feel he played Lecter too literally. In Silence of the Lambs, the first time you see him you know, without a doubt, that this is an evil man. When you see Brian Cox, you think that there must be some mistake - the man he portrays is a very amiable, chatty, up-beat kind of guy. You can understand why he was such a successful psychiatrist. It's not until he starts talking to Will Graham -the FBI Investigator, called into investigate the serial killings- and asking him leading questions (like "Dream much, Will?" or "Do you know why you caught me, Will?") that you see something more menacing behind the joviality. This is a subtle performance that rewards countless viewings and acts as a complete contrast to the Dollarhyde character.

And finally, Michael Manns direction: At heart, Mann is a technical director. His shot compositions are coolly calculated but no less effective. Manhunter has a detached feel to it that actually helps intensify the atmosphere of the film. This is a film where there is no black and white - just subtle shades of grey; where Will Graham is only a few steps away from the mind-set of the very serial killers that he's trying to catch. Every shot of this film is deliberate and really pushes the narrative forward whilst framing the action and characters perfectly. Each line of dialog is deliberate and calculated in a way that David Lynch would perfect in his later films.

To me, this is a far superior film than both Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs. It doesn't offer any easy answers, and the characters are far more subtle. I also love the music in the film -my favourite scene being the climatic use of Iron Butterfly's "In a Gadda Da Vida". Manhunter gets better with each viewing and firmly ranks as one of my favourite films!