Hannibal (2001)

Hannibal returns to America and attempts to make contact with disgraced Agent Starling and survive a vengeful victim's plan.

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writers:

Thomas Harris (novel), David Mamet (screenplay),

Stars:

Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman

5 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Hopkins	...	Hannibal Lecter
Julianne Moore	...	Clarice Starling
Gary Oldman	...	Mason Verger
Ray Liotta	...	Paul Krendler
Frankie Faison	...	Nurse Barney (as Frankie R. Faison)
Giancarlo Giannini	...	Insp. Renaldo Pazzi
Francesca Neri	...	Allegra Pazzi
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Dr. Cordell Doemling
Hazelle Goodman	...	Evelda Drumgo
David Andrews	...	FBI Agent Pearsall
Francis Guinan	...	FBI Asst. Director Noonan
James Opher	...	DEA Agent John Eldridge
Enrico Lo Verso	...	Gnocco
Ivano Marescotti	...	Carlo
Fabrizio Gifuni	...	Matteo

Storyline

The continuing saga of Hannibal Lecter, the murdering cannibal. He is presently in Italy and works as a curator at a museum. Clarice Starling, the FBI agent whom he aided to apprehend a serial killer, was placed in charge of an operation but when one of her men botches it, she's called to the mat by the Bureau. One high ranking official, Paul Krendler has it in for her. But she gets a reprieve because Mason Verger, one of Lecter's victims who is looking to get back at Lecter for what Lecter did to him, wants to use Starling to lure him out. When Lecter sends her a note she learns that he's in Italy so she asks the police to keep an eye out for him. But a corrupt policeman who wants to get the reward that Verger placed on him, tells Verger where he is. But they fail to get him. Later Verger decides to frame Starling which makes Lecter return to the States. And the race to get Lecter begins.

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Plot Keywords:

italy | hannibal lecter | fbi | fbi agent | cannibal | 

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Taglines:

His genius... UNDENIABLE - His evil... UNSPEAKABLE - His name... UNFORGETTABLE

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong gruesome violence, some nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

MGM Studios [us] MGMawards.com [us] reviews

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Italian Japanese

Release Date:

9 February 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Silence of the Lambs 2

Filming Locations:

Asheville, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$87,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£6,402,540 (UK) (16 February 2001)

Gross:

$165,091,464 (USA) (3 August 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Universal Pictures, Dino De Laurentiis Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several of the extras in the movie and some minor roles in the Florence scenes were recruited by Anthony Hopkins. He also helped to secure some locales for shooting.

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Goofs

Clarice relinquishes her badge and gun in front of Richmond, Virginia's beautiful skyline (standing in for Washington, D.C.).

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Quotes

[Mason Verger is going to have Hannibal Lecter fed to wild pigs]
Mason Verger: You will stay for the evening's entertainment, won't you, Cordell?
Cordell Doemling: If it's all the same to you, I think I'd rather not.
Mason Verger: Rather not? Or *will* not?

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Crazy Credits

As the opening credits end, Hannibal's face can be seen in the formation of pigeons on the ground before they fly away.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #22.35 (2005)

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Soundtracks

"THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT"
Written by Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz

User Reviews

A lot to chew on

Many people were disappointed or flat-out disgusted by Ridley Scott's follow-up to "The Silence of the Lambs." I can certainly understand their disgust, but I preferred this to its Oscar winning predecessor. It had been a long, long time since a movie made me turn from the screen in genuine horror, and I didn't believe it was even possible. "Hannibal"'s deservedly controversial climax took me by surprise. It may have been revolting (okay, it was very definitely revolting) but so few movies these days have any lasting impact and I appreciate that this one did. And it is, after all, about a cannibal, is it not? At some point in a series of films about a man of Lector's inclinations, we should see him at work.

Of course, the horror of the climax is effective because the rest of the film is so good. Hopkins, a little chunkier than the last time we saw him in this role, positively exudes menace especially in his final confrontation with Pazzi (an excellent Giancarlo Giannini whose sad eyes make him the most sympathetic character in the film). Then there's Gary Oldman's Mason Verger who is so contemptible that he never elicits sympathy no matter how he suffered at the hands of Lector. And Julianne Moore is an improvement over Jodie Foster who I have always believed was overrated.

But the best thing about "Hannibal" is the atmosphere in which Scott and his team envelop the story. A cloud of dread hangs over this film, and beautiful Florence, Italy, though still beautiful, appears haunted by Lector's very presence in the city.