Manhunter (1986)

Former FBI profiler Will Graham returns to service to pursue a deranged serial murderer named "the Tooth Fairy" by the media.

Director:

Michael Mann

Writers:

Thomas Harris (based on the book "Red Dragon" by), Michael Mann (screenplay by)

Stars:

William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Petersen	...	Will Graham
Kim Greist	...	Molly Graham
Joan Allen	...	Reba McClane
Brian Cox	...	Dr. Hannibal Lecktor
Dennis Farina	...	Jack Crawford
Tom Noonan	...	Francis Dollarhyde
Stephen Lang	...	Freddy Lounds
David Seaman	...	Kevin Graham
Benjamin Hendrickson	...	Dr. Frederick Chilton
Michael Talbott	...	Geehan
Dan Butler	...	Jimmy Price (as Dan E. Butler)
Michele Shay	...	Beverly Katz
Robin Moseley	...	Sarah
Paul Perri	...	Dr. Sidney Bloom
Patricia Charbonneau	...	Mrs. Sherman

Storyline

Will Graham is a former FBI agent who recently retired to Florida with his wife Molly and their young son. Graham was a 'profiler'; one who profiles criminal's behavior and tries to put his mind into the minds of criminals to examine their thoughts while visiting crime scenes. Will is called out of his self-imposed retirement at the request of his former boss Jack Crawford to help the FBI catch an elusive serial killer, known to the press as the 'Tooth Fairy', who randomly kills whole families in their houses during nights of the full moon and leaves bite marks on his victims. To try to search for clues to get into the mind of the killer, Will has occasional meetings with Dr. Hannibal Lecktor, a charismatic but very dangerous imprisoned serial killer that Will captured years earlier which nearly drove him insane from the horrific encounter that nearly cost Will's life. With some help and hindrance, Will races against the clock before the next full moon when the 'Tooth Fairy' will ...

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Plot Keywords:

serial killer | hannibal lecter | neo noir | fbi | profiler | 

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Taglines:

(reissue) Hannibal Lecter's legacy of evil begins here.

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Red Dragon: The Curse of Hannibal Lecter

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,204,400, 17 August 1986, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$8,620,929

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG), Red Dragon Productions S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 124 min (director's cut) 85 min (video)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The studio wanted Michael Mann to re-team with Don Johnson, the star of Mann's show Miami Vice (1984), but Mann wanted William Petersen who he had worked with on Thief (1981). Jeff Bridges was also discussed.

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Goofs

FBI man Will Graham attempts (sucessfully) to play a 3/4-inch video tape in a VHS machine.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jack Crawford: We should have talked at the boatyard. You don't wanna talk about it here.
Will Graham: I'm not fallin' all over myself to talk about much anywhere, Jack.

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Alternate Versions

As well as the line about Lecktor being called a psychopath missing from the conversation between Graham and the Police Chief, also missing is an important bit of info regarding Lecktor's history. When the Police Chief says 'He killed nine people didn't he', Graham answers with 'nine that we know of, two didn't die' and the Chief asks, 'What happened to them', then immediately says 'I heard he cut you pretty bad'. However, in the original theatrical version, Graham answers the question, explaining that one is an alcoholic, the other is on a respirator in Baltimore.

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Connections

Featured in The First Lecktor: An Interview with Brian Cox (2016)

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Soundtracks

THIS BIG HUSH
Performed by Shriekback
Courtesy of ARISTA RECORDS LIMITED and ISLAND RECORDS, INC.
Written by David Allen, Martyn Barker, Barry Andrews and Carl Marsh
Published by POINT MUSIC, LTD.

User Reviews

Above Average Thriller

When watching Manhunter I was a little underwhelmed, I was hoping for more. Saying that it is above average and a solid serial killer/cop thriller.

Manhunter was based on the book Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, the first film about Hannibal Lector. and led to the films of Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon (a remake) and Hannibal Rising. This was Michael Mann's baby-steps into theatrical film making after television work, and led he to direct excellent films like The Last of the Mohians, Heat, the Insider and Collectial.

The plot of film was Will Graham (William Petersen), an expert profiler, who is called out of retired by the FBI to investigate a serial killer, the Tooth Fairy, who had brutally murdered two families in the Deep South of America. Graham is reluctant at first but he scene of duty makes him get involved with the case. After some early success, the case becomes stuck and the intelligence serial killer Hannibal Leckter (Brain Cox) is enlisted to help. Things take a further twist when the the Tooth Fairy starts to communicate with Leckter and the FBI investigation becomes a race against time because the Tooth Fairy kills his victims on the full moon.

The acting is top-notch. I thought William Petersen was better suited to the role of Will Graham then Ed Norton was. Brain Cox was chilling as Hannibal and did do well in the role, and overall I think Cox is a better actor then Anthony Hopkins. Other good actors were involved in this film, such as Joan Allen, Tom Noonan and Dennis Farina. The tone of the film was more understated then the other entries in the series, and realistic in performances. You get to see the psychological battle within Graham, but I thought the dream scene wasn't needed. Michael Mann also shows that he is a good set-piece director, to gun battle, to the attempted police set-up and the torture scene of a reporter. Some other aspects I like was you didn't get to see the Tooth Fairy until the middle of the film and you done get to see what drives him or even much about him. Compared to Red Dragon their is a scene when you hear the Tooth Fairy getting psychologically tortured by his guardian when he is doing weight and that felt clichéd. Also in Manhunter, it attempts to humanize the villain and show he was intelligence; like a serial killer in real life you most possibly wouldn't know of what he gets up to. However, watching the film, it felt a little heartless and therefore you lose some of the feelings of engagement with the characters and the events. Also, the soundtrack was awful.

Grade: B-