Manhunter
Almost everyone has heard of Silence of the Lambs and most would have heard of its sequel Hannibal. Then we were given Red Dragon the sequel to Silence of the Lambs. However I’d put money on not everyone knowing about Manhunter, this film came before all the others and was one Michael Mann’s early films in his directorial career.
In my opinion Manhunter is the best of all of these films and instead of making Red Dragon should have been re-mastered and re-released in the cinema. Like all of Mann’s work this film is dripping in style. From exaggerated colours and neon to washed-out monotone and sometimes almost black, the photography is used to create the good and evil elements of this story.
This film is also a classic thanks to its cast. In the lead role in the film we have William Peterson (best known as Gil Grissom in CSI Las Vegas) playing FBI criminal profiler Will Graham. The person bringing the films psychotic killer to life is Tom Noonan who is assisted in his evil crimes by Brian Cox who gives Hannibal Lecktor his first big screen outing.
If you haven’t seen this film it’s an absolute must and even though one of Michael Mann’s early films it’s one of his best.
My Michael Mann Top Five:
- Heat
- Manhunter
- Collateral
- Miami Vice
- The Insider
by Jay
