Red Dragonwhere it all began
When it was released in cinemas in 1991, Jonathan Demme’s thriller The silence of the lambs it is a great critical and commercial success. But above all it immediately establishes itself as an untouchable classic of cinema. Splendid crime film and exceptional psychological horror thriller, no one is wrong to applaud The silence of the lambs and the unforgettable shows of its two main actors Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.
At the 1992 Oscars it became the third film in history to win the award “Big Five“, or the five main awards: best film, best director, best adapted screenplay, best actor and best actress. Only New York-Miami by Frank Capra (1934) e One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Milos Forman (1975) had already achieved this performance, and no other since.
This masterpiece is the adaptation of the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris published in 1988, the second part of a tetralogy dedicated to the character ofHannibal Lecter, former psychiatrist and cannibalistic murderer. Before The silence of the lambsso there was a first novel, Red Dragonpublished in 1981 and adapted for film in 1986 by Michael Mann in The sixth sensewith Brian Cox in the role of Hannibal Lecter (renamed Lecktor for the occasion).
The success of its sequel The silence of the lambs it is such that it makes Michael Mann’s film invisible. This makes it even easier for Brett Ratner to start a new adaptation of the first novel in 2002: Red Dragon.
A prequel after the sequel
Red Dragonstarring Edward Norton as FBI agent Will Graham and Anthony Hopkins in his cult role, it was released only a year later HannibalFollowing The silence of the lambs successfully performed by Ridley Scott. Without delay, the audience is taken back years before the events between Clarice Sterling and Hannibal Lecter.
In 1980, FBI profiler Will Graham managed to arrest Doctor Hannibal Lecter, known as “Hannibal the Cannibal”. His boss Jack Crawford brings him out of retirement because only he can unmask a serial killer who strikes on full moon nights. But to unmask this new killer, Graham will need the brilliant mind of his terrifying enemy: Hannibal Lecter…
As happens in The silence of the lambsIf the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter is the story’s key antagonist, he is another assassin being hunted Red Dragon. Here, nicknamed in VF”The little mouse“, he is a schizophrenic psychopath named Francis Dolarhydealmost mute and abused as a child.
Ralph Fiennes at Anthony Hopkins level?
We must pay homage to Edward Norton, who in a role historically preceding that of Jodie Foster in Clarice Sterling, nevertheless has to put himself on the level of this one. In fact it is to her that we compare him, and not to William Petersen who played Will Graham The sixth sense. The actor does it perfectly, and without reaching the same heights as The silence of the lambshowever, he succeeds in the intense ambiguity of his relationship with Hannibal Lecter, his enemy and his “partner” in the investigation he is conducting.
But it is precisely around these two characters that something happens. With great characters played in particular by Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman. And especially Ralph Fiennes, totally terrifying – and even touching – in his incarnation of Francis Dolarhyde.
This one, terribly shy, with his lips blocked by a harelip, constantly crushed by terrible personal suffering, torn apart by his schizophrenia which makes him fall in love with his work colleague as much as she imposes on him the impulse to kill her, the English actor composes it a phenomenal performance. In a completely different genre, the opposite of Hannibal Lecter’s intelligence, control and subtlety, Francis Dolarhyde is childish, uncomfortable, deeply unhappy. And above all delivered to a dementia over which he has no control.
Far from this Hannibal Lecter/Anthony Hopkins model, Ralph Fiennes is nevertheless up to par a very high level of play. Ultimately, it’s not the relationship between Edward Norton and Anthony Hopkins’ characters that gets noticed the most. But that of those played by Ralph Fiennes and Emily Watson. She plays Reba McClane, Francis’ blind co-worker who falls in love with him.
A very successful but underrated thriller
Red Dragon is a hit in theaters with a worldwide box office of $209 million of recipes. Emily Watson and Ralph Fiennes have been nominated and awarded several times for their performances. But after the success, even more importantly, ofHannibalafter the unsurpassable The silence of the lambs in the background and in front The sixth sense which over the years acquires the status of Cult film, Red Dragon appears today almost anecdotally in the series of adaptations of Thomas Harris’ novels.
Added to Netflix on June 16, 2024, Red Dragon thus has the opportunity to regain popularity, driven by the solid performances of its cast, and in particular by Ralph Fiennes who signs one of the most surprising performances of his rich filmography.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
