Red Dragon (2002)

Director:

Brett Ratner

Writers (WGA):

Thomas Harris (novel)
Ted Tally (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 October 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Meet Hannibal Lecter For The First Time

Plot:

A retired FBI agent with psychological gifts is assigned to help track down "The Tooth Fairy", a mysterious serial killer; aiding him is imprisoned criminal genius Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter.

Plot Keywords:

FBI | Hannibal Lecter | Serial Killer | Cannibal | Forensic Psychiatrist

Awards:

3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Anthony Hopkins	...	Dr. Hannibal Lecter
Edward Norton	...	Will Graham
Ralph Fiennes	...	Francis Dolarhyde
Harvey Keitel	...	Jack Crawford
Emily Watson	...	Reba McClane
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Molly Graham
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Freddy Lounds
Anthony Heald	...	Dr. Frederick Chilton
Ken Leung	...	Lloyd Bowman
Frankie Faison	...	Barney Matthews
Tyler Patrick Jones	...	Josh Graham
Lalo Schifrin	...	Conductor
Tim Wheater	...	Flautist
John Rubinstein	...	Dinner Guest
David Doty	...	Dinner Guest

Also Known As:

Roter Drache (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, grisly images, language, some nudity and sexuality.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Brazil:16 | Malaysia:18SG | Iceland:16 | Canada:18+ (Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Austria:14 (Niederösterreich) | Austria:16 (Steiermark) | Belgium:KNT | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

4160 Country Club Drive, Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

In the scene where Will Graham first encounters Hannibal Lecter following his capture of Lecter, it was originally written that Graham would show his fear of Lecter. However, Edward Norton pointed out that his character, Graham, was a seasoned and veteran agent who would never show his fear to Lecter. Brett Ratner then suggested that Graham would be afraid, but wouldn't show it, and they came up with the idea of Graham having massive armpit sweat stains following his encounter with Lecter.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Will is teaching Molly to shoot at the farm, there is no visible recoil when she discharges the revolver. This would be practically impossible with a 357 or 44 in the hands of a novice. There is no flash either, just wisps of smoke. In fact, the gun shakes more while she's cycling the cylinder then when she discharges it. Finally, neither are wearing safety goggles, which as a FBI field agents should be second nature when firing in a range-type setting.

Quotes:

Mr. Fisk: Mr. Crawford, all you got is a hunch. I got three-hundred-eighty-two employees, and they got a union. I can't just turn you guys loose on their files, not without a court order. There are privacy issues here, and the company's exposure.
Jack Crawford: One of those employees has already killed eleven people that we know of. If he gets away tonight, what is the company's exposure on that?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dead by Dawn (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Lament for Javanette

Nothing on Silence of the Lambs and the novel it's based on, but a decent thriller in it's own right.

After the return of the infamous Hannibal Lecter to our screens in 2001 with Ridley Scott's film version of the best novel in Thomas Harris's Lecter trilogy, it's not surprising that a new version of the first novel in the series got an update a year later considering that it's previous screen version, Michael Mann's Manhunter, doesn't fit in with the other two films in the series. I do have to say that this version is both more true to Harris' novel and an overall better film than Manhunter; though it does have numerous shortfalls and has nothing on the masterpiece 'Silence of the Lambs'. The plot is quite similar to the one in Silence of the Lambs, and features a cop on the hunt of a serial killer and receiving help from the incarcerated Hannibal Lecter. FBI Agent Will Graham, the captor of Hannibal Lecter, is called out of retirement to help catch a serial killer dubbed "The Tooth Fairy" by the media. The killer has already slaughtered two families and the FBI believes that another one is soon to join them; meaning that Will Graham has no choice but to ask Hannibal Lecter for help with the case.

The casting is one of the things that many critics pick up on, and that's not surprising. Anthony Hopkins effortlessly slips back into the role that he will always be associated with; although he's far more comical here than in previous Lecter films. As anyone who has read the book will tell you, Edward Norton is completely wrong for the role of Will Graham as the role needed a grittier actor. Harvey Keitel is a great actor, but Scott Glenn from Silence of the Lambs fit the role of Jack Crawford much better. There's nothing wrong with the rest of the supporting cast, however, with Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman all fit into their respective roles well. There's not a great deal wrong with the plot pacing, although the film is a little slow at times and the book is much more exciting on the whole. Certain parts of the plot could have been cut out to streamline the film for the screen, although Ted Tally's screenplay is good in that it does encompass most of the important parts of the book. Obviously this film is always going to come under criticism for not being as great as Silence of the Lambs and it does have nothing on the book, but overall Red Dragon is a decent enough thriller in it's own right and I cant say I dislike it.