MANHUNTER

During the nights of the full moon, strange murders are committed. A serial killer, whom the press will soon dub Dente di Fata (Tom Noonan), enjoys massacring happy families. For this difficult case, the agent Will Graham (William Petersen), who had resigned after an unpleasant confrontation with the cannibalistic Dr. Leckter (Brian Cox), will also be requested. However, it is precisely from the latter, locked up in a psychiatric hospital, that the agent will seek help to solve the case. The director, also a screenwriter along with Walon Green, creates a film that is not very graphic, as the explicit violence on the victims is never seen, but with undeniably dark and surreal atmospheres. Intriguing, for example, is the unusual love story between the killer and the blind girl played by Joan Allen. One of the scenes between the lovers will show her drinking a drink and him standing next to her, morbidly watching the films of his future victims. In general, in this film, the characters are strongly characterized, starting with Dente di Fata, dark and mysterious, Will eager to catch the killer but also frightened given the past events, and Dr. Leckter, a criminal with unimaginable intelligence who merges with cannibalistic madness. The entire film intertwines good and evil, making them pass even between the good crazy and the bad crazy. Absolute good were the happy families living in beautiful white houses and all in order, absolute evil is Dente di Fata with a dark face and a house just as dark. The two characters who are in between are Agent Will Graham, who is on the side of good but is not without faults as he killed a man in the past, and Dr. Leckter, on the side of evil but who helps, if one can say, in part to solve the case. Manhunter, made before the well-known "The Silence of the Lambs," gives us the first appearance of Dr. Leckter. It's a real shame that this figure had such a small role in the entire story. This small role will, however, remain in the mind, as in the following film in which he appears, his character will be significantly elevated in importance and style, giving "The Silence of the Lambs" an extra touch of beauty and madness compared to Manhunter. Furthermore, the role played by Cox will be taken up by Hopkins, who wears it elegantly and surely more appropriately, to the point that Hopkins will become the quintessential face of the doctor. It is obligatory to compare with "Red Dragon," prequel to "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Hannibal," and also a remake of Manhunter. The two are very similar in terms of the plot, except for some sequences in certain scenes and the ending, which I personally found more beautiful in Manhunter. Indeed, the last sequences, although a bit predictable, are more impactful thanks to the atmosphere they create, compared to those of "Red Dragon" focused mainly on action. However, it must be noted that the 1986 film is noticeably slower than "Red Dragon," so for some it might lose a bit of value given the American cinematic habits of recent years. Based on "I delitti della luna rossa" by Thomas Harris and accompanied wonderfully by the music of The Reds, this thriller started a fantastic saga and for that alone is worth noting. Recommended.