Best Hannibal Lector

[Mane'o]

Someone made the bold statement in an unrelated discussion thread here that Brian Cox gave the better interpretation of Hannibal Lector than did Sir Anthony Hopkins in his academy award winning performance. I open the door to what may become endless frivolous debate, that while Cox, in some aspects - creepiness, menacing physical demeanor (though of cours that was more the product of the lighting director, cinematographer, make-up, etc) - gave a one-of-a-kind performance nearing perfection, that Hopkins, taking all aspects into consideration, gave the overall superior performance. Could anyone have delivered the line on fava beans any better than he did?

 

[Snail Shell]

Hannibal Lecter has been played well in each interpretation. He fits the tone and era of each film.

Another example would be the Joker. The Joker has been played near-perfectly in every iteration, because he fits the Batman of that era. Romero, Nicholson, Hamill, Richardson and Ledger (among others) have all done fantastic jobs. Like Hannibal Lecter, one is not better than the others.

SS

 

[ZenTickling]

Manhunter is overrated in my opinion, but Brian Cox wasn't bad. I think Hopkins was creepier.

 

[Leo tickles]

Hopkins played the character exactly like I would have in that role, so I'll go with him as the "best" one in my opinion.

 

[Wolf]

Hopkins was great in the first film, although he skirted the edge of camp a little too closely. By the time they got around to the completely unnecessary remake of Manhunter, he had gone over the line into caricature. Manhunter was no Casablanca, but Red Dragon was a piece of crap.

Brian Cox's Lecter was much truer to Thomas Harris' character; He wasn't creepy. He was just too brilliant and evil to be categorized, and that made him all the more terrifying. But since he only played the role once, perhaps it's unfair to make the comparison; we'll never know if he could have been urged to go over the top the way Sir Tony undoubtedly was.

OCD Film buffs note: Brian Cox's character was Dr. Lecktor.

 

[pfromptown]

I'd have to sit on the fence like most people and say they were both great. Hopkins loses points for coming back solely for the buck in the sequels, something that Jodie Foster was wise to avoid - they all had shitty scripts and though I suppose working with Ridley Scott might have been tempting, there was simply no motivation for him to do Red Dragon apart from the dollar. It's probably the best role of Cox's career, but he loses points because he could probably have done with more screen time (Which of course, he couldn't do anything about but it nevertheless affects people's judgement of his role in the film) and he didn't have a good a folly as Foster was to Hopkins in Silence: the guy playing the cop in Manhunter was so forgettable I can't even remember his name. I was very disappointed with Manhunter, considering it was a Michael Mann film I found it more than a little boring and even though the cinematography and soundtrack were great and both villains were well played, the rest of the cast sucked, which leaves for characters it's hard to care about.

 

[Amnesiac]

Cox does the most realistic Lecter. Hopkins does the most entertaining Lecter. Even Hopkins admitted in an interview that he played the scene with "as much relish" as he could. The whole "fava beans" lip sucking thing was a gag he improv'd out of boredom and it wound up in the finished film.

Manhunter is a piece of overblown, garish, melodramatic 80s shit but Cox is the sole saving grace. I think people liked it because they found Silence of the Lambs too polished and Hollywood so for some reason Manunter gets "street cred" by default. Michael Mann didn't come into his own until the late 80s/early 90s, and his stuff beforehand is EXTREMELY dated.

And I don't blame Hopkins for coming back to Hannibal. I blame Steve Zaillian, the same screenwriter who fucked up the American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo script. Besides, it was RIDLEY FUCKING SCOTT. Who the fuck WOULDN'T say "yes" to him?

 

[Jagermeistered]

Hannibal Lecter has been played well in each interpretation. He fits the tone and era of each film.

Another example would be the Joker. The Joker has been played near-perfectly in every iteration, because he fits the Batman of that era. Romero, Nicholson, Hamill, Richardson and Ledger (among others) have all done fantastic jobs. Like Hannibal Lecter, one is not better than the others.

SS

I love this opinion! 😀

 

[Jagermeistered]

Cox does the most realistic Lecter. Hopkins does the most entertaining Lecter. Even Hopkins admitted in an interview that he played the scene with "as much relish" as he could. The whole "fava beans" lip sucking thing was a gag he improv'd out of boredom and it wound up in the finished film.

Manhunter is a piece of overblown, garish, melodramatic 80s shit but Cox is the sole saving grace. I think people liked it because they found Silence of the Lambs too polished and Hollywood so for some reason Manunter gets "street cred" by default. Michael Mann didn't come into his own until the late 80s/early 90s, and his stuff beforehand is EXTREMELY dated.

And I don't blame Hopkins for coming back to Hannibal. I blame Steve Zaillian, the same screenwriter who fucked up the American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo script. Besides, it was RIDLEY FUCKING SCOTT. Who the fuck WOULDN'T say "yes" to him?

Why are you bashing the artist, and not the substance?

 

[venray]

Remakes and most sequels suck ass, so I know not who Brian Cox is....never watched....never will..

 

[Capnmad]

Remakes and most sequels suck ass, so I know not who Brian Cox is....never watched....never will..

Then don't watch Hopkins. 🙂 Brian Cox's Hannibal Lecter in "Manhunter" (1986) predates Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs" (1991). "Red Dragon" (2002) was based on the same book as was "Manhunter".

 

[venray]

Still never heard of Brian....

 

[Wolf]

Still never heard of Brian....

I guess that means he doesn't exist, then....

 

[Jagermeistered]

Okay...

 

[c7_assassin]

Anthony Hopkins is the only Hannibal Lecter, and Jodie Foster is the only Clarice Starling. Full stop.

 

[Amnesiac]

Why are you bashing the artist, and not the substance?
- Jaegermeistered

Because the worst thing about Hannibal was the script. You had some of the best actors, best camera departments, best production artists, and SIR RIDLEY FUCKING SCOTT at the helm. And yet all that talent had to go in the direction the writer put it. And since this writer has fucked up other movies (though not as badly as David Goyer), I blame HIM. Had the artist been somebody else--sayyyyyyyyyy David Mamet, William Goldman, or Joss Whedon--the movie wouldn't have sucked as bad.

 

[Jagermeistered]

Because the worst thing about Hannibal was the script. You had some of the best actors, best camera departments, best production artists, and SIR RIDLEY FUCKING SCOTT at the helm. And yet all that talent had to go in the direction the writer put it. And since this writer has fucked up other movies (though not as badly as David Goyer), I blame HIM. Had the artist been somebody else--sayyyyyyyyyy David Mamet, William Goldman, or Joss Whedon--the movie wouldn't have sucked as bad.

Understood... 🙂

Economics of the Arts, can suck... 🙁

 

[c7_assassin]

Because the worst thing about Hannibal was the script. You had some of the best actors, best camera departments, best production artists, and SIR RIDLEY FUCKING SCOTT at the helm. And yet all that talent had to go in the direction the writer put it. And since this writer has fucked up other movies (though not as badly as David Goyer), I blame HIM. Had the artist been somebody else--sayyyyyyyyyy David Mamet, William Goldman, or Joss Whedon--the movie wouldn't have sucked as bad.

Mamet was one of the screenwriters. I remember reading at the time that they threw out his script and brought in Zaillian because Jodie Foster had a problem with her character... but then she decided she didn't like Zaillian's script either and walked away from the project.

I blame Ridley Scott. He's talented, but he's never been good at telling small-scale stories. It's all aliens and gladiators and enormous battles. Zaillian wrote Schindler's List. I give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[venray]

I guess that means he doesn't exist, then....

Not to me.....lol

Anthony Hopkins is the only Hannibal Lecter, and Jodie Foster is the only Clarice Starling. Full stop.

This....