The Silence of the Lambs
When it comes to Hannibal Lecter , two storey are typically land up -Red DragonandThe secrecy of the Lambs . These are the two original Hannibal Lecter storey , written by Thomas Harris . And whileHannibalhas its fans ( the movie , not the show ) , it is often consider wildly subscript to its predecessors . The less said aboutHannibal Rising , the better .
BothRed DragonandThe Silence of the Lambsreceived terrific movie adaptation , and whileSilenceis manifestly the more respected and famous movie , Red Dragonhas more than enough qualities to make it a worthwhile investment .
Silence: The Dialogue
Part of what makesSilence of the Lambsso endlessly compelling is the dialogue . Much of it was raise verbatim from the novel , but screenwriter Ted Tally tidied it up and gift it a more streamlined , screen - friendly advance .
The tantrum everyone remembers are the I consisting of Hannibal and Clarice . And in these scene , it ’s nothing but two characters address to each other through a prison cell wall . This would come across as incredibly dry in the awry hands , but the dialog rise so captivatingand interesting that eye are paste to the screen .
Dragon: A More “Modern” & Welcoming Cast
When it fall toSilence of the Lambs , most people retrieve Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster . MaybeTed Levine as Buffalo Bill . But for the most part , the cast of characters is comparatively unemotional and insignificant . Compare that toRed Dragon , which contain a far more " cinematic " cast .
Newcomers to the franchise include Edward Norton , Ralph Fiennes , Harvey Keitel , Emily Watson , Mary - Louise Parker , and Philip Seymour Hoffman . Those who prefer more sensation - stud casts ca n’t go improper with the one found inRed Dragon .
Silence: Clarice Starling
As cracking as Will Graham is as protagonist , Clarice Starling remains one step above . Clarice is an interesting eccentric for three main reasons - Jodie Foster ’s playacting , her chemistry with Hannibal Lecter , and her role within the storey ’s paper .
Red Dragonis mainly an vivid study of mystery / horror fiction . And whileSilence of the Lambsis that as well , it is also a feminist storyabout Clarice ’s sprightliness , career , and her place within a male - rule sphere . She is one of the great feminist characters , and she will incessantly remain more impactful than Will Graham .
Dragon: A More Vicious Hannibal
secretiveness of the Lambsis horrifying , but it ( arguably ) made a mistake in Hannibal Lecter . In bothThe Silence of the Lambsbook and other Hannibal - related stories , Hannibal is portrayed as a stone cold sociopath . And while he certainly has his vehement disposition inSilence , Anthony Hopkins may test a small too sorcerous and magnetic for the character ’s own good .
He pervade Hannibal with a sense of friendliness and likeability that peradventure should n’t be there . Red Dragonmore accurately impersonate the smell of Hannibal ’s literary character , and it makes for a far more terrifying baddie .
Silence: Buffalo Bill
It ’s telling that people remember Ted Levine for his portrayal of Buffalo Bill , believe he was greatly upstaged by both Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster .
When it came for the Academy Awards , the Academy recognized both Hopkins and Fosterand ignore Levine ’s contribution to the movie . It ’s a shame , because he make for a fantastical villain . As great as The Tooth Fairy / Francis Dolarhyde is , Buffalo Bill makes for the more memorable and terrific scoundrel . His " app " quote alone has become an iconic piece of movie history .
Dragon: The Atmosphere
Red Dragonis an arguably scarier storythanThe Silence of the Lambs . UnlikeSilence , there is very little affectionateness or " finger good " moments to be found withinRed Dragon . It ’s cold , it ’s violent , it ’s depraved , and it is unrelentingly cliff-hanging .
WhileThe Silence of the Lambsis considered a masterpiece , debate still rages when considering its categorization . Can it be consider a horror movie ? This debate is n’t present withRed Dragon . It is doubtless a horror movie , and its standard pressure is far more forbidding than the one found inSilence .
Silence: Prime Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins is one of the greatest role player of all sentence , and his endowment is on full display throughoutThe Silence of the Lambs . While he ’s certainly good inRed Dragonas well , that performance seemed to be missing a key ingredient . He won the Academy Award forThe Silence of the Lambs;he was n’t even nominated forRed Dragon .
In fact , some critics criticized his performance for being overblown and campy .
Dragon: Ralph Fiennes
Buffalo Bill may make for the more challenging villain , butRalph Fiennes proves a more compelling actorthan Ted Levine . Fiennes is one of the greatest and most democratic actors in late memory , and he gives one of his all - time slap-up performance as Francis Dolarhyde .
Nothing against Levine , as his performance as Buffalo Bill is sinful . It ’s but difficult to compete with the commanding presence of Ralph Fiennes . In fact , Fiennes may prove the greatest part ofRed Dragon , even upstaging the likes of Anthony Hopkins and Edward Norton .
Silence: Hannibal’s Escape
As activity pile asRed Dragonis , it does n’t haveHannibal ’s iconic escape sequence . When it comes toThe Silence of the Lambsand Hannibal ’s character , many citizenry recall and think back the utterly terrifying sequence in which Hannibal make his prison escape .
He kills two guard , disembowels and strings one up on his jail cell , and then wears the others ' face to conceal his own and make his escape in an ambulance . Even to this daylight , that succession stay unimaginably terrifying and grotesque . That’sthe dependable Hannibal Lecter .
Dragon: The Action & Mystery
The Silence of the Lambsdoes whodunit well , but it ’s more of a persona drama than anything else . On the other hired man , Red Dragonis more of a " detective " composition , and it arguably makes the story itself more interesting . The focus is n’t on Hannibal Lecter or Clarice ’s development into a full - fledged and respected FBI federal agent .
alternatively , the movie primarily focus on the action , the following , and the closed book . look on the audience ’s expectations , some may findRed Dragonto be more " interesting , " taradiddle wise , thanThe Silence of the Lambs .
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