Manhunter, directed by Michael Mann, is about a former FBI profiler named Will Graham (William Peterson) who agrees to help out his former superior, Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina) catch a disturbing serial killer known as the "Tooth Fairy" (Tom Noonan), but not without the help or insight of Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox). When a book gets turned into a movie, there seems to be a predetermined acceptance that not everything from a novel is going to be able to be put into film and that changes to the plot is not uncommon. Tom Perrotta is aware of that when speaking to Ruth Maxey by stating that when he- or when an author- transfer their rights to a film company, they (company) have the ability to change any element they so desire. He continues by saying he accepts that reality because "If you want to just own the novel and have it be yours forever, then don’t transfer the legal rights to someone and say, “Give it a try,” because the minute you do that, it seems a little bit selfish to then say, “Hey, what did you do to my baby?”. The reason why I felt it was important to include Perrotta's thoughts is that for his book that turned into film, Election, he is aware that the ending to the film is completely different than that of his film. Manhunter also presents changes made from the novel Red Dragon. For instance, in the novel, Francis Dollarhyde - the "Tooth Fairy"- and his blind co-worker Reba (Joan Allen) actually have a conversation about the zoo, which leads to Reba being able to touch a tiger, but in the film, it comes up as an awkward sequence as something that Dollarhyde and Reba do on the way home. Also, Tony Williams makes a point when he talks about the climax presented in the book to the movie. In the novel, he describes the climax as bleak, in which Graham is isolated and cloaked in darkness; however, in the movie Graham is returned to daylight and has his wife and son next to him, thanks to Mann's decision to do so. This just shows the creative liberty directors and screenwriters have to make the film their own, allowing viewers to recognize their own style. Mann has no issue using the color blue throughout the entirety of the film. When it comes to the color blue, it usually is associated with or represents power, wisdom, seriousness, and intelligence. With that said, this color is used and matched perfectly in the film when things got intense, intimate, serious, or when a powerful being or thoughts were being presented in the movie. Both Williams and Marten Carlson are able to catch this as well. Williams talks about how "This colour has ironic overtones as Crawford has already mentioned the lunar patterns that influence Dollarhyde's activities" as well as mentioning that Graham's wife is bathed in blue when he calls her for reassurance and when the both are them are in bed before he leaves to start investigating. Carlson also connects the bathing in blue for the bed scene, but also catches on the fact that all night shots/scenes incorporate blue to essentially represent moonlight. Mann's intentional use of blue hues/tones are intentional and have become a trademark in this film and others of his, creating an established visual cue for himself, which is actually pretty cool. Overall, I enjoyed watching this movie. For starters, I was not aware that there was a film previous to The Silence of the Lambs, that introduced the character of Hannibal Lecktor, so it was an interesting thing to learn about. Also, I genuinley liked the 80s vibes I got from watching the film from the choice in music, clothing, and music. Other than that, I'd reccomend it to those who find Lecktor and interesting character to analyze, who like crime movies or tv shows that deal with profiling, or simply a fan of Mann's work. Thanks for reading another one of my FILM talks!
Here is where I was able to gather my information: Manhunter Turns 30- Marten Carlson Senses of Cinema - Tony Williams Manhunter Commentary Color Wheel Tom Perrotta in Conversation about Literary Adaptation – Ruth Maxey found within Adaptations Now textbook
5 Comments
Mary Kajmowicz
3/16/2019 10:48:32 am
I think you make a valid point about the expectation of a movie adaptation being a different version of the book. Mann did have an amazing talent of using color or symbols to get a point or mood across to the viewers. Thanks for a great post!
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Miranda Miscinski
3/16/2019 01:03:35 pm
I enjoyed reading your post, and I think it is very valuable that you mentioned the process of adaptation. It is sometimes difficult to remember that the film Manhunter originated as a novel, and that the other movies that we are watching this semester were adapted as well. This raises an interesting dynamic between the plot lines and their portrayal from book to movie, something that is worth considering! Some of the scenes in this film that you mentioned above seem to have differed from the book Red Dragon. I think that this is important to keep in mind, and that it would be interesting to analyze the two and their differences side by side!
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Alexandria Paulson
3/16/2019 05:04:28 pm
Great analysis! I found the introduction of Hannibal very confusing, but I've also never watched Silence of the Lambs. I feel like there was something I was missing because Hannibal knew Graham, but were not told how far/deep their relationship is. I'm sure this will be answered next week when we watch Silence of the Lambs.
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Jordan Diedrick
3/17/2019 05:21:45 pm
It was interesting hearing the thoughts of a writer who's works had been adapted into movies. Most times, I find myself on the side of "the book was better," but there are a few instances where I prefer the adaptation. If done right, it can be just as compelling as it's prose source while also being something entirely different. I also found the different colors used and how they fit into the story to be very interesting. In particular, there was something unnerving about Hannibal being always shown in white settings. I tend to associate white with innocence or purity which a person like Hannibal is the farthest from and thus makes it seem like he's perverting it. Another great analysis!
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Brian
3/18/2019 09:49:24 am
Good work overall here, Victoria. You offered some strong visual examples of your ideas, as well as addressed adaptation concerns. Nice job!
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