Charger Arts & Entertainment

Action, suspense, and a man who eats people, presenting Dr. Lecter

Doug Hensley & Brandon Grissom, Charger Staff

Horrifying, suspenseful, page turner...Does this sound like the back of a book? This is the only way to describe the amazing feats accomplished by Thomas Harris in the three modern classics: Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal. Reading a review in no way compares to reading the books, but it is a good start.

In the first novel and the last movie Red Dragon an FBI agent, Will Graham, is trying to use the ingenious mind of physiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter to solve a crime. Graham notices a book in Dr. Lecter’s collection and realizes that he is the murderer. Lecter notices Graham’s suspicion and tries to make him another victim. Lecter is then caught. Later, after Graham’s slow recovery, Jack Crawford seeks help to try to catch the murderer known as “The Tooth Fairy.” Graham accepts this challenge.

Graham notices things that the police do not. He figures out that the killer is using home movies to find his victims.
Red Dragon is a great book yet only deserves three out of five stars. Red Dragon may not be the best book, yet it is the greatest movie of all Hannibal Lecter history.

In the second novel and first movie, The Silence of the Lambs, FBI trainee Clarice Starling is assigned to a case and has to seek advise from the criminal mastermind Hannibal Lecter.

She needs to know about a man known as “Buffalo Bill.” This twisted man kidnaps the daughter of a Tennessee government official.
Starling tells Lecter that if he gives her information, he will be moved to a new cell with a better view.

He does help and gets moved, which eventually leads to his escape.

The Silence of the Lambs is an amazing piece of literature and receives a four out of five star rating. The movie version of The Silence of the Lambs will go down as a modern classic.

In the third novel and second movie, Hannibal, Clarice Starling is on a case to try and catch the escaped Hannibal Lecter. Starling seeks the help of one of Lecter’s old patients, Mason Verger.

She believes that Verger can supply her with information that has never been told. At the same time, Verger is trying to find Lecter himself to torture Lecter as he himself was tortured.

Lecter is captured by Verger, yet he escapes when Clarice shows up. She is knocked out and he saves her and takes her with him. Later, after Starling fully recovers, she and Lecter run off together, not leaving much room for a sequel.

Hannibal by far is the best of the novels and deserves a five out of five star review.

Hannibal, though being the best book, is by far the worst movie. In the movie Lecter cuts off his arm and runs away, leaving Starling behind. This ending leaves room for a sequel.

If you have not yet read or seen this series then we suggest that you go to the library or movie store and check them out today.
Your mind and body cannot be complete without witnessing the magic that is Hannibal Lecter.

Article prepared for the web by Ashley Riley.