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Manhunter
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - MGM Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (16th November 2011). |
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The Film
 I feel ashamed to write this, but here goes: I bought the limited edition 2-disc DVD of “Manhunter” (1986) when it was released something like 10 years ago - and I never watched it. I vaguely recall giving it a shot late one night, but I’m positive my teenage mind wasn’t ready for Michael Mann’s procedural crime thriller. There’s a measured pace to Mann’s films that some people aren’t prepared for. I clearly wasn’t, and I’ve spent the ensuing decade recalling it to be a bore fest that lacked what every film featuring the character of Hannibal Lecter must need: Anthony Hopkins. Of course, I now realize I was totally wrong about everything I just said. This is even more evident if you’re familiar with “Red Dragon” (2002), director Brett Ratner’s paint-by-numbers, dumbed-down version of the same film featuring a scene-chewing Edward Norton and audience favorite Anthony Hopkins as Lecter. It’s hard to even compare the two films since, aside from Hopkins’ role, their totally – and tonally – different beasts. I’m going to avoid turning this review into a comparison of the two films, so I’ll only state that Mann’s film is a strongly-crafted, meticulous study of the procedural work that encompasses a crime investigation, whereas Ratner’s film is a masturbatory love letter to Hopkins replete with overacting and poor direction. I’m not saying it isn’t possible for someone to enjoy both films, but they don’t exist in the same universe in regard to quality. Will Graham (William Petersen) is a former FBI agent who is living in retirement in Florida following a mental breakdown after his capture of the notorious serial killer, Hannibal Lecktor (intentionally misspelled in the movie, played by Brian Cox). A new killer is on the horizon, dubbed the “Tooth Fairy” (Tom Noonan), and Graham’s old boss, Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina), wants Will on the case because he’s the best. Despite his hesitation, Will agrees and slowly lets the details of the case completely consume his life. In order to capture this killer, he has to get inside his mind – and that means paying a visit to his old nemesis, Lecktor, in an effort to see this thing from all sides. Graham’s mind begins to slowly unravel due to the stress of trying to predict the Tooth Fairy’s next move, dealing with an unscrupulous reporter, Freddy Lounds (Stephen Lang), and keeping his family safe from Lecktor’s reach. “Manhunter” was created during a period of time after director Michael Mann had left his successful production post on “Miami Vice” (1984-1990). He put three years of research into writing the film, which is a big part of why it is consider such a seminal film in the crime thriller genre today. That might have also been why it wasn’t received well initially upon release. Anyone familiar with Mann’s films knows that he loves to take his time manipulating the audience, drawing out events until the tension reaches a fever pitch. This isn’t a typical cop/killer film full of expected twists and turns; this is an atypical police drama that examines the depths someone is wiling to go to catch a killer. The script is chock full of heavy police jargon, detective work, criminal profiling and forensic analysis – all the kind of stuff that seems so commonplace now that television’s brimming with shows of this nature. But to make a film so procedural and cerebral back in the 80's? There just weren’t many guys, if any, willing to do it. It only took critics over a decade to realize how ahead of his time Mann was when he wrote the film. The fascination in the material comes almost wholly from William Petersen’s stunning portrayal of FBI agent Will Graham. When the film begins, he’s enjoying a quiet life that he has no intentions of giving up. Jack Crawford is desperate to have Will’s expertise on the case, forgetting that his participation comes at a cost. That cost is the mental toll the case places on Will. The irony is that in order to catch a killer, Will has to practically “become” him, delving deep into the Tooth Fairy’s warped psyche, along with assistance from Lecktor, in an effort to think like he does, desperately trying to find a link – any connection – that could lead him to where he’s going to strike next. The process takes a tremendous toll on his mental state; I thought this was most clearly defined during the scene where Will and Jack argue as the lunar deadline to catch the Tooth Fairy approaches. Jack is willing to concede they’re going to have to accept that another family is about to get murdered, but Will snaps back “…don't talk to me about late, pal! I'll tell you when it's too f*cking late! Until then, we go as late as I wanna take it!” I can easily see “Manhunter” as an influence on David Fincher’s “Zodiac” (2006), another film about a cop who obsesses over a killer to the point that his personal life is severely affected. Petersen completely loses himself in the role of an agent who’s the best at what he does, even though it throws his world into chaos. Petersen has even been quoted as saying that the Graham character’s personality traits crept into him after production had ceased, causing him to shave his head and trim his facial hair off so that he’d be seeing someone different in the mirror lest he become more and more like his character. Anyone who thinks that Anthony Hopkins is the only guy who can play Hannibal Lecter is sorely mistaken. Sure, it’s Hopkins’ signature role, and I think he’s the best actor to inhabit it, but Brian Cox delivers a chilling performance as the mad cannibal here. Cox, a Scotsman, modeled his performance after Peter Manuel, a serial killer who was active in Scotland in mid 50's. A rumor has stated that he gave his audition with his back to the producers, as they felt the vocal tone of Lecktor was more important than his appearance. Cox plays him with all the cool sophistication of an aristocrat, however, the thinly-veiled shroud of madness clearly lurks just behind that soothing tone. Unlike “Red Dragon”, where the Hannibal role was significantly beefed up to give Hopkins more prominent billing, we spend even less time with him here than in “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991). Lecktor isn’t meant to be the audience’s focus; he’s merely a sideshow act that manages to attract eyeballs through the stories of his grim misdeeds. He’s only seen twice in the film – once when Graham goes to visit him, and a second time when the two share a phone call. Otherwise, he remains off-screen, yet his presence is felt throughout. That truly is a testament not only to the work of Cox, but also to the enduring legacy of the character himself. Although it was initially criticized, Mann’s overt use of color to convey emotion & mood is now seen as a major part of why the film is now so highly regarded. Mann, along with director of photography Dante Spinotti, infused many scenes with a specific color palette intended to bring the audience in closer to the characters. As you’ll notice, the scenes that feature Will and/or his wife make use of cool blue filters, whereas those featuring the Tooth Fairy are painted in shades of sickly green. Color has always been of major importance to Mann. He practically ushered in a new wave of style thanks to the flashy pastels of “Miami Vice”, and many could arguably say the show wouldn’t have been as popular without those vibrant hues. With “Manhunter”, the distinct colors allow viewers to associate Will with comfort & warm, even when he’s slowly beginning to unravel. The Tooth Fairy, meanwhile, brings forth feelings of sickness and unease with his putrid palette. He reminds viewers of sickness in the world, the criminal underbelly of society. While these techniques might seem too “on the nose” for some, I love that Mann employed them. It gives his film a unique aesthetic that sets it apart – vastly – from other crime dramas of that period. The manipulation of the audience through editing and color is a technique that Mann has consistently used throughout his career, arguably never more so effective than in this picture. I’d be remiss to not mention the phenomenal soundtrack featured in the film. As usual, Mann makes use of popular hits throughout the film, most notably the track “Heartbeat” (which I think is just a totally cool song) and Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” during the film’s tense climax. The build-up with the latter track as Graham stalks the home of the Tooth Fairy is a particularly tense moment. It’s also interesting to note that many of the songs are used in a diegetic fashion, rather than existing outside the universe in which the film takes place. The decision to do this gives the impact of the songs extra weight, as some of the more active moments of the film perfectly sync with the on-screen music. Perhaps my favorite piece of score from the film is Michael Rubini’s cue, “Graham’s Theme”, which is a brooding, synth-heavy track that I feel is a perfect example of the mood Mann was going for with this film. Fans who have long sought out the soundtrack CD are probably aware that it was never officially released on that format – there was only a release on vinyl and cassette tape. Luckily, specialty label Intrada released a remastered version of the complete soundtrack in 2010. It contains all of the important score cues, as well as the pertinent soundtrack cuts. As some may be aware, “Manhunter” has existed in different edits since its release on home video. The first DVD edition, put out by Anchor Bay, was a 2-disc set that contained the “theatrical” edition as well as a director’s cut with approximately 2-3 minutes of extra footage. The cut labeled as “theatrical” in that set was actually a hybrid version that omits a few minor scenes which were previously present in the version seen in theaters. This new Blu-ray is the first high-definition release of the original theatrical cut of the film. Curious fans can scour IMDB to learn of the changes featured in the various edits of the film. The running time listed for this film comes in at 120 minutes.
Video
I can’t find a great deal of fault with the film’s 2.39:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image. The image has plenty of room to breathe on the dual-layered 50GB disc that MGM has provided. Spinotti’s use of color filters imbues the image with a rich palette that is perfectly captured by this high-definition release. The bold hues that are used result in a picture that’s extremely striking. The film grain looks particularly good here, giving the image some depth and texture without ever obscuring the picture or appearing too artificial. The image beneath the grain is finely detailed, with a very clear look I wasn’t expecting. Hannibal films haven’t been treated too kindly on Blu-ray thus far, so I’m pleased to report this is likely the finest of the bunch in high-def. Black levels have a deeply rich appearance that never wavers. Much of the film takes place in the confines of a starlit sky, so black levels remaining… well, black, is of crucial importance. One thing that people will notice are a couple of jerky edits during the film. The two most obvious examples are when Will is watching video footage at the Leeds’ house and during the climax when the Tooth Fairy has his confrontation with Will. In each scene, there is a noticeably abrupt edit which advances the film a few frames and looks, frankly, terrible.
Audio
Though it’s not an aggressive mix, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit perfectly captures the intended tone of the film. The synth-heavy score is hypnotic in its delivery, particularly those cues scored by Michael Rubini. The soundtrack cuts are what really bring the track to life, none more so than the finale set to Iron Butterfly’s sole hit single. The film relies heavily on the use of sound and song to convey emotions, and the track excels at making sure these cues resonate with the viewer. At times dialogue was a little on the low side. Those levels should have been brought up a few notches so as to be in line with the balance previously established for dialogue in the film. Despite being a surround sound track, there is little activity in the rear speakers. Occasionally, there are some spare, ambient sounds coming from the rears, but more often than not they remain silent. There are French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound tracks included. Subtitles are available in English for the hearing impaired, French and Spanish.
Extras
NOTHING. Sigh… I’m going to make a recommendation here. If you really enjoy the film (and you should), go find a copy of the out-of-print Anchor Bay 2-disc limited edition DVD set. It’s got a ton of bonus features, 2 versions of the film (neither of which are on this Blu-ray) and an insert featuring a replica of the Tooth Fairy case file that Graham uses. It’s a very worthwhile set, and it’s likely the only place you’re going to get any bonus features for the film. I don’t see a reissue of this Blu-ray coming anytime soon.
Packaging
A single disc in an eco-case. The cover art is unbelievably bland. Ok, scratch that, I can believe they’d produce bland artwork.
Overall
The film is a masterpiece on so many levels. Mann consistently proves he’s one of the most original, in-depth, creative directors working today. I know the fact this disc is barebones might scare off a few potential buyers, but the A/V quality is great, and there are other avenues to pursue if you want to see supplements on the film.
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