Hannibal Rising - 2007

Young Hannibal Productions, Carthago Films S.a.r.l., Dino De Laurentiis Company

Directed by Peter Webber

Cast:

• Hannibal Lecter – Gaspard Ulliel
• Lady Murasaki – Li Gong
• Mischa Lecter – Helena-Tia Tachovska
• Inspector Popil – Dominic West
• Vladis Grutas – Rhys Ifans
• Enrikas Dortlich – Richard Brake

Story: How do you make a monster? In this last film and earliest prequel to the character originally introduced in Manhunter, we begin in 1944, in Lithuania at Castle Lecter. The Nazis and the Soviets are approaching one another, and Hannibal's father moves the family from the castle to their hunting lodge a few miles into the woods, hoping to avoid the fighting. That hope is shattered when a Soviet tank bursts into their clearing to pump water from their well, only to be spotted by Nazi aircraft. The planes begin a strafing run, the tank machine gunner manages to shoot down a plane before he is killed, and the only survivors are Hannibal and his sister, Mischa. They are in the lodge only a few days when a group of looters who have been working for the Nazis break in and hold the children hostage, thinking at first they will use them as leverage if they are discovered by the Soviets. They have no food, and soon they decide to eat one of the children for survival. Next we cut to Castle Lecter, which has been transformed into a “People Orphanage” where Lecter is one of the orphans. Singled out by a bully for refusing to speak, Hannibal is locked in a storage room below the Castle where he escapes, and discovers some letters and photographs of his mother's that reveal he has an uncle and aunt in Paris. He travels to Paris, and Lady Murasaki, his aunt, takes him in. Hannibal decides to attend medical school and shows a great aptitude for the profession, but within him is his growing desire to avenge the murder of Mischa.

Review: Here is the foundation of madness. The tale of Hannibal Lecter is a grisly and dark tale, but here we actually sympathize with him. He is a boy who loves his sister very much, so much he attempts to defend her against the invading looters. He is only about 10 years old, much too young to fight off five armed men, and their violation of the boy and his sister is nothing short of monstrous. Even in time of war, there is no excuse for the horror these men perpetrate on the children, and these are the seeds planted in Hannibal's mind that create the character we are so familiar with. The cast is primarily European, which gives us another perspective into the creation of our sociopath, and the introduction of Lady Murasaki and ancestor worship creates the dimension needed for Hannibal to avenge the death of Mischa. The film begins in horror and ends in horror, and is perhaps the most chilling of the five films about our character. Gaspard Ulliel gives a haunting performance as the young Hannibal, Li Gong is impressive as Lady Murasaki, and Dominic West is equally intriguing as the investigator of war crimes who knows but cannot prove Hannibal is killing the criminals. And perhaps this is the reason we sympathize with Lecter. This monster preys upon monsters. If you think about it, most of the people Hannibal kills, with the notable exception of the two police officers, two ambulance personnel, and the tourist at the airport in SOTL, are criminals, murders, child molesters, and worse. While we are not privy to the full list of Hannibal's victims, we see a purpose in his killings. Overall, this is a chilling tale that completes the Lecter series, and one that is a must see for fans of the films and Harris' novels. Rated R for the same reasons as the previous films, and definitely not the fare for the younger members of the family. Collectible for the lovers of the series.