M anhunter and Red Dragon are two similar movies that are based on Thomas Harris' novel. Even though the two products are inspired by the same novel, they exhibit differences in their respective screenplays. Considering that Manhunter was produced in 1986, the release of Red Dragon in 2002 is considered to be a remake of the former. As much as the two movies have the same storyline, differences emerge in their climaxes where Mann uses empathy to develop the story while Ratner fails to do so. Also, while Mann sticks to the details of the novel, Ratner’s version adopts a purely serial killer perspective. With this concern, Manhunter is superior to the Red Dragon due to its ability to balance a serial killer aspect with genuine depth, and empathy.
The two movies are similar since they are adapted from the same novel. In both films, Graham who is a former FBI profiler is called back from his retirement to help the department catch a serial killer. This decision was arrived at following the existence of several family murders whenever there was a full moon, and the FBI department had been struggling to profile the killer. In the two Movies, Graham is the hero who cleverly extorts information from Hannibal to get to Tooth Fairy. In fear of protecting his family, he pretends to be an inconspicuous consultant to understand who the serial killer is. However, his cover is blown when Lounds catches him on camera while visiting Hannibal. Even though Hannibal pretends to help Graham, he also conspires with “Tooth Fairy by providing him with Graham’s home address” ( Lecter, 2016). It is through this act that Graham and his family becomes the potential target for murder. After establishing similar character roles, the two movies then go forward to adopt different ways of portraying a showdown between the hero and the villain.
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One way Manhunter tramps Red dragon is through character development. The film director is more focused on anchoring the storyline on sympathy rather than the mere physical appearance of characters. It is through this concept that Harris (2013) postulates that Ratner’s version is more direct and not explorative. For instance, Mann introduces Dolarhyde one hour after he starts interacting with the protagonist ( Harris, 2013). On the other hand, Ratner introduces Dolarhyde into the play early enough and goes on to portray him as a significant protagonist in the entire play. In detail, Ratner explicitly describes how the character develops from an ordinary man into a monster by describing his tattoos and the overall physical look. Through this distinction, it is evident that Mann focuses on developing characters through their psyche which is a stellar style of making the film captivating. Since Ratner’s version is focused on exploiting the external characteristics of the characters, it lacks sympathy and may be considered boring by a portion of the audience. With this knowledge, it is no secret that the original version of the play is more superior to its remake.
Also, Mann’s ability to anchor his storyline on empathy makes his version superior. As much as the two films are similar, they manifest key differences when it comes to their respective climax. It is through these differences that Mann exhibits his prowess in the filmmaking arena. For instance, he depicts the showdown between the villain and the hero to take place in Dolarhyde’s home but does not fail to acknowledge Reba’s perils ( Harris, 2013). However, Ratner’s failure to incorporate this concept in his version makes his plot predictable and more direct. For instance, when he portrays Dolarhyde to outwit Graham, it is evident that Reba will be in danger. Even though Ratner partially incorporates empathy in his play, he only uses it as an aid of developing the story. This is contrary, to Mann’s version since empathy has been used throughout the film. By anchoring the story on empathy, Mann adjusted the plot so that it not only elicits shock but also nurtures a great sense of anticipation in its climax. With this knowledge, it is worth arguing that Manhunter is superior to its remake version.
Also, Manhunter has a powerful style due to its plot development abilities. The use of sparse visual aesthetic in Mann’s version makes it more impressive since the audience can easily understand how events unfold. For instance, the plot relies on synth soundtracks which helps to create proper intimate connections in the screenplay. On the other hand, Ratner’s film is essentially bombastic and scary which poses challenges in understanding the plot. For instance, at one point, there are repeated boring conversations between Graham and Hannibal, but the essence of these meetings is not brought out clearly in the play ( Donnelly, 2018). Even though Mann’s version is less scary but its ability to develop characters through effective conversations makes the audience to understand the storyine much better. Even though Ratner uses scary scenes to build the plot, he fails to properly incorporate important tools that can promote the mood and suspense of the play. For instance, his failure to incorporate soundtracks while Hannibal is in prison makes the setting look less debilitating. Through these details, it is worth concluding that Manhunter is superior to its remake version.
Also, Manhunter is superior since the storyline is strictly based on the concepts elicited in the adapted novel. With this concern, it is evident that the film is driven by an objective and a genuine purpose. This is contrary, to Ratner’s Red Dragon which seems to lack direction. In analyzing this two films, it is also worth acknowledging that the original Red Dragon novel is too detailed to fit into a short movie. However, Mann’s ability to incorporate these aspects in his film makes him superior to Ratner. For instance, the Manhunter film concludes much earlier than the novel with Graham neutralizing Dolarhyde in time before any harm is perpetrated to Reba ( Harris, 2013). Even though the film recognizes the transformation of Dolarhyde, it does not fail to describe his relationship with Reba. With this aspect, the movie incorporates the novel’s showdown by representing the villain’s ultimate tragedy. Therefore, Mann’s ability to manifest Graham as a character who truly understands his entire assignment and the tragedy made the whole film objective and founded on the concepts of the novel. However, this concept is not fully explored in the Red Dragon film. For instance, Ratner does not fully acknowledge the psychological difficulties that Dolarhyde encounters and the reasons behind his unacceptable behavior. Also, fails to incorporate the main ideas of the source material by rendering Graham unable to save Reba from the villain’s ill intentions. Through this aspect, Red Dragon lacks a rhythmic flow and purpose in its plot.
In summary, the Manhunter film directed by Mann is superior to Ratner’s Red Dragon due to its objectivity and proper development of the plot. As much as movies are focused on reaching out to the audience, it is important to base the plot on concepts that can easily be comprehended. For instance, Mann developed his characters diligently by incorporating empathy in the storyline. On the other hand, the Red Dragon’s inferiority is brought up by its failure to base its plot on the main idea of the novel. Therefore, it is through these concerns that we can conclude that Mann’s version of the novel is superior.
References
Donnelly, A. M. (2018). The Serial Killer. In Subverting Mainstream Narratives in the Reagan Era (pp. 85-95). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Harris, T. (2013). Manhunter (film). The Brian Cox (actor) Handbook-Everything you need to know about Brian Cox (actor) , 315.
Lecter, A. H. (2016). 14 Psychoanalysis and beyond. Approaches to American Cultural Studies , 156.
