Hannibal- Page to Screen

November 7, 2017 erinbook Page to Screen

Before NBC’s Hannibal came out I thought I would never accept a Hannibal Lector other than Anthony Hopkins. To me he was the definitive Hannibal, unbeaten by any who had tried. Enter Mads Mikkelson.

At first glance Mikkelson is an odd looking dude. He’s sort of otherworldly and I didn’t like him at all. Until the show began. Lights, camera, action, and suddenly Hannibal Lector was onscreen before my eyes. Not only that but the way he held himself, the way he spoke, it was like he flipped a switch and suddenly not only was he a different guy but I started to LIKE him. I found him attractive and alluring, just like the Hannibal of the books.

Its strange how the mind can be manipulated but that’s what good acting can do. Suddenly this odd looking man was suave and his skills in the kitchen made me hungry despite knowing EXACTLY what he was cooking. What was wrong with me?

And so I watched, I devoured this show and I despaired when I finished and had to wait for another season. How could anyone wait so long? The thing is that is adaptation of the Lector books is not particularly faithful to the story, but it IS faithful to the spirit.

Brian Fuller is very clearly a huge fan, he paints his canvas with love, each stroke a homage to Thomas Harris’ stories. You can see it in the small moments, the references to Red Dragon and the others put there for fans of both books and films to find. You find one and go, “yes! How perfect, he made that work here” while remaining completely its own.

I will say that the show is incredibly gory, but in an almost artsy way. It’s incredible how almost beautiful some of these murders are, creative even. And yet you should be totally disgusted. My friends and I would even make Taco Bell runs in the middle of watching season 2 because we got hungry. It’s absurd.

In the end I think the show loses a bit of its footing in season 3 and then was cancelled before it had a chance to finish up. It’s sad because I think Fuller could have done so much with a bit more time on NBC’s show list. Still, I bought all 3 seasons and routinely rewatch them as the mood strikes.

I highly recommend this show, though maybe not for younger viewers. It is bloody.

Adaptation Rating