This was on the movie channels late one night whilst I was just browsing the net and reading some of your reviews. The film did not seem to have been given much positive publicity after its release in the cinema. With such low expectations to begin with, to be honest I barely paid any attention – in fact I’d already missed the beginning bits, but as the film developed, I became intrigued. So much so, that the next time it was due to come on, I hit the record button (it was a bit late for me, showing at 2.50am). I’ve watched it properly since then, which prompted my review.


Story

Gripped by the Hannibal trilogy, I’m sure many of us have wondered what really happened to Hannibal, what he was really like as a child and how he became the way he is. Hannibal Rising was written and made to finally answer all those questions. Our little Hannibal was once a very happy, ordinary child, living with his rich parents and baby sister in a huge castle out in Lithuania. Then World War 2 hit their doorstep, and the family was forced to flee. Hannibal’s parents were killed, just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. With only his little sister left, Hannibal was left cowering inside the small house that was supposed to be their safe house, but not alone for long. Some men showed up taking over their shelter and desperate for food. What happened next would haunt Hannibal for the rest of his life, and leave him “hungry for revenge”.

I had been warned that the film was very slow starting and drags on unnecessarily. This I did not find. To the contrary, I found the pace to be just right. The one trouble I had was that a lot of significant detail was dealt with in a subtle manner and could easily be missed by a lapse in concentration. If you just wanted blood and guts with no proper story, you’ve picked the wrong film. As with all the stories of Hannibal, this is about more than just pure violence and adrenaline rushes. It is a thriller that delves into how a person can be affected by their experiences in different ways. Hannibal's aunt (by marriage), Lady Murasaki, plays a good part for comparison here, given that her experiences have also been painful, but she focuses on making the best of what little she has left (including Hannibal). On the other hand, Hannibal's traumatic memories leave him putting all his energy into an obsession with revenge. Although not as intensely gripping as I might have hoped, the film certainly has you looking for a possible turning point, in spite of the fact you probably already know (unless you’ve never heard of Hannibal) what is going to happen.

Admittedly, some of the fascinating mystery surrounding the more stony character of Hannibal is smothered by this film, if you actually try to connect the two. To be honest, I enjoyed this film whether as a part of that series or not. It goes so far back in time that, although not very convincing and perhaps a little far-fetched, it is still somewhat credible that Hannibal could have been such a different person in his youth. As a big fan of Hopkins’s Hannibal, I had started out thinking I’d never enjoy this because it wasn’t the real thing, but it was actually very unique and simply not the same thing. It stands well as its own horror.

Characters/Acting

Although, it seems, many have been critical of it, in my opinion, Gaspard Ulliel’s intense and original portrayal of Hannibal is what saved the film, and in my mind made it worthwhile. I'll admit he is quite attractive, and has the most captivating eyes I have seen in a while, but he is also so well adapted to his character that it is a wonder that in an interview he mentioned choosing not to stay in character off-set. Frankly I think most actors would find it quite hard to step in and out of this role so easily and smoothly, without slipping up from time to time. My advice, when watching is film, is to try to put Anthony Hopkins to the back of your mind and see this film as a completely separate entity. The two are much too far apart in age and experience for there to be many similarities you can really expect, but you may otherwise find yourself frustrated by how different this actually is. What we see from Ulliel in this film is a far more passionate and emotional character, often acting as much out of a twisted form of love as hate.

The child Hannibal, Aaran Thomas is also very good, although his part was not so big, it was very memorable. He plays Hannibal aged 8. He is a bit too much the perfect child, or perhaps being so young I was not around when kids were capable of being so emotionally mature and caring towards others. Still, it helps us to see the more human side of this character.

The character of Lady Murasaki gave the film a fairytale element, but do not be fooled. She also lost her entire family, but to Hiroshima, and she understands just as well Hannibal’s pain. She is protective, but really wants to save him from his own hate. Li Gong gives the character grace and inner strength, which to still be alive after what she’d been through, I guess you’d expect. Although she is a warm, kind and emotional character, she is far from being weak, or slushy. I did, however, wonder from time to time whether I had accidentally stumbled upon a love story, rather than the horror I was expecting.

The focus could have been on Inspector Popil, played by Dominic West, who is trying to stop Hannibal before he kills again, and again. Since the other Hannibal films tended to be made from the perspective of the police, trying to learn more about him as they investigate crimes, this angle too would have worked. But it would defeat the whole object of the film, which was to finally see the world from Hannibal’s eyes and understand his behaviour. He was hard to read, but he too had a tough past relating to the war and a strong interest in bringing war criminals to justice, so this could have been a good angle to develop. If a sequel-to-the-prequel (oh dear) were ever to be made, I imagine it would do better to follow this route. West seemed to give conflicting expressions of how Inspector Popil felt about Hannibal, which made the story all the more interesting, if a bit confusing. It also creates question marks at the end of the film.

The people he pursues for revenge are also played by some relatively famous actors (Kevin McKidd, Richard Brake, Rhys Ifans..), and people you might not normally expect in these roles. Perceivably the worst of them, Grutas, played by Rhys Ifans shows up as a probable leader of the gang. His remorseless behaviour and arrogance make him a perfect candidate for what should be the climax of the film (much of which is actually left to the imagination). Somehow, I didn't think Ifans's acting fully reflected a particularly deep level of evil, although possibly we needed to understand that even he was human, but he certainly played a convincing villain, as did the others.

Film qualities

The whole atmosphere, the lighting and soundtrack of the film is sombre, and it barely picks up throughout. I guess that is why those who just want to sit back, relax and enjoy a good violent movie are likely to switch off very quickly. This film is trying to recreate the story of a very painful life. As such, this is not your average horror movie or thriller even. The intensity created by the background music and gloomy scenes actually does not make it any scarier. In fact, although you may cringe a little at the more gory scenes (most of which you see nothing, but can imagine), you are unlikely to be scared - not by Hannibal, anyway. In fact, with all its effects, the film falls across a number of genres and while I’d normally resent the confusion this can cause, I think it works.

Conclusion

This is not just a film to be enjoyed passively. I think you really need to pay attention and be prepared to concentrate on all the small details, because (as was the case when I saw this the first time around and was barely watching) if you miss any part of it, scenes will stop making sense. You may actually need to watch it more than once to really appreciate it, but for some, this will not be appreciated at all, because it does not just “cut to the point”. Try not to give up on this one too quickly if you are watching, because it is really all or nothing. Some will be disappointed, but personally, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will remember its scenes for a long time after. To be honest, I’d hope for another follow up from this film in future!

A lot of people probably won't or didn’t like it, but this review explains why I did.