October 8, 2015

With the 3rd and now final season of NBC’s HANNIBAL now complete, and ending with a full on adaptation of RED DRAGON, the book in which we were first introduced to the character of “Hannibal the Cannibal,” a funny thing happened. Despite the fact that we’ve now had 4 actors portray this iconic horror legend, I now see only Mads Mikkelsen as the definitive Hannibal. Bold words, I know! And even I’d be the first to admit my skepticism with the Danish actor taking over such a recognizable role that Anthony Hopkins absolutely owned in the cinematic versions of Thomas Harris’ books. When the first season of HANNIBAL started, I couldn’t even fully understand what the hell Mads was saying for the first few episodes without turning on the subtitle option. (Which is something I instinctively do on everything these days anyways, because I don’t want to miss anything!)

But I’d say somewhere in the half way point of that first season, I truly started to appreciate Mads subtle performance. This version of Hannibal was a pure manipulator. He enjoyed setting things in motion, just to see what would happen. He could camouflage his murders for the sake of cannibalism by emulating and copying other active serial killers. And most interestingly, in this version, he has a strange, bordering on erotic connection and deep love & admiration with Will Graham, the man whom in the books is destined to catch Hannibal. By season 2, I fully embraced Mads version of Hannibal. And while I always used to think of Anthony Hopkins in that jumpsuit while discussing “fava beans and a nice bottle of Chianti,” I’ll be damned if I didn’t push that memory to the back of my mind by the time we reached the shocking and bloody conclusion of Season 2.

Season 3 has unfolded as an amalgamation of both Harris’ HANNIBAL and RED DRAGON novels, and by the season’s mid-point, we see a captured Lecter exactly in the same way in which we first met him. But it’s interesting having context finally. When Will Graham first comes to visit Hannibal in “The Great Red Dragon,” episode 8 of Season 3, we’ve now got several years of history between the two characters that we’ve experienced over the course of 2 previous seasons. It makes that confrontation all the more powerful and interesting. And while no one can possibly fully and totally understand Hannibal Lecter, seeing Mads in that cell was the first time where I felt I knew this character better than I ever had before.

I’ve appreciated other Hannibal Lecters.’ I rather like how coldly and angry Brian Cox portrayed the first cinematic version of Hannibal in Michael Mann’s MANHUNTER. And while I didn’t initially like HANNIBAL RISING upon its original release, I recently revisited it and even found things to like about Gaspard Ulliel’s performance. This video below showcase 3 different performances all culled from the same sequence.

When you hear “Hannibal Lecter,” who do you think of now? For me, it’s Mads Mikkelsen. Who’s your favorite, definitive version of Hannibal Lecter? Sign off by taking the poll below!