Hannibal’s visual style, exploration of
identity, and curiosity about the nature of evil make it a wholly unique
television program. In its second
season, Hannibal toed the line
between over the top lunacy and devastating psychological horror.[1]
In doing so, the show reached for greatness and often found it.
The
producers and directors of Hannibal, led
by showrunner Bryan Fuller and executive producer David Slade, have crafted a
visual and audio language unique to the show. Sights and sounds reflect or
offer a respite from the psychological horror. The sound of rushing water
transports FBI profiler Will Graham (played by Hugh Dancy as a man barely
holding onto his sanity) to a trout stream, where he can fish and find peace. The
sound of plastic grating against his throat allows Will to remember how
Hannibal framed him for the murder of Abigail Hobbs. Rather than try and
describe the visual language of the show, let me offer a brief clip (skip
to 3:10 and just watch the last 15 seconds or so). As Dr. Alana Bloom (the
underused Caroline Dhavernas) falls out the window, the glass and rain glitter
together in the darkness. In the season finale, Will talks to both Lecter and FBI
agent Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) and the show elides their faces
together, casting doubt over Will’s loyalties. These visual and audio
flourishes enhance the atmosphere and psychological brutality of the show.
In its
second season, Hannibal delved deeply
into questions of identity. By the end of the first season (which was the first
ever review
I wrote for this blog), Will Graham, ravaged by encephalitis and the
manipulations of Hannibal Lecter, found himself incarcerated for murder. While
in prison, Will began the process of putting himself back together again. He
soon realized how Lecter had manipulated him. Will worked unsuccessfully (so
long Beverly Katz) to convince others of Lecter’s guilt. Instead he resolved to
lure Hannibal in, but had to offer himself as bait. As the second half of the
season proved, Will never quite regained control over himself and who he was.
He and Hannibal engaged in what Will described as a “courtship.” As the two
grew closer, Will learned Lecter’s methods of manipulation and exploitation,
but at the cost of larger and larger pieces of his soul. By the season finale,
Will could no longer tell the difference between Hannibal and Jack, between
evil and good. Will’s efforts to capture Lecter proved costly as the finale
left Will, Jack, Alana, and Abigail Hobbs bleeding inside and outside of Lecter’s
home.
Mads
Mikkelsen plays Lecter with dazzling restraint. In his understated performance,
Mikkelsen transforms into the personification of evil. It’s not the kind of mustache
twirling evil played by Anthony Hopkins in the moves. Rather Mikkelsen’s Lecter
is curious and introspective. He
mediates on the meaning of existence, his justification for killing, and
playing people off of each other for his own amusement. He lavishes his guests
with the finest meats and wines. He eats the rude. He occasionally bloodies his
hands himself, especially in the finale. He works well with others, manipulating them
into doing his bidding. Why? Because he wants to see what will happen. Lecter
leaves death and destruction in his wake, again especially in the finale. The
season ending bloodbath proves the steep cost that comes from dealing with evil.
In short, he’s Frasier Crane with a taste for human flesh.
Other stray observations
The show makes great use of dark
humor, especially from Mikkelsen. His deadpan delivery of lines like “He’s in
the pantry” to describe a bleeding Jack Crawford or “He shouldn’t have done
that” after an assassin yanked a scalpel out of his leg and bled to death offer
a nice respite from the darkness of the show.
Hopefully Alana Bloom survives the
massacre at Hannibal’s house. The show killed off its other main female character
and has given Alana precious little to do, apart from be manipulated by Lecter.
Hannibal could do better by its
female characters.
The show has centered itself around
the Will-Hannibal relationship. Yet most
of the conflict comes from the introduction of a third party into their
relationship: Will-Hannibal-Jack, Will-Hannibal-Alana, Will-Hannibal-Abigail,
and Beverly Katz, Dr. Chilton, and others.
Despite
anemic ratings, Hannibal will be back
for season 3. I am looking forward to it.
[1]
This season featured one man eating his own face and another his own leg—baked
in clay by Hannibal Lecter.
