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This film follows the book's plot in a fairly loose manner most of the way through. In retrospect I wish I hadn't read the book first, as I kept on finding myself thinking "that doesn't go like that". It is fairly tame except for the occasional shooting and Pazzi's disembowelling until the end, when Lecter proceeds to perform a trepanning and brain surgery in an extreme fashion. (You'll know what I mean if you see/read it).
At this point, even I cringed, and it takes a fair bit to do that, especially when I know what's coming! The replacement ending was a million-fold improvement over the book's rather lame one, even though far from perfect.
Jodi Foster, what a shame. I would have LOVED to have seen her take on the role. Her replacement doesn't stand in very well, IMO. She played the character of Clarice well - but I couldn't help feeling that Jodi Foster could have brought so much more to it.
Anthony Hopkins was, as always, excellent. He plays the psychopathic character of Doctor Lecter so well, it's quite spooky. Mason Verger. The make-up didn't do him justice, as far as I was concerned. He should have looked much rawer and unpleasant. They cheated by removing Margot Verger from the plot, and making it so that Mason was breathing without a respirator. This, I feel, took a lot from his character by making him less machine-like.
Cordell. Small part, quite important and played it well.
I note with interest that two key characters were written out of the screen play. Jack Crawford and Ardelia Mapp. Jack Crawford - even though he plays a small part - plays a VITAL part in the storyline. That's all to do with Starling's disgrace within the FBI, which doesn't play such a prominent part as it might do. But this film isn't about politics, it's about Dr Lecter, so they were probably right there.
Clarice was made out to be a much stronger character in this, and was giving "cheek" to senior officers. This I feel was wrong. She never does in the books and I feel never would, respect for senior officers ranks highly in her world.
Blah. I could write so much more....
At this point, even I cringed, and it takes a fair bit to do that, especially when I know what's coming! The replacement ending was a million-fold improvement over the book's rather lame one, even though far from perfect.
Jodi Foster, what a shame. I would have LOVED to have seen her take on the role. Her replacement doesn't stand in very well, IMO. She played the character of Clarice well - but I couldn't help feeling that Jodi Foster could have brought so much more to it.
Anthony Hopkins was, as always, excellent. He plays the psychopathic character of Doctor Lecter so well, it's quite spooky. Mason Verger. The make-up didn't do him justice, as far as I was concerned. He should have looked much rawer and unpleasant. They cheated by removing Margot Verger from the plot, and making it so that Mason was breathing without a respirator. This, I feel, took a lot from his character by making him less machine-like.
Cordell. Small part, quite important and played it well.
I note with interest that two key characters were written out of the screen play. Jack Crawford and Ardelia Mapp. Jack Crawford - even though he plays a small part - plays a VITAL part in the storyline. That's all to do with Starling's disgrace within the FBI, which doesn't play such a prominent part as it might do. But this film isn't about politics, it's about Dr Lecter, so they were probably right there.
Clarice was made out to be a much stronger character in this, and was giving "cheek" to senior officers. This I feel was wrong. She never does in the books and I feel never would, respect for senior officers ranks highly in her world.
Blah. I could write so much more....
working