Rating of
3/4
More Than Worked For Me
MaceeRae - wrote on 12/15/11
While this film is not as finely filmed as the newer look at the same subject matter, I like it. The stylized look works for me, it's copied and used in many films and TV shows of today...think CSI. For pure visual impact, nothing beats the Freddie Lyles scene in this film. I like William Peterson as Will Graham, he's a precursor to many modern day profilers. Having the colors of his wardrobe be so radically different when at home, and when at work, speaks volumes. I saw it when it first hit the theaters in 1986 after having read Thomas Harris' "Red Dragon", and I enjoyed this telling of the Harris novel. It is said that Michael Mann in hindsight wasn't too fond of it himself, but that doesn't deter me from liking it, it entertained me, it appealed to me; I enjoyed the acting, I enjoyed the cinematography, the contrasting of color, and the use of lighting to tell the story; it hit all the marks for me, and that's all I ask a film to do.
