Manhunter (1986)

Directed by Michael Mann

Produced by Richard Roth

Starring William L. Petersen, Dennis Farina, Tom Noonan, Joan Allen, Kim Greist, Brian Cox

Now that all the brouhaha over Ridley Scott's (admittedly brilliant) Hannibal Lecter film has subsided, it would be as good a time as any to head back and have a look at the film that started it all. Or, more to the point, faded into obscurity before former Corman alumni Jonathan Demme gave the world "The Silence Of The Lambs". Being firmly stranded here at the arse end of the world (and on a strict budget to boot), the opportunity to re-evaluate Michael Mann's clinical thriller, "Manhunter", has finally winged my way thanks to independent Region 4 distributor Siren Visual Entertainment. My, how times have changed. Who would've guessed that I would appreciate this chilling, faintly disturbing, crime thriller more now, than I first did as a wee young lad of nineteen? Indeed, it is a compelling, engrossing, and gloriously visual, two hours of cinema.

Based on Thomas Harris' novel "Red Dragon", Mann's film follows the investigations of FBI criminal psychologist & forensics agent, Will Graham (Petersen), as he comes out of semi-retirement to track a nightmarish serial killer. Graham's natural ability is his gift (curse?) of being able to place himself within his prey's mindset, merging with fractured psyches so as to define the motives behind their crimes. To delve deep enough to catch them at their own game, by empathising with them at the same psychological level. It is a frightening premise that carries the weight of the understated menace of the Mann's narrative.

His adversary, the ritualistic "Tooth Fairy", may just pose his most dangerous target, forcing Graham to confront his most deadly case, the diabolical Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Cox), as a means of ensnaring his murderous foe before he can kill again. As Lecter plays a disturbing game of "cat & mouse" with Graham, the lunar cycle of the "Tooth Fairy's" ritualistic killing spree looms ever nearer, leaving the clock ticking for the FBI, and time dwindling away for the murderer's next victims. Does Graham have more in common with his nemesis than he is aware? Once locked in the mind of a murderer, can he ever truly return?

A melodramatic appraisal of Mann's theatrical interpretation of Harris' novel, for sure, but unlike a great many of my counterparts, I am not about to trot out the plot of this marvelously understated masterpiece, so as to destroy any surprises it holds for first-time viewers. Suffice to say, do not go into this film expecting the Grand Guignol excesses of Demme's follow-up film, as Mann's stylistics are far removed from the Foster/Hopkins affair. As a matter of fact, Mann directed this film close on the back of his work on his own "Miami Vice" television series, thus visually and aurally prospective viewers will experience something of that series' unique (for eighties television) artistic flair. Go into it expecting a genre-bending police procedural, its soul tainted by the corruption that would later transmogrify into serial killer cinema. Its leads are strikingly effective in their roles, Petersen being the most refined and understated, and Mann's direction is unflinching in its cold, antiseptic distance that it places between its viewer and the events. This is a film so subtly understated that its images become voyeuristically engrossing…

"Manhunter" is one of those films, the deeper one researches into its history, the more unusual the anomalies you discover about its potted theatrical & home video history. By my own reckoning, Siren Visual Entertainment's R4 disc is the second alternating version of the film released in Australia, and the fifth successive version of the film released across its varying formats. In short, the following is the best that I could ascertain of the film's alternative edits:

1. Released theatrically in the US at a running time of 119m.

2. This version was also released theatrically & on Video/DVD in the UK.

3. Released theatrically in Australia with a listed running time of 120m.

4. Anchor Bay released a DVD edition with a listed running time of 118m.

5. AB released two versions of the film on DVD in 2001. The "Theatrical version" at 121m (actually 2m longer than the original theatrical cut & a slightly differently edit), as well as the "Director's Cut" at 124m.

6. Siren Visual Entertainment releases a R4 edition that has a listed running time of 119m (per the original theatrical print). The film proper runs 121:36 and contains the additional scenes present in AB's R1 disc. I am willing to second-guess that this is the new "Theatrical Version" as it is almost 2m longer than the previous Australian version of the film.

But trivia aside, how does Siren's Region 4 disc stack up? Exceptionally well, actually. Authored locally (in Australia, in case you've forgotten that I'm an Aussie) by Madman Entertainment, the disc has very few technical issues (outside of Anchor Bay's version) that are worth drawing attention to. The film is letterboxed at its correct Panavision ratio of 2.35, though is not 16x9 enhanced as noted on the packaging. As I am not one of the elite that spends more money on their home theatre setup than their living expenses, I can happily attest that the image exhibits exceptional detail & clarity on a 68cm screen and the majority of collector's would find little to fault in its presentation. Sure, grain is apparent in a number of passages, and there are other scenes where the image seems somewhat soft, but these are minor niggles. Although Siren's disc does not carry Anchor Bay's 5.1 track, the 2.0 surround track on offer more than does justice to the source material, nicely creating an ambient atmosphere and augmenting Michel Rubini's ethereal score. It was a bit of a pleasure hearing Shriekback's "This Big Hush" (utilised extremely effectively in the film, but admittedly one of Mann's gifts is his powerful use of music to heighten emotion & mood within his screen stories) after all these years. Nice…

For a film released in 1986, to critical disdain, I was surprised to see any Extras with the feature at all, but Siren have gone the extra mile by licensing AB's featurettes for inclusion. "Inside Manhunter" presents recent interviews with the cast, and "The Manhunter Look" is an intriguing interview with cinematographer Dante Spinotti. Also included are the film's theatrical trailer (letterboxed at 2.35), a text based "History Of Hannibal" that compares the two cinematic incarnations of Dr. Lecter (although biases itself towards Mann's film & Brian Cox), and Cast & Director filmographies. Menus differ from AB's edition by utilising the film's original comic strip styled poster artwork as its background, same text font, and a nifty little Chinese character icon to make your selection. Overall, an exceptionally good package, and vastly more impressive than one would anticipate of an independent distributor.

This release bodes very well for Siren's catalogue of genre and arthouse features, both already on offer and still to come. Though, Australian censorship being what it is (ie: wildly unpredictable), don't expect them to release R4 editions of Deodato's "Cannibal Holocaust" tomorrow! All the same, they have put out nice discs of Greenaway's "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover", Lynch's "Eraserhead", Jarmusch's "Dead Man", the Director's Cut of "The Crow: City Of Angels" (a massively under-appreciated sequel), as well as completely uncut editions of Catherine Breillat's "Romance" and Nagisa Oshima's "In The Realm Of The Senses". Things aren't all bad down here, and for those looking for an affordable PAL alternative to AB's "Manhunter" disc, I can heartily recommend you scoot along to either www.ezydvd.com.au or Siren directly at www.sirenent.com.au. :)

Review by M.C.Thomason