2. Doctor Hannibal Lecter (Silence Of The Lambs / Hannibal)
In whatever incarnation we see him; Hannibal Lecter is a serial killer with lots of charm. Despite the main ingredients of his lavish menus (tell me you haven't watched the utterly brilliant
Hannibal TV series and thought I want to go to one of his dinner parties despite what 'meat' he's serving?), taste for fine wines, classical music, tailored suits, the opera and art, he's a man he chooses to kill people and eat their organs. Perhaps terrible isn't severe enough a term to describe his predilections... In terms of this article, I'm talking about Anthony Hopkins' iconic film performance. We're still in the early days of Mads Mikklesen's version and Brian Cox's
Manhunter Hannibal was already in prison. But Hopkins' Hannibal has done the prison thing. By the time we last saw him in
Hannibal, he was dining on Paul Krendler's brain on a plane to some foreign destination and offering morsels to an unsuspecting child passenger. Hannibal Lecter is so good at what he does; you want him to get away with all the atrocities he causes. Wearing a man's face to make his escape in
Silence Of The Lambs? Sick or cool? Probably a bit of both, but we all secretly enjoyed that shocking moment. And having Doctor Chilton for dinner in the film's closing moments? Perhaps we're all a bit sick because we had a big smile on our face, despite knowing Chilton's fate. That's because Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter charmed the pants off us. While the sequel didn't have the magic of 'Silence', Hopkins was on fine form as always. Getting away with murder (for the hundredth time) at the end ensured that Hannibal the cannibal truly got away with terrible things. There have been rumours of a sequel over the years, perhaps with a return of Will Graham, teamed up with Clarice Starling to take down Hannibal once and for all. I should have added that to my recent article about
movie franchises that could have turned out better. As it stands however, Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal ultimately got away. And with Madds Mikkelsen now taking on the iconic role on TV, I guess that's the way the movie Hannibal will stay, drinking fine wines and eating fine people all the way into his retirement...