6 Little Known Tics That Made Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal So Captivating
3. The Fact He Hardly Ever Blinks
Look closely and you’ll find that throughout his short amount of time gracing the screen in The Silence of the Lambs, Hopkins hardly ever lets his Hannibal blink. Considering that the average human being blinks somewhere between 15 and 20 times a minute, his unwavering stare is no mean feat and adds an extra layer of thoroughly disconcerting intensity to his performance.
On the odd occasion that Hannibal does close those steely blue eyes of his, it’s done very deliberately almost as if it’s a conscious decision – a flirtatious yet condescending wink directed at Clarice, a cursory and unimpressed glance downwards while checking her credentials, that dramatic and practically orgasmic closing of his eyes as he’s inhaling and identifying Clarice’s scent.
There’s something quite reptilian and predatory about Dr Lecter’s almost perpetual gaze like he’s sizing up his prey and like his neat and tidy hair, tailored uniform and aura of self-possession. It’s another brilliantly executed aspect of Hopkins’ performance that suggests Hannibal is a man who is in total control, even over something as natural and seemingly involuntary as the act of blinking.