• ALL
  • NEWS
    • GAY MOVIE/ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
    • GAY FILM TRAILERS
    • GENERAL MOVIE NEWS & TRAILERS
  • GAY SHORTS & SERIES
  • REVIEWS
    • GAY FILM REVIEWS
    • CINEMA REVIEWS
    • DVD & BLU-RAY REVIEWS
  • BGPS BLOG
  • COMPS
  • ABOUT
    • Contact Us
    • Join The Team
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Gays On Film – A Short History

Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

Hannibal – Season 1 (Blu-ray)

September 1, 2013 By Tim Isaac Leave a Comment

Starring: Hugh Dancy, Laurence Fishburne, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas
Director: Various
Running Time: 550 mins
Certificate: 18
Release Date: September 2nd 2013

When it was first announced that a TV series was in development based around Hannibal Lecter and the other characters from Thomas Harris Red Dragon, there was a lot of harrumphing that it was a travesty and doomed to failure. However the show has surprised many by being very good. It also makes quite a lot of smart moves, not least that despite being named after Lecter, it doesn’t blow its load and become the cannibal freak show – indeed, it’s never even mentioned he is a cannibal, adding a frisson of excitement to the meals he likes to cook for people.

Instead the focus is on Will Graham. In Thomas’ Red Dragon we meet Graham after he’s left the bureau, due to the fact he was almost killed trying to capture Lecter, a man he’d worked alongside without realising he was a serial killer. Hannibal takes us back to those early days when they first met. Graham (as played by Hugh Dancy) is a rather damaged individual with a singular talent for getting into the minds of killers – however this has left him confused, fragmented and in danger of losing himself.

Nevertheless, the FBI’s Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) knows he can help catch murderers and so despite Will’s fragile state, pulls him into investigations. Much of this first season deals with the fall-out for Graham of him having to shoot a serial murderer, which sends him right to the edge, complete with visions and blackouts, leading some to wonder if he’s going insane or whether he has some sort of illness. To help deal with things, Will starts to meet Hannibal Lecter.

Initially having a shrink seems good for Graham, but as we learn more about Hannibal and how he operates – not least that he pre-warned the killer that Graham ended up shooting – his dangerous side becomes increasingly apparent. To Hannibal, everything is like a chess game, where the skill is to move the pieces to where he wants them and watch what happens, which may include being more harmful than helpful to Will. However by focussing on Graham it allows Hannibal to be even more sinister. Indeed, it’s impressive that for a character where we know so much about what happens to him after he’s caught, the show still manages to make him completely mysterious.

This is helped by having the wonderful Mads Mikkelsen in the role, who’s unnervingly calm and calculated, so that while you know Hannibal’s mind is constantly working, it’s impossible to tell what he’s thinking. The rest of the cast is also superb, with Hugh Dancy putting in a particularly impressive performance as Will Graham.

They’ve certainly taken care with the series, giving it an impressively cinematic look and feel, to the point it’s impressive they managed to get each episode together on a TV schedule (and its mix of crisp, clinical cool and organic decay looks even better on Blu-ray, where the picture quality is pin-sharp). And those worried that Hannibal going to TV would completely sanitise the character and the feel of Harris’ books (and the previous movies) will be pleased to hear that the show includes some of the most gruesome and strange imagery ever to make it to US network TV.

I have to say, I went into Hannibal unconvinced about the entire idea of the show, but it won me over, managing to be police procedural, creepy thriller and psychological study, while retaining what was most important about Harris characters – not least that Hannibal is always the smartest, most inscrutable man in the room, and that he’s as intriguing as he is scary. It also makes Will Graham a more interesting character than you normally have at the centre of a crime show. I do wonder how they’ll be able to keep it going over coming seasons, as it’s difficult to see where Will can go, as he’s already right on the edge – although thankfully there’s plenty of room for Hannibal to do his thing. Hell, he hasn’t even met a census taker yet.

Unfortunately there aren’t too many special features, although what’s there is pretty good. The 13-episodes are great though, and well worth watching even if you don’t get much else.

Overall Verdict: A surprisingly good TV take on Hannibal Lecter, taking us back to his early days and making him as mysterious as ever, with Will Graham also turned into a rather fascinating character.

Special Features: Eat The Rude Featurette,  First Look Featurette,  Forensics 101 Featurette

Reviewer: Tim Isaac

Wanna share?:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Flipboard
  • More
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pocket
  • WhatsApp
Overall Rating 7outof10

Related

Filed Under: DVD and BLU-RAY REVIEWS

Leave a Reply (if comment does not appear immediately, it may have been held for moderation) Cancel reply

Search this site:

We're Needy, Be Our Friend

RSSTwitterFacebookStumbleUponMySpace

E-maily Stuff

Get the latest in our daily e-mail

Most Recent Posts

Young Hunter Trailer – First teen gay love takes a dark turn into blackmail

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Trailer – The hit gay, drag West End musical is coming to the screen

Iris Prize Festival LGBT+ International Short Films 2020 – Part 3 (Short Film Reviews)

Iris Prize Festival LGBT+ International Short Films 2020 – Part 2 (Short Film Reviews)

Iris Prize Festival LGBT+ International Short Films 2020 – Part 1 (Short Film Reviews)

The Scottish Queer International Film Festival 2020 Has Opened, & It’s Online Across The UK

The Iris Prize LGBT Short Film Festival Returns Next Week, & It’s Online & Free!

An Apology From Big Gay Picture Show

Win The Miseducation of Cameron Post DVD & Book!

Seventeen Trailer – The vagaries of teen romance erupt in the lesbian-themed film

My Best Friend Trailer – Gay romance flickers between two teen boys

New Sauvage Trailer – The gay prostitute movie that divided Cannes is coming soon

We're Needy, Be Our Friend

RSSTwitterFacebook

E-maily Stuff

Get all the latest from BGPS in our daily e-mail

Blogroll

  • Blinkbox – Gay & Lesbian
  • DoorQ
  • Movie Muser
  • Peccadillo Pictures
  • Peccapics Blog
  • TLA Gay (UK)
  • TLA Releasing (UK)
  • TQS Magazine

Copyright © 2023 Muser Media · Powered by WordPress & Genesis Framework · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're OK with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT