Red Dragon (2002) - Hannibal Lecter Meeting Scene (2/10) | Movieclips

Will: every time he walks in a room Hannibal: ATROCIOUS AFTERSHAVE

I have a feeling Dr. Lecter didnt really get over the whole getting caught thing

I love how both Graham and Starling have their own unique yet effective ways of dealing with Lecters mind games. Starling seemingly more willing to engage in mental sparring initially with the doctor meanwhile Graham is more no nonsense and straight up stonewalls him.

The man's acting is superb, he doesnt even need to speak and can still make lecter terrifying.

"Do you dream much, Will?" I love how he delivers that line. He's giving a fairly innocent question a hint of danger and malice.

Will: I’m going to pick up ice cream what flavor do you want? Dr Lecter: You should know Will, since it was you who caught me.

"Then how did you catch me?" "You stabbed me in the abdomen."

Most people think that Hannibal's reaction to Will calling him insane is rage, I feel like it's disappointment. You could see Lecter's interest getting piqued when Will said he had disadvantages, but when Will did call him insane, he was disappointed. Disappointed that the only man close enough to understanding him at this point, the only man he considered worth battling wits with, was satisfied with calling him mad and moving on.

Lecter feels very vulnerable in this particular scene. He's extremely aggressive, but I think it's because he's mad that Will caught him. He feels superior in terms of intellect, but he also understands that Will has his own intelligence that matched, even overthrew him. Will deflects all of his manipulation.

I like how Will isn't as susceptible to Lecter's psychological fuckery as Clarice was. It's an interesting contrast that helps to elevate Will's character.

"They wouldn't give me your home address" - Lecter

3:13 I love how he drops the venomous demeanour and jumps into a 'I thought we were friends' tone.

"Insane" made all the blood in his brain boil. At least that what it looked like to me, the expression on his face the second his eardrum registered the word.

Lecter is obsessed with control. He keeps trying to get the upper hand in this interaction - "Let me keep the photos and I might consider it," alluding to threatening Will's family, "You won't persuade me with appeals to my intellectual vanity," trying to get into Will's head with asking about his dreams, "You want to know how he's choosing them, don't you?" (stroking his own ego by pointing out that Will needs something from him), reminding Will what he did to him the last time they worked together...and through it all Will refuses to budge or let Lecter feel in control of the conversation. Good stuff.

The look on Lecters face when Will points out, that Hannibals deficiency is his insanity. Even in Hannibals brilliance, you could tell he had never really considered it. Hopkins is such a great actor...

I loved when Lecter would occasionally slip a southern drawl into his dialect. It made him seem like a snake

The thing I love most about this scene is how its the exact opposite of the Agent Starling scene. In "silence of the Lambs" the camera constantly shifts when Hannibal is getting more dominant. However, in this scene, the camera is almost always at an equal level, even when will is sitting down. There is never a shot with both in frame where one is standing above the other.

Lector's reaction isn't rage. He is a learned man, and is quite capable of diagnosing himself. He often has. Will calling him 'insane' is a statement of fact, Lector can't deny it. Will told Lector that his mental condition lead to his capture, but Lector thinks of his madness as his strength. He was shocked by the revelation.

"Give me the file then." Superb dialogue.

"You haven't threatened to take away my books yet" I love how this is said as an observation and not a question. Lector came to the realisation that the person who put him in the cell didn't have any malice against him, rather he was being treated like a human being. Maybe even with the smallest amount of respect.