Washington, DC (US) & Florence, Italy, c1995. (According to the Thomas Harris novel) it is seven years after Hannibal's escape from his temporary Memphis holding cell. On record he has killed 15 people.
The Film: (A definite improvement over the Thomas Harris novel, on which it is based) Hannibal goes into hiding in Florence, Italy. He is currently on the Bureau's top ten wanted criminals list.
Things aren't going so well for Clarice Starling. Until now she has been riding on the coattails of having heroically-and single-handedly-killed Jame Gumb (Serial-killer `Buffalo Bill' from the previous film "Silence of the Lambs."). Her altruistic reputation is tarnished after a botched drug raid.
Subscribing to various newspapers and tabloids, Hannibal soon finds out about Starling's predicament and resumes communication with his favorite female correspondent. It seems the young secret agent still has some things to learn about her humble origins and the ruthlessness of bureaucratic ulterior motives.
Meantime Hannibal's sole surviving victim, multimillionaire Mason C. Verger, has been plotting his revenge against Hannibal Lector. Mason is a mess. Grotesque face (bad skin grafts do nothing to improve his countenance--Gag!), and an equally monstrous personal psychology have not helped his situation.
Hannibal, Clarice and Mason are brought together thanks to the greedy diligence of the Florentine detective, Rinaldo Pazzi, who figures out that Hannibal is living under the name of Dr. Fell, an art historian and connoisseur.
So much for the set-up of this film's plot. "Hannibal" is not for the squeamish or faint-hearted. Fair Warning: Don't eat anything heavy before seeing it.
The Film: (A definite improvement over the Thomas Harris novel, on which it is based) Hannibal goes into hiding in Florence, Italy. He is currently on the Bureau's top ten wanted criminals list.
Things aren't going so well for Clarice Starling. Until now she has been riding on the coattails of having heroically-and single-handedly-killed Jame Gumb (Serial-killer `Buffalo Bill' from the previous film "Silence of the Lambs."). Her altruistic reputation is tarnished after a botched drug raid.
Subscribing to various newspapers and tabloids, Hannibal soon finds out about Starling's predicament and resumes communication with his favorite female correspondent. It seems the young secret agent still has some things to learn about her humble origins and the ruthlessness of bureaucratic ulterior motives.
Meantime Hannibal's sole surviving victim, multimillionaire Mason C. Verger, has been plotting his revenge against Hannibal Lector. Mason is a mess. Grotesque face (bad skin grafts do nothing to improve his countenance--Gag!), and an equally monstrous personal psychology have not helped his situation.
Hannibal, Clarice and Mason are brought together thanks to the greedy diligence of the Florentine detective, Rinaldo Pazzi, who figures out that Hannibal is living under the name of Dr. Fell, an art historian and connoisseur.
So much for the set-up of this film's plot. "Hannibal" is not for the squeamish or faint-hearted. Fair Warning: Don't eat anything heavy before seeing it.