Manhunter
1986, R, 119 min. Directed by Michael Mann. Starring William L. Peterson, Kim Griest, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, Tom Noonan.
REVIEWED By Marjorie Baumgarten, Thu., July 26, 2001
Michael Mann is in top form here helming this bone-chilling thriller based on the novel by Thomas Harris, whose fiction also provided the source material for Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Although it is the least widely seen, Manhunter may be my favorite among these Harris serial-killer adaptations. Mann wrote the screenplay as well as directing, and it was stylishly shot by gifted cinematographer Dante Spinotti. The story places Peterson as an ex-FBI agent, who is called back into service to track down a particularly elusive serial killer. Peterson's skills as a tracker, of course, rely on his ability to get inside the mind of the killer. Mann uses all his skills as a filmmaker to usher the audience inside this twisted no man's land.
A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.
Manhunter, Michael Mann, William L. Peterson, Kim Griest, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, Tom Noonan
