Learning to Love Evil

©Beth Austin, 2001

I'm not interested in seeing the latest in the series of films about Dr Hannibal Lecter, 'Hannibal.' I saw 'Silence of the Lambs' (released in 1991) and thought it an excellent film. It portrayed Lecter as an extremely dangerous sociopath, a person you need to be especially wary of because of his intelligence and charm.

Yes, charm. Jodie Foster did a superb job of playing the FBI agent, Clarice Starling, struggling to keep from being drawn into Lecter's orbit. There is a fascination about evil presented in such a package that makes it hard to resist. I honour Ms Foster for refusing to participate in the sequel.

I read a review of the film, 'Hannibal' that appeared in our local paper, The Northern Advocate, 13 February, 2001. It was from a syndicated column by Dean Goodman of Reuters.

Goodman quotes the producer of 'Hannibal,' Dina De Laurentiis, as saying that this film confers on Lecter 'hero status.' The audience loves him because, 'when he is forced to kill (italics are mine) he kills somebody the audience wants to kill too,' and that the violent scenes 'were staged . . . with irony and humor.'

This latest offering about Lecter seems to have elevated cannibalism to the realm of sacrament, and according to the record-breaking statistics, people are flocking in droves to join the feast.

On the same page with Goodman's review (above) appeared an interview with Brian Cox (by Glenn Lovell, San Jose, California, KRT), who portrayed Lecter in 'Manhunter' which was released in 1986. Cox stated that he was proud that he had 'played Lecter as the character was first described by the author - 'a pure sociopath.''

What is really chilling to me is that the overwhelming acceptance of 'Hannibal' seems to epitomise a trend in our collective societal way of thinking which spans almost two decades; from aversion to(Manhunter), through fear of (Silence of the Lambs), to lust for evil (Hannibal).

Is anyone else worried about this?