I agree, and I recently watched my DVD of it and WOAH I need to upgrade to the Blu Ray, because the earlier cuts of this film are kind of done a disservice when watched on modern HD/4K TVs. Either that or I need to adjust for "soap opera effect" again.
None of the performances in Red Dragon are better acted than here, the casting on this film was sublime. In particular, Tom Noonan's potrayal of Francis Dolarhyde was one of the greatest acting performances of all time; he made a psychotically deranged killer appear both disturbingly frightening and utterly pathetic both at the same time; that he could take such a despicable man and make him into a sympathetic character and a vulnerable human being is testament to that.
You can tell by the way he tells the story, He is totally absorbed and involved in the character to the point where he is becoming emotional just talking about it.
It's a pretty amazing accomplishment to star in two of the very best crime movies of the 80s. "Manhunter" and "To Live and Die in LA" are as good as they get.
This guy is Graham. After his performance I just couldn't get thru Red Dragon with Norton in it. Norton was so unconvincing that it was laughable. I remember when Silence of the lambs came out and I was hoping Peterson would be in it as well. They should make a film with Graham and Starling in it today.
That new TV show basically tries to make up for the fact that the actor is unable to show the range needed for the character. They compensate for this by showing the crimes taking place visually in his mind. Petersen conveyed this with acting skill alone.
Kind of like a where are they now? that would be interesting, I mean, which hannibal do they get? both hannibal lecter's were very good but i think if they used both starling and graham, then it should be just be them, and nobody else.
@@RRL110 He sure did. I'm a fan of Manhunter, and I thought the acting was first rate. Haven't seen the remake w/ Norton, but it doesn't sound like a good casting choice.He doesn't have the depth of Petersen. You need it to anchor the narrative.
This was and still is one of my favourite films ever made, not just of the crime thriller genre, but for the ability Mann has to create such believable characters, forensic sets and style that was so unique for its time. Just a real one off. A true gem. Lucky enough to see this at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood when it came out. I was 14, on holiday from the UK. The film had such an impact on me.
MANHUNTER is one of the all time great underrated masterpieces. On the surface, Demme's grubby, naturalistic, isolated environments as used in Silence of the Lambs is a much better fit for the Thomas Harris serial killer material, but somehow Mann's high gloss 1980s atmospheres work really well.
One of my favourite actors and movies from the eighties, as good as silence of the lambs, especially Brian Cox as Lecter, he is cool as less is more and the brooding under current of the relationship between Will and Lecter.
Manhunter is my 2nd fav film after another Michael Mann movie, Heat. Something about his visual style & the intensity of the main characters just draw you in, even Tom Cruise was an epic bad guy in Collateral! Was Will Peterson wearing the same shirt in the interview as his character wore in the film, looks familiar 🤔
Little did everyone know that Manhunter would become a cult classic. It is my favorite movie without question, I've seen it over ten times and every time I watch it I appreciate it more. It is truly a perfect movie in every sense. Thanks for posting this interview.
Thank you for uploading this. Too bad film interviews aren't like this anymore where the reporter asks thoughtful questions about the film, even inquiring about the main criticism the film received in reviews, and gives the actor an uninterrupted chance to respond.
This was the last time period in which we had people trained as actual journalists and reporters. Now it's all about gawking at 18 year old tushies on Instagram or whatever. On who threw up on Minaj last night etc.
When I first saw Red Dragon, I couldn't quite figure it out...how on earth could the ridiculous Brett Ratner actually make a semi-watchable film? And yet it seemed vaguely familiar...that is, until I remembered that I had seen Manhunter as a kid. When I re-watched the movie, it all clicked; Red Dragon wasn't a good film, it was a mediocre remake of a great film, Manhunter. Sad that this film doesn't get the recognition it deserves.
kev3d no Red Dragon was a good film IMHO. It wasn’t as good as Manhunter, but it wasn’t trying to be as good as Manhunter. It does its own thing while still keeping the spirit of the original novel. Brett Ratner was not trying to one up Michael Mann.
They're completely different stylistically, so I think it's fruitless to try compare them. What I found fascinating about it is that in terms of faithfulness to the book, Manhunter got the first two thirds right, and Red Dragon got the end. It's always puzzled me why Michael Mann went to such lengths to be faithful to the book right up until the climax and resolution, which bear little resemblance to the novel's. Red Dragon, and in particular Ralph Fiennes' portrayal of Dolarhyde, were much more in keeping with the novel.
Willliam is a great actor, he worked so well in To Live And Die In LA and Manhunter. But Don Johnson was born to play Crockett. He's Crockett. The role of a lifetime.
Deano Zazo I don’t think so! No one could’ve played Crockett the way Johnson.. however, I could see Petersen as Martin Riggs from Lethal Weapon if Mel Gibson didn’t do it.
amazing how Will Peterson really can't get out of his roll as Will Graham, you feel his anxiety in this interview, he is STILL Will Graham, goes to show how powerful MM films are, including all involved!
This is a better movie than the 2003 Red Dragon version with Hopkins and Norton. It is more of a psychological thriller than just another dark, creepy movie as a Silence Of The Lambs Prequal.
Amazing. William Petersen is underrated by soo many because is low key. But that is exactly why he is still the best in the business/ I would have paid real money to see Gus Grissom chuck someone into a windshield for getting in his face. Observation: Jorja Fox would have just turned 18 when this came out.I Unreal.
I watched Manhunter when it was released. It is a brilliant film and should be on everyone's top 5, never mind top 10. BUt don't denegrate Red Dragon, it was use a tool to combine the rest of the series using the 'main' actors.
I always thought Red Dragon and Silence of the lambs was at best was a 5. Manhunter and to live and die in LA with William Petterson goes to 11. When I started watching Vegas CSI I saw some Characteristics in his character in Manhunter. Read a lot interviews from this actor, he is very blunt about the industry just like Gary Oldman, both are very sincere. Petterson didn't like the spin offs , not because it was against the other cast in crew but how the industry would ruined the series.
Billy is so much more at ease being interviewed now! He always amazes me, though, how well spoken he is when he himself talks about how he was such a poor student and never went to college! He must be a delightful person to be around; I've never heard or read a bad word about him. The interviewer is annoying& they should be professional enough to spell his name correctly! I actually have DVD covers on his movies where it is spelled wrong! Wake up folks!
Hugh Dancy now fills his shoes, a sorta looks the same as Will from Manhunter. I was neither here nor there on Edward Norton as Will in Red Dragon, but Ralph Fiennes as Frances Dolarhyde was phenomenal
I loved Manhunter. I loved SOLambs. I loved Red Dragon. They were all different movies. To me, Mike Mann is the MAN. Thief, Heat, Manhunter. He knows what I like. Yeah, Manhunter is my fav.
I agree with usulkane, this movie was superior to "Lambs." Petersen gave one of the superlative performances of the 80's. He got so deep into Will Graham and he even spoke about how this affected him on a personal level. The film is great, the cast is fantastic, and Michael Mann is a superb director with an impeccable sense of style. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out!
Either this interview was done during filming, or William Petersen got to keep some of his characters wardrobe afterwards. Will Graham wears those clothes during the scene in the U.S. Govt. Impounded Evidence scene where he's sitting there feeling a piece of fabric from one of the murdered families.
I think after this movie, he didn't want to do psychological thriller again it missed up his mind, and u can tell in the movie he lost in that character it felt real
