Hannibal Rising - Uncovering the Root of Madness

Finally we learn how it all began! Hannibal Lector is the stuff that nightmares are made of and this film helps explain the origin of this characters' decent into darkness. The viewer is finally given some insight into the evolution of the evil persona that has evolved in Manhunter, The Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal. With the screenplay written by Thomas Harris, the story line is consistent with previous movies depicting Hannibal Lector.

In the beginning, we learn that young Hannibal and his sister Mischa are being raised in their family's Lithuanian castle. Obvious wealth, strong family ties, and an early idyllic childhood are portrayed in the opening scenes of the film. Young Hannibal's childhood is abruptly ended when the Nazi's take over the family home and they are forced to flee to safety in an abandoned country house. The safety of the family is brief as they are attacked by renegade forces and the parents meet a brutal end in sight of their young children. Being left to fend for himself and his little sister, Hannibal's attempts to nurture his sister are short lived.

When a gang of rag tag renegades invade their little safe house, all hopes of a return to normalcy are shattered. Huddled together in a loft, Hannibal attempts to comfort his sister. Their time together is brief as Hannibal witnesses his sister's unthinkable end at the hands of the invaders. Able to escape when the allied forces are approaching, Hannibal the boy collapses in a field, his innocence lost forever.

Fast forward to Hannibal as a teenager, skillfully portrayed by Gaspard Ulliel, returned to his own family castle which has been turned into an orphanage run with cruelty in strict military fashion. After suffering further brutality in this setting, Hannibal uses his knowledge of a secret passageway in the castle to escape. He eventually forges his way to France to the home of his uncle. Upon arriving, he learns that his uncle is deceased but his widow, played by Chinese actress Gong Li, is willing to take him in. The two become close as his aunt, Lady Murasaki, cares for him and teaches him martial arts. It is after she is offended by a vendor at a local market that Hannibal commits his first murder and presents the head of his victim to his aunt. As she shelters him while covering his crime, the loyal bond between the two is cemented forever.

Hannibal's murderous rampage continues as he enrolls in medical school and learns the fine art of human dismemberment. While maintaining an apparent semblance of normalcy, Hannibal sets out to systematically hunt down the men involved in bringing about his sister's demise. As he exacts his revenge, the viewer can actually see when he makes the final transition from brutal killer to hopelessly deranged madman. Gaspard Ulliel's portrayal of Hannibal is chilling as he carves into his pleading victim's chest and slips forever into insanity.

This movie is a must see but it is not for the faint of heart. It delivers what it promises - how the sociopathic serial killer Hannibal Lector became the stuff nightmares are made of.