Editor’s Note: This was originally published for FANGORIA on July 18, 2003, and we’re proud to share it as part of The Gingold Files.
In one of the many supplemental featurettes of this extensive package, FBI profiler John Douglas reveals that, when delving deep into serial-killer cases, he sometimes finds it hard to separate himself from the victims. There’s a touch of irony here, given that one of Red Dragon’s shortcomings is that (unlike Thomas Harris’ novel or its first screen adaptation, Manhunter) it doesn’t explore the disturbing implications of agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) identifying too much with the murderer he’s pursuing. Yet while this is the least of the four films dealing with Hannibal Lecter and co., Universal’s Director’s Edition two-DVD set (there’s also a single-disc release) may be the most extensive “profile” granted any of these movies.
Many fans of the series were taken aback when Rush Hour veteran Brett Ratner was handed Red Dragon’s directorial reins, and some no doubt still disagree with the choice. But the supplements here reveal him to be nothing if not enthusiastic; he’s a bundle of energy both seen on the set and heard on the audio commentary he shares with screenwriter Ted Tally. Fangorians may also wince when Ratner says here that he “didn’t want to make a horror film” out of Red Dragon, though Tally echoes the sentiment later on. Indeed, a sense of true collaboration shines through the talk, which focuses largely on the process of adapting the book (with the necessary beefing up of Lecter’s part), working with the cast (Tally even admits which actors overcame underwritten roles) and Ratner’s large number of “favorite” shots.
Though he doesn’t say so, the director must no doubt be pleased by how those shots look on this disc. The 2.35:1 transfer is exemplary, rich in detail and perfectly replicated colors, accompanied by powerful Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound that gives full due to both the aural shock effects and Danny Elfman’s fine score. That music is granted an isolated audio track of its own, interspersed with comments by the composer. While it’s nice to be able to hear his compositions on their own, Elfman’s comments are disappointingly brief and not overly illuminating.
Other features of the first disc are “Lecter’s FBI File,” a text history of the character’s exploits that expands on the events of the films (which are given an odd chronology—we’re informed that Lecter’s Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal crimes were committed a number of years before the respective movies were made); a brief, surface-level Anthony Hopkins interview; a standard-issue making-of segment; and a collection of deleted/extended scenes. A couple of these get into the Will-thinking-like-his-quarry area mentioned above, though the most interesting is a variation on a scene of Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes) talking to the Red Dragon in which the Dragon “talks back”—with the voice of Frank Langella. Ratner and Tally provide commentary here as well, joined by editor Mark Helfrich, which poses the question of why the latter isn’t also on the feature track, where he’s referenced and praised several times.
Disc two contains the set’s best supplement, a start-to-finish (or finish-to-finish, as it opens with premiere footage) documentary called “A Director’s Journey.” Following Ratner and his team from the earliest preproduction on through, it’s chock full of great moments, like producer Dino De Laurentiis suggesting (and evidently only half-joking) to the real-life owner of “Dolarhyde’s house” that they actually burn it down on camera; De Laurentiis angling to get Manhunter director Michael Mann to cameo in the movie; the production team arranging for Michael Jackson’s visit to the set, occasioning a hilarious Fiennes ad-lib; and nervous moments with the unsedated tiger sharing a scene with Fiennes and Emily Watson. Whatever one thinks of Ratner’s appropriateness for this subject matter, the doc does demonstrate his attention to detail when working with both crew and cast; the overall impression is that he is (as any director would have to be) energetic, decisive, demanding and sometimes a pain in the butt.
The rest of the extras on this disc are briefer, but still fun, including film tests used to determine costuming and hairstyles, on-set makeup FX and stuntwork snippets, visual FX before-and-afters (much of it for such mundane but crucial tasks as adding blood to a shot or removing a telephone receiver from an actor’s shoulder), storyboard/screen comparisons and brief chats with police and forensic experts on the “crime scenes.” Finally, there’s Ratner’s early short film, which reveals that he had an early interest in horrific themes after all and (once again) that lackluster student work doesn’t preclude a successful Hollywood career. Current horror devotees might also be amused to note that this black-and-white work bears more than a slight resemblance to the movie made by Jeremy Sisto’s character in May.
