PERFORMANCE PERSPECTIVES

“Hannibal”
A SIMPLE SUCCESS

ANTHONY HOPKINS is not a recognised actor because of the shape of his pectoral muscles or the prettiness of his looks. He is recognised specifically for the quality of his acting. This quality is based on the truthfulness, complexity and clarity of his work.

Isn’t that marvelous.

And what is especially interesting about ANTHONY HOPKINS as an actor is that he achieves these wonderfully complex performances from a very simple base. If we examine the sub-textural psychological intentions ANTHONY chooses to play for the bizarrely complex Hannibal the list of options he has selected is a very short one. For the majority of the movie Anthony plays the psychological need “to kill”.

What surprises about this is - that it is such an obvious choice. Could it be too obvious? Well of course it could. But it works because it is separate enough from the story content of the earlier scenes to function very satisfactorily. For in fact Hannibal’s early scenes are about:

• how will he be caught
• when will he be caught
• when will he recognise that he has been discovered
• what will he do when he knows he has been unmasked.

The simple choice also works because of the rich variety of colours ANTHONY brings to Hannibal’s need. He plays “to kill”

• charmingly
• cautiously
• mischievously
• carefully
• intelligently
• confidently
• happily etc.

Hannibal is an unusual character.

In addition, when Hannibal does eventually kill (which is inevitable) he does so with a sense of history, a sense of theatre and a manipulative and macabre cleverness that bring a slightly tongue-in-cheek element to the storytelling as well as further complexity to the character.

These contributions largely come from the script. However once embraced through the subtleties of ANTHONY HOPKINS’ performance the need “to kill” is also coloured

• pleasurably
• macabrely
• teasingly
• effectively
• theatrically
• flirtatiously

He employs a raft of subtle colours for Hannibal

Later, when he was performing his final culinary-based murder, it appeared that “control” was the sub-textural issue at stake and the only other need I briefly detected was “to understand”. Of course there may be others but it is plain that the choices are simple and few and that one significant choice dominated the majority of scenes.

If actors have concerns that the choice to play only one “character need” will result in a boring performance then ANTHONY HOPKINS creation of Hannibal should be examined closely. Despite the extraordinary photography the story might be found to be rather dull, but ANTHONY HOPKINS is never dull. In fact it is the diversity, complexity, charm and fascination of his creation which keeps the movie alive.

All this is achieved from simple beginnings and with simple, effective and consummate skill.

AN AFTER THOUGHT: It is possible because of the numerous cooking references layered throughout the story that in fact Anthony’s choice of need was actually “I want to eat you” but either way the final outcome, in every sense, is the same.

February 2001.

ALSO SEE: Keeping it Simple in Directors Notes.

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