Hannibal Rising (2007)
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The film explores the early life and transformation of Hannibal Lecter into a cannibalistic serial killer.
The story
Set against the backdrop of World War II, the film follows the early life of Hannibal Lecter. In 1944, the Lecter family seeks refuge in a hunting lodge in Lithuania to escape advancing German troops. After a devastating explosion leaves only Hannibal and his sister Mischa alive, they are confronted by a group of soldiers in the harsh Baltic winter. Years later, in 1952, a now-older Hannibal lives in a converted orphanage and eventually flees to Paris to live with his aunt, Lady Murasaki. While navigating his new life, he becomes entangled in the mystery of his past and the violent events that shaped his identity.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1944, the Lecter family hides in a Lithuanian lodge during WWII. A Soviet tank explosion kills the parents, but Hannibal and his sister Mischa survive. They are later confronted by a group of Waffen-SS soldiers. In 1952, Hannibal escapes an orphanage and moves to Paris to live with his aunt, Lady Murasaki. He becomes a medical student and eventually uses a chemical to recall memories of his sister's death, discovering she was cannibalized by the soldiers. He returns to Lithuania to find her remains and the men responsible. He begins a systematic hunt for the survivors, including Enrikas Dortlich and Petras Kolnas. Along the way, he is pursued by Inspector Pascal Popil. After a series of violent encounters and the death of several men, he confronts the leader, Vladis Grutas, on a houseboat. After a final, bloody confrontation where he eviscerates Grutas, he eventually flees to Canada and later the United States.
- First release year
- 2007
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- Italy; United Kingdom; Czech Republic; France; United States
- Original languages
- English; German; Russian
- Directors
- Peter Webber
- Writers
- Thomas Harris · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Gaspard Ulliel · Hannibal Lecter; Aaran Thomas · young Hannibal Lecter; Gong Li · Lady Murasaki; Dominic West · Inspector Pascal Popil; Rhys Ifans · Vladis Grutas; Helena-Lia Tachovska · Mischa Lecter; Kevin McKidd · Petras Kolnas; Richard Brake · Enrikas Dortlich
- Genres
- psychological horror; thriller
- Themes
- revenge; survival; identity
- Tone and mood
- dark; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- prequel; serial killer; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- Thomas Harris' 2006 novel of the same name
- Franchise connections
- Hannibal Lecter
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics, though the lead performance was praised.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 16% · scale: percentage · review count: 148; Metacritic · score: 35 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Prequel or Sequel · lost; Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie · lost
- Production trivia
- The film's working title was Young Hannibal: Behind the Mask.; The production was planned to feature four actors for different ages of Lecter.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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