Hannibal Lecter's Identity and Ethos
Anthony Hopkins, as Hannibal raises a few interesting ideas about reality, identity and our perception of the serial killer. First of all, the movie would have never been made if Hopkins, had not agreed to do the sequel (Sterritt). Second, even though Hopkins, has taken on numerous roles, his memorable roles (besides as Hannibal Lecter) are not so villainous such as his characters in "Remains of the Day or "Shadowlands. In relation to this ethnography of the audience viewing the film, Hannibal's ethos is directly tied to Hopkins, ethos and it shows in audience reactions.
Movie makers know the power of "celebrity in American society, and as Americans, we usually like to "cheer for
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The character, Hannibal, could be analyzed within any of Baudrillard's four orders, as aspects of his character fit into any one of the categories. Under the first order, Hannibal may be seen as a symbol or sign of an actual serial killer who may live in the present doing similar things. However, our morality resists this notion because we don't want to believe such "evil exists in
reality. But, to complicate matters, Dr. Lecter is a psychiatrist by trade. As a psychiatrist, he shows he is educated, well mannered, and intelligent not our typical image of a serial killer. If the words and images of the media represent reality within this first order, the psychiatrist or psychotherapist is increasingly important in today's society as the person who guides decisions and lives of people in therapy thus eliminating morality and replacing it with relativism to the self. Therefore, as a well-mannered and polite psychiatrist, Hannibal gains credibility with the audience and thus becomes a protagonist figure. So our basic reality in resisting the evil nature of Hannibal is supported by his occupation and intelligence.
Within the context of the second order, Hannibal's character represents something that masks reality. An analysis of this order leads to questions of Hannibal's identity mixed in with his ethos and the nature of the horror film genre. The largest
In both ancient and modern interpretations and perceptions, Hannibal is infamous for leading the Carthaginian army and a squadron of elephants athwart the Southern European region and the Alps Mountains against the Roman Empire, who were manifested as the most powerful army, in the Second Punic War. Hannibal is overly expressed and given light to throughout his career and conquest in Italy by prominently well-renowned historians, including: Titus Livy, who was considered as the least reliable source as he was tremendously reliant on other eyewitness accounts of contingency, and was greatly one-sided toward the Romans. Polybius, who was ultimately much more detached, and perceived sources objectively with balance. And modern historians,
Hollywood is a very powerful modern day institution, where a star's image can characterize, shape and circulate societal myths and ideologies. The construction of a star's image as a commodity of their societal myths and ideologies has the extraordinary power to exert messages so that even the smallest details become significant yet not overtly obvious. How a star's image is produced and then consumed can justify a society's relationship with that image and therefore aid in explaining the social construction of what society deems as their 'reality'. A star's image is created through a range of representations churned out by Hollywood. Capitalism from the commercialization of these images has made Hollywood the dominant force it is
Myers believes serial killers have captured the public’s attention and imagination for many reasons. One of these undoubtedly is the fact that until serial killers are apprehended, they represent a time before the current generation, unknown, mysterious, and full of terror. The predators are secretive and sly, able to attack and strike fear into the hearts of a community, and this reason I why Myers believes that “the Other in its most threatening form” is such a captivating
The monster that Hannibal Lecter represents in today’s society are serial killers who are put in mental asylums. Hannibal Lecter is in many movies and tv shows that show what he went through throughout his life, including Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising. Throughout Hannibal Lecter's life he went through many traumas that caused him to become, in his future life, a serial killer. Serial killers are made by a severe event in their life, not born to be a serial killer. When you are born you have not chosen your path, you are made to go down the path depending on your past. From early in Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s life, it was clear that he was to become a monster..
Ever since the age of television dawned on mankind, there have been a plethora of shows have been released by people all over the world, with the genres spanning from satirical masterpieces to the darkest and most gruesome bloodbaths. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century when a handful of powerful studios in the United States formed a monopoly, and started producing television shows and movies of top-notch quality – Hollywood became the unassailable force in cinema and television. Nowadays, television shows along with movies are watched by millions of people all over the world and out of all this spawned a television show that was unlike any other. Hannibal revolves around a rare and gifted psycho analyst Will Graham, who along
Chris Hedges’ “American Psychosis” is one author’s explanation behind the perceived degradation of America, attributing this decay mostly to a nationwide engrossment in the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Hedges further purports that the American government itself is behind making famous people front-and-center at all times, so that the populace has no chance to focus on the nation’s actual problems. He suggests that this reality TV state-of-mind turns life into a “world of unadulterated competition” where our attention-craving society discards the losers “like Styrofoam boxes that held junk food”. Those ‘excess’ human beings who cannot keep up with the endless quest for notoriety, he contends, end up unemployed, imprisoned, or homeless, because the only worth humans have in the modern world is their ability to make headlines. The final piece of his article is dedicated to fomenting some kind of vengeful revolution against celebrity culture, in which the public purges itself of inconsequential distractions so that they can once again separate illusion from reality.
The Silence of the lambs (1991) is in doubt a film which demonstrates a well-constructed horror film. The film, ranging with scenes, shots, and frames that were well constructed to be identified as horrific. The films cinematography shifts the films narrative and impacts the film, especially the film’s frames. It seems reasonable to suppose that from the film’s frames and of those of the characters expressions, they shape the film’s genre to be horrifying, psychological, and thrilling and they guide viewers towards where the film’s narrative will lead to. Therefore, even a single or series of frames in the film such as Hannibal Lecter’s evil smile, Buffalo Bill opening the door, Hannibal Lecter standing in his cell, and the dialogue between Agent Starling and Hannibal Lecter, act collectively to represent and symbolize claims about the film.
Monsters are challenges that the human race must overcome. In Jeffrey Cohen’s essay “Monster Culture,” Cohen reasserts the presence of the monstrous within society, and its relation to different cultures in a specific time period. All of Cohen’s seven thesis makes sensible arguments that gives the audience a glimpse on what his purpose is. Each thesis are presented differently, but Cohen correlates his ideas to explain the monster’s true existence. The convergence of intellectualism makes a strong connection between Cohen’s appeal to pathos. Cohen utilizes emotion in his writing to mainly appeal to his audience, and give them an idea on what goes on behind the monster’s identity. The final thesis “The Monster Stands at the Threshold of Becoming”
From the middle of the 3rd century to the middle of the 2nd century BC, Carthage was engaged in a series of wars with Rome (Dorey, P 57). These wars, known as the Punic Wars, ended in the complete defeat of Carthage by Rome. The most prominent figure of the Punic wars was General Hannibal of Pheonician Carthage. During these wars, it's likely that the colonizing expeditions of the Carthaginians were supported by many emigrants from the Phoenician homeland. Hannibal was the son of the great Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca. According to Polybius and Livy, the main Latin sources for his life, Hannibal was taken to Spain by his father and at an early
The growing connection between politics and Hollywood has happened for a number of reasons, in a somewhat cyclical fashion. Politicians need Hollywood stars to support their campaigns because celebrities are useful in fundraising attempts and recognition. They have the advantages of fame, wealth, and can easily command press attention. In return, celebrities endorse candidates whose policies are beneficial to their industry. For example, while Clinton was in office he argued for “industry self-regulation and a television rating system, as opposed to formal government regulation” (Ormand and West 38). For this and other reasons, Hollywood stars donated large sums of money to Democratic candidates in return. In 2000, Hollywood contributed $20 million to Democrats as opposed to the $13 million that was contributed to the less Hollywood-friendly Republican party (Ormand and West 40).
Hannibal of Carthage: "The Father of Strategy" Through out history there have been many great military leaders, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Generals Washington, Grant and Charles Lewis Puller. The one however that sticks out the most is General Hannibal of Carthage. Often called the "Father of Strategy" his march over the Alps is one of the most famous attacks in military history. Hannibal beat the Roman Army time and time again before in suicide in 183 BC. Hannibal was born 247 BC, the son of Hamilcar Barca, the current General of the Carthaginian Army. Hannibal's training as a military leader began at the age of nine when he went to Spain to be with his father. At Hamilcar's request Hannibal pledged an oath
Sigmund Freud discusses psychoanalysis and how the ID, ego, and super ego relate to each other which, the movie “Silence of the Lambs” has strong examples of. The movie Silence of the Lambs focuses on Buffalo Bill and Hannibal Lector who are both serial killers. Buffalo Bill is a serial killer whose life and criminal factors relate to that of Freuds psychological theories in many different ways. They both discuss the ID, fixation, suppression, denial, and how these factors lead to a breaking point. In Buffalo Bills case this breaking point meant crime in order to reach his unattained goal of becoming a woman.
Films have the power to both influence and reflect society. The stereotypes prevalent throughout American culture are reflected in most films. While the United States is becoming an increasingly diverse country, this diversity is not portrayed within American cinema. Minority figures often occupy
villainy in Stoker’s Dracula compare to that of Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This Extended Essay comparing the depravity in nature of the antagonists in these classic literary works will provide a better understanding of what constitutes ‘evil’ in society. Further analysis of the villains will reveal how the authors use them as representations of repressed human nature. My own fascination with the topic, as well as my rapport with gothic classic literature, led me to pursue this research topic.
What makes a villain a villain? Is it the senseless violence inflicted upon the innocent? Or is it the oh so tragic backstory that is dramatically revealed just when the audience was really starting to hate them? Or is it when they...you know...eat people? When is it too much? When does a villain become a villain? Is it not all just based on our society’s views on what is right and what is wrong? After binging Hannibal, this is pretty much all I could think for several days. One moment you’re hoping that whoever this cannibalistic serial killer is, gets caught and put away for a long, long time and then the next moment, you’ve fallen in love with him. It’s really quite a rollercoaster. This show raises a lot of questions about morality, it