came into this blind; the theatrical poster is really captivating. i'd seen silence of the lambs beforehand so i was confused to see another incarnation of hannibal lecter but as i understand this was released 5 years prior as the first film adaptation of Red Dragon.

although offputting at first i warmed to brian cox's portrayal of the character. william petersen was also fun to watch as Graham, a recently recovered FBI detective only to be brought towards the brink of relapse as he identifies clues and vicariously builds psychopathic thoughts in an effort to track down the "tooth fairy".

a lot of cop talk and mild stakes throughout:: i enjoyed the juxtaposition of the killer wanting to be seen and desired, (his obsession with eyes + mirrors, along with images and film) but ultimately falling in "love" with a blind film developer. mostly a manipulative and horrible affair, i really liked the tiger scene - one because of its randomness and its the only genuinely beautiful moment the two share.

graham's intense convictions to fight against his nature, as lektor calls it, drives him throughout the film to track and kill the tooth fairy; almost as if the primary mission is to quell his former demons, beyond putting an end to the murders. all in all the film runs on a bit longer than necessary and there are some scenes i could do without. as a last note however, i really love Graham’s wardrobe design, from the dark colored dress shirts - tie/blazer pairings to the bright colors he sports in the grocery store and on the beach.