Category | Arts & Living

Young actor dons the mask of Hannibal Lector in ‘Hannibal Rising’

Published on February 8, 2007 by The Sentinel

    Thomas Harris’ latest Lector novel has quickly
bloomed into a motion picture of the same title, “Hannibal
Rising.”  Harris wrote both the script and novel. Over the past 20
years, Harris’ brain child has thrilled and scared
audiences.

    Now the origins of the infamous “Hannibal the Cannibal” are
finally revealed in the prequel to the series of films started by
“Silence of the Lambs.”

    This latest tale depicts Lector’s tumultuous
childhood, growing up in Europe during World War II. It unfolds the
mystery of his family’s death and focuses specifically on Hannibal’s
younger sister Mischa. The story also sheds light on Lector’s rise to
evil.

    Twenty-two-year-old French actor Gaspard Ulliel has
been asked to don the mask for this latest installment, and it’s a
large mask to fill.

    “Coming after an actor like Anthony Hopkins is not easy,” Ulliel said.

    How could it be? Anthony Hopkins immortalized Lector
as a pop culture icon in “Silence of the Lambs,” winning an Academy
Award for his efforts.

    Ulliel will have to do more than act like Hopkins,
though his piercing stare goes a long way in creating that distinct
Lector chill. He will have to make the public believe he is a young
Lector when the film opens on Feb. 9.

    “[I was] free to create my own character. I picked a
few details from Hopkins, and mixed [it all] to create my own
character,” Ulliel said.

    To prepare for his role, Ulliel not only read the
novels and revisited the films, but he also took in interviews with
real serial killers to better understand the character. He even visited
a medical school in Prague, where the film was shot, to bear witness to
a real autopsy.

    Ulliel, who has generally worked in romantic films
such as “A Very Long Engagement,” has also never embarked on a large
scale American production. A French citizen, he can speak both French
and English fluently. However, coming from shooting a French film to an
American one is quite a transition.

    “Working in another language requires a lot of
preparation. Lines have to come out naturally. [It's] not as free as
when you work in your own language,” he said.

    He also pointed out the difference in shooting
hours: “On this film I was working twelve hours a day. In France, we
are lazy and work eight hours.”

    When asked how traditionalist French filmmakers
would respond to his American film, Ulliel joked, “I don’t know, throw
stones at me?”

    “It’s a big film, so for French producers this means
a lot for them. I don’t know if it will change for directors. It may or
may not get me more roles. My personal life may change. People might
recognize me in the street,” he added, more seriously addressing the
question.

    Peter Webber, whose single feature film credit is
2003’s “The Girl with the Pearl Earring,” directed the film.

    “[Peter] leaves a lot of freedom to the actors. He guides you,” said Ulliel.

    Ulliel has yet to meet Harris, the creator of
Hannibal Lector. His only contact with the writer has been through a
piece of paper, on which Harris wrote a few lines about the nature of
the character.

    Ulliel is taking a career risk with this film, as
the book has already been given negative reviews by critics. The
general public may also have a hard time seeing Lector as a young man.

    “He’s not as evil as we would think. He slowly
drifted away toward his darker side,” said Ulliel. He hopes to bring a
more humanistic take to the infamous Hannibal Lector, despite the
character’s flaws.

    Ulliel’s performance will open in theaters in “Hannibal Rising” on Feb. 9.