Our scars have the power to remind us that the past was real.

I figured Red Dragon would be an appropriate movie to watch on Valentines Day. Well, maybe not, but it does have Red in the title...

Movies like this are strange. The people involved are so far beyond reasonable humans that it's hard to even comprehend them. You can't even look at what the characters do and decide if it's something that is consistent with their character because there's no basis for what consistency means for these people - they are legitimately and truly insane.

The biggest thing I like about this series of movies (for thos that don't know, this is another in the story of Hannibal Lecter - along with Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal) is the way they structure the mystery. For the first half of the movie the audience is in the dark along with the characters. We're all trying to figure out what's going on. But then they do a reveal (which is universally creepy) about midway through so we can actually explore the villian a bit. Then for the second half it's the movie where we know whats going on but the characters don't, and we're watching to see them connect the dots and figure it all out.

I don't remember Hannibal all that well, but remember it being just completely over the top with it's silliness and disturbingness. I think this movie has a better balance (along with the fabulous Silence of the Lambs.) Sure, it's psychotic and creepy and could certainly give you nightmares if you're the type, but I didn't think it was gratuitously so.

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