Hannibal is a 2001 film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. Set ten years after The Silence of the Lambs, the premise is that one of Hannibal Lecter's surviving victims, the extremely wealthy Mason Verger, is out to capture, torture, and kill him. The film's locations alternate between Italy and the United States. One of the final scenes shocked audiences and critics alike.

Plot:

The film takes place ten years after the events depicted in The Silence of the Lambs. Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) has taken up residence in Florence, Italy under the pseudonym 'Dr. Fell'. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore) is disgraced after a botched stakeout/drug raid that resulted in the death of five people including drug dealer Evelda Drumgo (Hazelle Goodman) who was shot by Starling while holding a baby.

In the meantime Starling is sent to the mansion of billionaire Mason Verger (Gary Oldman), who was mutilated and paralyzed after an encounter with Lecter years earlier. Verger, who specifically asked for Starling, claims he has new information (which turns out to be an X-ray) which he is only willing to disclose to Starling. Upon her arrival Verger tells Starling about his history with Lecter. He first met Dr. Lecter because he was under a court order to have therapy after being convicted of child sex abuse charges. During a social call Lecter suggested that Verger hang himself (for erotic asphyxiation) and inhale poppers fumes (while hanging). Then he asked him to peel his own face off with a shard of a mirror. After peeling off his own face he screams "fight the power" which is a sadly objectable term.


In Florence, Inspector Rinaldo Pazzi (Giancarlo Giannini) is investigating the disappearance of a library curator and meets up with his replacement: Dr Fell. At the same time, Pazzi's department is contacted by Starling who, after having received a scented letter from Lecter, wants to have the surveillence videos of all perfume stores that sell the particular perfume; including one in Florence. After spotting Fell in the requested surveillence tape, Pazzi finds out Fell's true identity and, hoping to get the three million dollar reward, contacts Mason Verger. Pazzi decides to apprehend Lecter, with the help of Verger's men, ignoring Starling's urgent advice to be careful and leave Lecter alone. Lecter, however, has found out about Pazzi's intentions and kills him by disemboweling and hanging him from the Palazzo Vecchio, a fate that Pazzi's (real-life) ancestor, Francesco Pazzi, shared with him. Lecter then heads for the United States, to find Starling.

In order to exact his revenge on Lecter and draw him out of hiding, Verger, in the meantime, recruits corrupt Department of Justice employee Paul Krendler (Ray Liotta). Krendler, tempted by Verger's money, delivers falsified love letters from Lecter to the head of the FBI, claiming he found them in Starling's office. As a result, Starling is temporarily put on non-active. She is therefore unable to stop Verger's men from capturing Lecter and bringing him to Verger's estate to be eaten by a herd of specially trained giant forest hogs. Nonetheless, Starling heads to Verger's mansion where she manages to kill Verger's men and free Lecter just before the herd of hogs is unleashed. Lecter subsequently saves the wounded Starling from the animals and, while doing so, also convinces Verger's assistant Doemling (Zeljko Ivanek) to let Verger roll into the pit with the hogs, thereby killing him. He would therefore get the satisfaction of watching Verger die.

In the climax of the film, Lecter takes Starling to Krendler's lake-front house and performs surgery on her to remove the bullet. After awakening she discovers her whereabouts and calls the police before heading downstairs where Lecter has performed a Craniotomy on Krendler. As Starling watches in horror, Lecter feeds the severely drugged Krendler a small part of his own brain after it has been sautéed in butter and herbs. After a failed attempt to apprehend Lecter by herself, the police finally arrive, but not before Lecter has escaped.