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Am I the only person who sympathises with and has compassion on Hannibal Lecter?

Blade_Runner

Blade_Runner

Guardian of the Princess of the Enchanted Forest
So I've seen the Silence of the Lambs and it's se/prequels. Also, I read up on his upbringing. I don't see him as a typical bad guy - actually, I feel drawn to him and his suffering. Sure, he made the active choice to do those unspeakable things to his victims BUT I realise his choices were influenced...influenced by a deeply traumatic event from his inhumane childhood.

Generally, I have a fascination with serial killers and criminals - they are deeply complex, kind of like myself, and I love delving into their lives to pick out the pieces that made them go the way they went. It's interesting looking at their lives and discovering that a lot of them had disturbed childhoods. I think that people underestimate the damage caused to individuals in their younger years. You can never tell where the fragments of the trauma will penetrate and how deeply they will affect the rest of a persons life. I know, it's deep sh*t.

This quote from Nietzche is very poignant for me:

"Whoever fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
 
I don't symphathize with Lecter specifically, but do have more of an interest to "villains" in general. And part of it is because of backstories they have. Yes superheroes have a backstory as well, but I rarely find them fascinating.
 
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I admit I'm not too familiar with Hannibal Lecter. I know about the character and what he's done, but nothing in specific detail. This is something I hope to correct at some point.

But I can understand his appeal, and like Oni, I am also very interested in fictional villains (and heroes too, but that's for another thread). I could write essays about Batman's rogues' gallery . . .
 
I majored in totalitarian systems in the 70s. Still recall some of my fellow poli-sci students smirking and saying I was majoring in "The Dark Side".

Compassions? Sympathies? No. Morbid curiosity? Guilty as charged. Same goes for actual serial killers in general.

Good versus evil is a rather old and familiar theme to our species.
 
Speaking of real violent criminals, I also study them---not in any academic capacity, mind you---and yes, I do feel for them. They're still human beings, even if they don't act like it.

Now let me say this before I upset anyone: I don't condone their actions at all. I just try to understand the hows and whys.
 
Speaking of Anthony Hopkins (sort of), he did a fantastic role as a stone cold killer and slight sociopath in the movie Fracture...

But before I get all started about movies, I'll digress - You need to take into account that whatever fictional portrayal you seem to be drawn to or sympathetic towards is to a high degree affected by the actor's general interpretation and charisma, not to mention the writer's intended effects.

I'm pretty damn certain that if you removed the charismatic actor and perfectly pitched screen writing - which is very much the case when it comes to Hopkins' portrayal of Lecter - there wouldn't be much left besides the shock factor. And sure, there's room for fascination, sympathy and compassionate feelings in shock entertainment, but I honestly think we're talking at a very shallow level then, if so.

Also, and completely besides the point, serious props for that transcendent quote by Nietzsche.

Blade_Runner said:
So I've seen the Silence of the Lambs and it's se/prequels. Also, I read up on his upbringing. I don't see him as a typical bad guy - actually, I feel drawn to him and his suffering. Sure, he made the active choice to do those unspeakable things to his victims BUT I realise his choices were influenced...influenced by a deeply traumatic event from his inhumane childhood.

Generally, I have a fascination with serial killers and criminals - they are deeply complex, kind of like myself, and I love delving into their lives to pick out the pieces that made them go the way they went. It's interesting looking at their lives and discovering that a lot of them had disturbed childhoods. I think that people underestimate the damage caused to individuals in their younger years. You can never tell where the fragments of the trauma will penetrate and how deeply they will affect the rest of a persons life. I know, it's deep sh*t.

This quote from Nietzche is very poignant for me:

"Whoever fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
Click to expand...
 
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Other film characters of the dark side I find stunning.

One that always made me cringe was Bobby Darin's portrayal of a racist, criminal psychopath in a film called "Pressure Point". He was a convict being analyzed by a prison psychologist played by Sidney Portier. Definitely NOT a character to identify with...but Bobby Darin played the role so effectively.

Another one that stands out in my mind was Brian Cox and his portrayal of Reichmarschall Hermann Göring in "Nuremberg". Scary. An exceedingly intelligent, articulate man who had no conscience. Only a political will.

And Robert Carlyle in "Hitler: Rise of Evil". OMG. A fantastic psychological portrayal of one of the most evil persons in history.
 
That role is criminally underrated! He is so believable and enigmatic as Göring. You even sympathize with the American prison guard who has a soft spot for him. I don't quite agree that he was solely motivated by political will, or even that he or Hitler were necessarily evil, but that is of course a completely different debate.

Coincidentally, Brian Cox was also the first to portray Hannibal Lecter on film in Manhunter (1986).

Since we've already derailed at this point, I urge you to watch perhaps the most menacing portrayal of a full blown psychological hot mess of an interesting character: Michael Sheen as Nero in the very first episode of the BBC production "Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire". The whole episode is on YouTube, you'll seriously thank me after! :)

Judge said:
Another one that stands out in my mind was Brian Cox and his portrayal of Reichmarschall Hermann Göring in "Nuremberg". Scary. An exceedingly intelligent, articulate man who had no conscience. Only a political will.
Click to expand...
 
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Oddly enough, is anyone watching the tv series "The Black List"?

When I think of James Spader's character Raymond Reddington, I think of Hannibal Lecter. He's evil, loves it and yet is helping the authorities in capturing those who are essentially his professional criminal peers.
 
ifightdragons said:
Since we've already derailed at this point, I urge you to watch perhaps the most menacing portrayal of a full blown psychological hot mess of an interesting character: Michael Sheen as Nero in the very first episode of the BBC production "Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire". The whole episode is on YouTube, you'll seriously thank me after! :)
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Thanks for the tip. Michael Sheen is one of my favorite actors. In a select group of mostly actors from the UK who have amazing range.
 
ifightdragons said:
You shan't be dissapointed, he just knocks crazy out of the park in that one
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Makes perfect sense....having seen Sheehan play some pretty demented characters. Too bad they couldn't remake a film about Caligula....he'd be my first pick as well! His range and choice of roles...reminds me often of Gary Oldman's career. Another one of my favorites.
 
Ste11aeres said:
Does anyone think it crazy that I've tended to have pity for Hitler?
(And I'm ethnically Jewish, BTW)
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No, I don't think it's crazy. He was a very confused individual, and lonely for much of his life. Does that mean I pardon his crimes against humanity? Absolutely not. He orchestrated the murders of most of my family on my maternal grandmother's side and millions of other people's families. But as I've said of other murderers, he was still a human being, even if he grew up to embody our worst tendencies as a species. To feel for people like him makes us human too---but on the better side of the equation.
 
ifightdragons said:
As to whether or not he orchestrated a genocide, there seems to be at best very conflicting evidence. (i.e. very strong evidence both for and against)
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Conflicting evidence? That's preposterous. I won't start an argument and derail the thread, but I assure you, there's more than enough evidence of Hitler's intentions and plans and how he carried them out. If you'd like me to tell you more, please don't hesitate to PM me.
 
I do want to add, just to make sure nobody misunderstands me, that when I said "pity" I did not mean "condone." His actions were truly wrong and horrible. Yet I feel sorrow that a human being could become that.
There. Now that's all I hope to say.
 
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You would make a great empathic counselor, psychologist or an employee in a non profit that helped others.



Blade_Runner said:
So I've seen the Silence of the Lambs and it's se/prequels. Also, I read up on his upbringing. I don't see him as a typical bad guy - actually, I feel drawn to him and his suffering. Sure, he made the active choice to do those unspeakable things to his victims BUT I realise his choices were influenced...influenced by a deeply traumatic event from his inhumane childhood.

Generally, I have a fascination with serial killers and criminals - they are deeply complex, kind of like myself, and I love delving into their lives to pick out the pieces that made them go the way they went. It's interesting looking at their lives and discovering that a lot of them had disturbed childhoods. I think that people underestimate the damage caused to individuals in their younger years. You can never tell where the fragments of the trauma will penetrate and how deeply they will affect the rest of a persons life. I know, it's deep sh*t.

This quote from Nietzche is very poignant for me:

"Whoever fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
Click to expand...
 
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