Hannibal Rising

It's 1944 in Lithuania. The bombs of the Germans are falling from the sky like they're raindrops. It is here where we meet the Lecter family. Parents and two young children, Hannibal and Mischa. The Lecter's must move fast from their castle to their hunting lodge to hide from German troops.

Hannibal Rising is the prequel to The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Red Dragon, showing how Dr. Hannibal Lecter became one of the most famous fictional serial killers of all time.

Hannibal (Portrayed by Gaspard Ulliel) witnesses the death of his parents at the hand (or gun, if you will) of a German fighter plane. SS army soldiers storm the lodge and lock Hannibal and Mischa up. Finding no food in the house, the men begin to consider the children. (One quoting: "We eat, or we die.")

Cut to eight years later, Hannibal has been living in a Soviet orphanage (formerly his own home, Lecter Castle) but flees to Paris to live with his widowed aunt and eventual love interest, Lady Murasaki. (Gong Li)

Lecter is accepted into medical school, and between his studies, he manages to find time to pick off the SS soldiers that killed and ate his sister, one by one, managing to elude the authorities in the process.

Given a mostly negative review from critics, I wasn't expecting much when I watched this film. Perhaps mindless killing at it's best, so I was pleasantly surprised at how deep and emotional the film turned out to be.

Whether you're looking for a story with a little romance, a little comedy (whether intended or not), or maybe a little cheek eating, Hannibal Rising has it all and even a little more. I highly recommend it.