Nov 07 2008
Anthony “Othello” Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins Movies
When most people thinkof Anthony Hopkins movies, the first thing they remember is The Silence of the Lambs. I don’t know if this was the first Anthony Hopkins movie that Iever saw, but it certainly was one of my favorites. Who can forget the sinister Dr. Hannibal Lecter, psychopath, genius, lover of culture, and oddly appealing villain? Although this movie didn’t launch Anthony Hopkins movie career – he already had had successes as William Bligh in The Bounty,and Othello in a movie adaptation of the Shakespeare play of the same name – It really did catapult him to mainstream stardom. There are few people who havebeen so terrifying as he was in that role, and few movies that have had so much crossover appeal. Fans of both classic horror and modern slasher picturesappreciated the combination of suspense and gore that that film had to offer. And, of course, as a thriller there was nothing like it.When we had an AnthonyHopkins movie night, we definitely emphasized his more frightening film’s.My favorite of all the Anthony Hopkins movies – Titus – wasthe first film we watched. If you have never seen this one, you have to makeit a priority.
It is the most grotesque and appalling of all Shakespearianplays, done in a seamless adaptation for the silver screen. It has all mannerof torture and barbarism, as well as Hopkins in his by now familiar role asa cannibal. Best of all, the art direction is gorgeous. The movie is a littlebit overwhelming in its grotesqueness and brutality, but it more than makesup for that with its beauty. Of course, there aremany other Anthony Hopkins movies to watch. He was excellent in The Bounty – he is always excellent when he is doing high drama. There is something so appealingabout him in the character of the fanatically controlling captain Bligh whodrove his crew to rebellion. He always is at his best when he is playingfairly pathological characters. He can combine culture, intelligence, andmenace with such a flawless faculty that it leaves you breathless. The strangething is, the crazier he gets, the easier he is to relate to.
It is as if he is able to reveal the madness that lies just below the surface of civilization.To me, that is the true thrill of Anthony Hopkins movies. He can be simultaneouslyso crazy and so plausible.
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