History YMMV / RedDragon

** In the book there's the scene of Dolarhyde enjoying a home movie of one of his killings just a little too much.

** In the book there's the scene of Dolarhyde enjoying a home movie of one of his killings [[SomethingElseAlsoRises just a little too much]].

* Tearjerker: There are quite a few though this is unsurprising for a book dedicating a lot of pages to talking about the victims of horrible deaths and contemplating over their lives.

** Though Freddy Lounds was a major [[JerkAss jerkass]] his death still tugs at the heartstrings. His lover, Wendy stays with him until he dies and tries to comfort him the best he can.

* TheWoobie: Reba [=McClane=], particularly as played by EmilyWatson.
** WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Francis Dolarhyde.

* BrokenBase: ''Manhunter'' (1986) vs ''Red Dragon'' (2002); which is better?
*

* CrowningMomentofHeartwarming: Yep, despite all the horror and despair in this book there's still a few moments that will touch your heart. One moment that stands out is near the end of the book when Will Graham talks with Reba. Reba has been through a traumatic experience and is scared. She's worried that there must be something wrong with her if a serial killer was so attracted to her. Our unsociable protagonist then tries to assuage her fears and tells her:
Will Graham: Look here. There was plenty wrong with Dolarhyde, but there's nothing wrong with you. You said he was kind and thoughtful to you. I believe it. That's what you brought out in him. At the end, he couldn't kill you and he couldn't watch you die. People who study this kind of thing say he was trying to stop. Why? Because you helped him. That probably saved some lives. You didn't draw a freak. You drew a man with a freak on his back. Nothing wrong with you, did. If you let yourself believe there is, you're a sap.
Also, the part where Dolarhyde is in bed with Reba and is listening to her heart. Even he, apparently a Complete Monster, has some humanity left.
Graham letting Wendy, Freddy's lover, in to see Freddy before he dies. Keep in mind, Graham hates Freddy. Even after Freddy's horrible death Graham cannot bring himself to feel that badly for Freddy's death. However, he still knows how important it is for Wendy to see Freddy just one last time.
And then later Wendy and Graham share another heartwarming moment at Freddy's funeral. Graham compliments how Wendy stayed with Freddy to the end and in return Wendy assures Graham that she doesn't blame him for Freddy's death. Despite barely knowing each other and never meeting again, the two reach an understanding that would be difficult for many in such stressful events.
Graham: I'm sorry you had this. You did...I thought you were fine at the hospital. I admired that.
Wendy: Freddy was a sport. He shouldn't have to go out that hard...Look, the Tattler's giving me some money, you figured that, right? For an interview and the dive at the graveside. I don't think Freddy would mind.
Graham: He'd have been mad if you passed it up.
Wendy: That's what I thought. They're jerks, but they pay. What it is, they tried to get me to say that I think you deliberately turned this freak on to Freddy, chumming with him in that picture. I didn't say it. If they print that I didi say it, well that's bullshit. You didn't like him, maybe-it doesn't matter. But if you thought this could happen, you wouldn't have missed the shot at the Fairy, right?
'Graham: Yeah, Wendy. I'd have staked him out.

-->'''Will Graham''': ''Look here. There was plenty wrong with Dolarhyde, but there's nothing wrong with you. You said he was kind and thoughtful to you. I believe it. That's what you brought out in him. At the end, he couldn't kill you and he couldn't watch you die. People who study this kind of thing say he was trying to stop. Why? Because you helped him. That probably saved some lives. You didn't draw a freak. You drew a man with a freak on his back. Nothing wrong with you, did. If you let yourself believe there is, you're a sap.''
** Also, the part where Dolarhyde is in bed with Reba and is listening to her heart. Even he, apparently a CompleteMonster, has some humanity left.
** Graham letting Wendy, Freddy's lover, in to see Freddy before he dies. Keep in mind, Graham hates Freddy. Even after Freddy's horrible death Graham cannot bring himself to feel that badly for Freddy's death. However, he still knows how important it is for Wendy to see Freddy just one last time.
** And then later Wendy and Graham share another heartwarming moment at Freddy's funeral. Graham compliments how Wendy stayed with Freddy to the end and in return Wendy assures Graham that she doesn't blame him for Freddy's death. Despite barely knowing each other and never meeting again, the two reach an understanding that would be difficult for many in such stressful events.
--->'''Graham''': ''I'm sorry you had this. You did...I thought you were fine at the hospital. I admired that.''
--->'''Wendy''': ''Freddy was a sport. He shouldn't have to go out that hard...Look, the Tattler's giving me some money, you figured that, right? For an interview and the dive at the graveside. I don't think Freddy would mind.''
--->'''Graham''': ''He'd have been mad if you passed it up.''
--->'''Wendy''': ''That's what I thought. They're jerks, but they pay. What it is, they tried to get me to say that I think you deliberately turned this freak on to Freddy, chumming with him in that picture. I didn't say it. If they print that I didi say it, well that's bullshit. You didn't like him, maybe-it doesn't matter. But if you thought this could happen, you wouldn't have missed the shot at the Fairy, right?''
--->'''Graham'': ''Yeah, Wendy. I'd have staked him out.''

** And then later Wendy and Graham share another heartwarming moment at Freddy's funeral. The two barely know each other but really seem to understand each other.

-->'''Lounds''': ''I have had a great privilege. I have seen with... wonder and awe the strength of the Great Red Dragon. He has helped me to understand his splendor... and now I want to serve him. He knows you made me lie, Will Graham. Because I was forced to lie... he will be more merciful to me than to you.''

-->'''Graham''': ''I'm sorry you had this. You did...I thought you were fine at the hospital. I admired that.''
-->'''Wendy''': ''Freddy was a sport. He shouldn't have to go out that hard...Look, the Tattler's giving me some money, you figured that, right? For an interview and the dive at the graveside. I don't think Freddy would mind.''
-->'''Graham''': ''He'd have been mad if you passed it up.''
-->'''Wendy''': ''That's what I thought. They're jerks, but they pay. What it is, they tried to get me to say that I think you deliberately turned this freak on to Freddy, chumming with him in that picture. I didn't say it. If they print that I didi say it, well that's bullshit. You didn't like him, maybe-it doesn't matter. But if you thought this could happen, you wouldn't have missed the shot at the Fairy, right?''
-->'''Graham'': ''Yeah, Wendy. I'd have staked him out.''

-->''Wendy of Wendy City held Lounds's blackened claw and looked straight at him. He stirred once, a little before noon.''
-->''"It's gonna be just fine, Roscoe," she said. "We'll have us some high old times."''
-->''Lounds stirred again and died.''

** Though Freddy Lounds was a major [[JerkAss: jerkass]] his death still tugs at the heartstrings. His lover, Wendy stays with him until he dies and tries to comfort him the best he can.

** Though Freddy Lounds was a major [[Jerkass: jerkass]] his death still tugs at the heartstrings. His lover, Wendy stays with him until he dies and tries to comfort him the best he can.

-->'''Will Graham''': ''Look here. There was plenty wrong with Dolarhyde, but there's nothing wrong with you. You said he was kind and thoughtful to you. I believe it. That's what you brought out in him. At the end, he couldn't kill you and he couldn't watch you die. People who study this kind of thing say he was trying to stop. Why? Because you helped him. That probably saved some lives. You didn't draw a freak. You drew a man with a freak on his back. Nothing wrong with you, did. If you let yourself believe there is, you're a sap. I'm coming back to see you in a day or so. I have to look at cops all the time, and I need relief-try to do something about your hair there.''

* NarmCharm: "Ride with me. For my pleasure." Helped by Ralph Fiennes' accent.

* NarmCharm: "Ride with me. For my pleasure." Helped by Ralph Fiennes accent.

* MagnificentBastard: If ''anyone'' can be considered one, it's Lecter.

* NightmareFuel

* SpotlightStealingSquad: In the original book of Red Dragon, Hannibal Lecter is a OneSceneWonder who appears for about seven pages. Good pages, but still. The VHS/DVD release for the first film now advertises it as "the beginning of Hannibal Lecter's legacy" and the poster for the second film is mostly [[FloatingHeadSyndrome a giant picture of his head]].

* CompleteMonster: Surprisingly averted. Not only does Francis Dolarhyde recieve a very [[FreudianExcuse sympathetic backstory]], thanks to Reba's influence in his life, he winds up coming into conflict with his evil side ("the Dragon") and showing pain and regret for the two horrible massacres he's committed, and even winds up not going through with his planned third one.
** Hannibal was originally ''supposed'' to be a CompleteMonster, and this was indeed how he was first described by Will Graham in ''Red Dragon'' for want of a "proper" diagnosis. He comes off as more of a MagnificentBastard here. His later VillainDecay is one of the problems people have with ''Hannibal Rising''.
* HighOctaneNightmareFuel

* SpotlightStealingSquad: In the original book of Red Dragon, Hannibal Lecter is a OneSceneWonder who appears for about seven pages. Good pages, but still. The poster for the (second) film is mostly [[FloatingHeadSyndrome a giant picture of his head]].
* {{Squick}}

*** What Graham was saying was that Lector doesn't truly fit any classic case of psychopathy or sociopathy. He has emotions such as compassion and sympathy, which sociopaths don't display, but can kill without even the slightest shred of remorse. He technically isn't a true textbook case SerialKiller either. He's more along the lines of a mass murderer, as a serial killer is defined by a "cooldown" period between killings, and this period being ended because the killer is ''compelled'' to kill. Lector can go long periods of time without killing, and does not seem to ''have'' to kill people in the way that Dolarhyde does, but instead simply kills mostly because [[ItAmusedMe it amuses him]]. On the other hand, he isn't a true sadist either, since he doesn't kill to inflict suffering. If someone like Lector were to actually exist, he would be viewed as some unique form of monster completely outside the existing definitions of psychopathy or sociopathy.