MovieChat Forums > Manhunter (1986) Discussion > What was Crawford talking about??

What was Crawford talking about??

posted 8 years ago by curled7
5 replies | jump to latest

This isn't a plot hole in the book but a major one in the movie. Crawford states there is absolutely no connection between the two families? The FBI transferred film of the Leeds and Jacobi families on video for Graham to view at the very beginning. How did the FBI not figure out both films were developed at Gateway Labs? The case should have been solved long before Crawford even went to Graham's house.

I believe in the book Graham has absolutely no idea the Jacobi's even had film until the end. He realizes after reading their probate papers from Metcalf that there's a projector and film missing from the storage room were the Jacobi's belongings are kept. He realizes after watching it that everything the killer needed to know about the killings were on the two films and realizes both films were from Gateway.

[–] Mickyfinn 8 years ago

One of the films cans had a label over the Gateway Labs one, remember? Its in Graham's big scene where he realizes the Tooth Fairy must have seen the films. Graham is the one who says "shops send them out - have him peel the top label" or something like that.

Unless you are saying the FBI should have known to peel the label back when they first had the belongings.

You just have to be resigned-
You're crashing by design

[–] Thieves_of_Sieves 8 years ago

God, I love Graham's big scene more than I love myself.

[–] Dazed_are_numbered 8 years ago

Me too!

"It does doesn't it"

Although there's been rain and it's coming again
Change has to be here obviously

[–] kmags84 8 years ago

Bingo. It's a complex film, that's for sure. So I could see how it could be missed on first viewing but not on the second or third. He's "Peeling back the final layer" both Literally and Symbolically. Graham did a great job in this film. Definitely my favorite role of his followed by 'To Live And Die In LA'

[–] Thieves_of_Sieves 8 years ago

I think the deceptive obviousness of such a detail is what makes it work so well. Graham has the kind of mind that can make enormous leaps as well as shrink down into the smallest cracks. So that big scene when Graham finds the edge of the seam of the whole thing is insanely thrilling because we're watching a pebble turn into a mountain.