A stylish police procedural .....

Dear Michael Mann,

Manhunter is mainly a very stylish police procedural. The array of methods (mostly related to forensic evidence) used by the team of police personnel to identify and track down the killer were simply ingenious. You stayed true to the book and incorporated nearly all of Thomas Harris' ideas. Manhunter's status as a police procedural is punctuated by the fact that you paid a lot of attention to the sets - the police meetings are all located in places characterized by an almost sterile white corporate cleanliness. They are notably different from the sets used during the other scenes.

Manhunter is also a really scary horror film. It has one of the creepiest beginnings ever with the grainy point of view shot of the killer as he flashes a light upon a sleeping couple. The scenes inside Dollarhyde's abode were genuinely frightening. It offers more than a glance into the motivations of a serial killer.

William Petersen is perfectly cast as a tortured cop struggling with his inner demons. I loved the use of slow motion in the two action scenes. You channeled a bit of De Palma in the scene where Dollarhyde gazes upon his lover and another man. It was a really deft touch. A lot of people complain about the background score. But I thought it was excellent and added another dimension to this film. The film looks gorgeous on Blu Ray. Great job, Michael.

Best Regards,
Pimpin.

(9/10)