The Boundaries of the Image of Hannibal Lecter (on the Example of the Hannibal TV Series). Part 1

Abstract

In the article, the author explores the history of creation and development of the media franchise which revolves around the life of a fictional extravagant and in his own way genius serial killer and cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. The author of the study attempts to systematize the movies and series of the Hannibal universe, with a particular focus on the Hannibal TV series (2013–2015). The focus specifically on a TV series is due to the fact that such works have become a significant form of popular culture. The popular images that are formed within the context of a TV series are based on topical and meaningful categories of culture. This makes contemporary TV series, such as Hannibal, an influential tool for forcing the viewer to reflect on important issues. In this way, TV series today are able to influence cultural dynamics. On the other hand, as the author of the article shows on the example of Hannibal, the material of such media products is also a promising source for researching the processes and transformations taking place in society and identifying topical problems and challenges. The present study aims to identify various aspects of the complex and controversial personality of Hannibal in the context of contemporary culture. To achieve this purpose, the author, on the one hand, compares the image of the main character with the real and fictional characters of popular culture, and on the other hand, analyses several key categories of culture, including power, art and others, which all together allows defining the features of Hannibal’s personality within the coordinate system of culture.

Keywords

• hannibal lecter
• system of images
• television series
• thriller
• film series
• convergence
• mass media discourse
• franchise
• horror
• cult movies
• sequels