Reply #145: They did cut out the best scene in Manhunter, though

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

I saw the director's cut in a private screening at DEG. There was a scene towards the end where the manhunter confronts the monstrous serial killer who is about to take his next victim. Instead of killing him, William Peterson stares at him in contemplation and almost appears to enjoy what's about to happen. This is what the story is all about (from the novel Red Dragon): a detective who is able to identify with the serial killers he pursues to the point that he becomes one with him. The backstory made no sense without this scene. In the film, the profiler detective had had a very bad experience with a previous serial killer in which he got into his mind to the point where he began to find a sick fascination in killing and it's why he was so reluctant to get involved in chasing a new serial killer. The previous case had seriously disturbed him. Also, I heard that Michael Mann wasn't happy about the scenes of sunshine and family happiness at the beach that were cut in at the end when the credits rolled. He wanted to end it with that last dark scene where the emotionally overwhelmed detective just stared out at the water from a dock that we see in a terrific and powerful long shot.

I don't know why executives like to manipulate the best parts of films out of a picture in order to make them happier or less controversial. It would have been a much more powerful film with that one scene left in.