Hannibal

Other mistake: When Clarice is reading the letter from Hannibal, we hear a voice over, however what he says differs from what the letter says, specifically the "your good friend" before the signature, which Hannibal says, but which isn't in the letter. (00:35:35)

Other mistake: Clarice handcuffed Hannibal. Apparently Hannibal opted to amputate his own hand, but the next scene shows officers descending on Clarice at the lake shore. Had Hannibal amputated his own hand, she would still have been wearing the other cuff. She wasn't.

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Suggested correction: It's not known how much time passed between these two scenes. At least enough for Hannibal to tend to his wound and escape. It's quite possible she found the key during that time.

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Mistakes

Continuity mistake: When Clarice is opening the letter written to her by Hannibal, it is sealed with wax, and not glued down in any way. While she's reading it, Hannibal is shown licking an envelope. (00:32:05)

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Quotes

Hannibal Lecter: On a related note I must confess to you, I'm giving very serious thought... to eating your wife.

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Trivia

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Questions

Question: How did Hannibal manage to make it onto a commercial airplane at the end of the movie? Even if he had a fake ID, wouldn't being on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list make it virtually impossible for him to get through a high security place like an airport, where the feds would likely instruct security staff to stop anyone that even remotely resembles him? The fact that he cut off his own hand at the end of the film would make him easier to spot, as the FBI would definitely share that new detail about him.

Phaneron ★

Answer: As seen in the first film and in this one, Lecter demonstrates an almost supernatural ability for eluding the law and seemingly being in two places at once. This film was made in the year 2000, before airport security became extremely tight in late 2001. At that time (before 9/11), it was still possible to enter an airport's main concourse through the baggage claim or even from the tarmac without passing through rigorous security. As ingenious as Lecter was, he could have accessed the airport in a number of ways back then. Relieving another passenger of his boarding pass and identification would be no problem for Lecter, either (simply leave the passenger's body in an airport toilet and assume his identity). For the most part, it was Lecter's calm, self-confident charm that allowed him to slither through society always ten steps ahead of the law.

Charles Austin Miller

Answer: Perhaps he bribed his way through security onto the plane. Or maybe he murdered anyone who even remotely challenged him. He was probably wearing a disguise. It's possible that he had been planning this whole thing for an unspecified amount of time. And don't forget: he is a genius. And determined. He wouldn't let a little thing like protocol get in the way of his escape.

Alan Keddie

Answer: There is an assumption that he cut his hand off in the end. Ask yourself this for a very graphic movie why did they not show the chopped of hand. You just hear the chop but no sound from Lecter and only an emotional reaction from Starling. It is only alluded to and even if he did happen to chop it off he would be in so much pain as he acknowledged this was going to hurt he would not have been able to escape without help from Starling.

On the plane, you only see him use his right hand, and his left arm is in a sling. Further explaining, he did cut his own hand off to be freed. If he cut Starling's hand off, she would have possibly bled to death, or at least enough that she couldn't have run for him.

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