The best performance, though, comes from Italian Giancarlo Giannini. His portrayal of Pazzi is perfect. When he finds out that Fell is indeed Lecter, the fear in his eyes is powerful. Well, the script is pretty awful. The material in the film just wasn't translated well from the book.
Character development is pretty much non-existent.
Scary scenes were often interjected with humor that completely offset the mood. Much has also been made of the gore in the movie, and rightfully so. Most notable is the film's spine-tingling finale, which I won't spoil. The direction by Ridley Scott. Having watched the film with four other novice filmgoers who thought it was absolutely fantastic, I've come to the conclusion that there are two different outcomes for viewers.