Acting I, Final Project PDF

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Final acting project of a character analysis. got a 100% on this assignment...

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TPP 2100 Final Project

As with any film-to-television adaptation, an actor will often struggle to hold their character up to fan standards. Particularly with a well known film with a large fan following, there’s often the question of whom could possibly portray such well known characters in a television adaptation while still respecting the previous actor portrayal. The television show Hannibal  - a modern day prequel to the film, The Silence of the Lambs  - features an ensemble cast who portray the iconic characters from the film that garnered such a wide fan base. Although Mads Mikkelsen carries the show with his exceptional portrayal of the serial killer Hannibal Lecter, it is Raúl  Esparza’s portrayal of the incompetent psychiatrist Dr. Frederick Chilton that stood out to me the most throughout the series’ three season run. His portrayal of Frederick Chilton is my favorite of his roles because as the series progresses, we are able to see Chilton’s slow build up of hubris, which, at the end of each season, results with him getting more and more maimed.

-- Frederick Chilton in Hannibal -*Season One* When we are first introduced to Chilton in season one, he is depicted as a suave, overconfident man who seems to have all the answers. He is friendly and cooperative which leads to him becoming close allies with Agent Jack Crawford and Special Agent Will Graham. He assists them in profiling a murderer who is a resident at Dr. Chilton’s psychiatric hospital. It is then that the audience learns of his backstory: previously a surgeon, Chilton was revealed to be “dangerously incompetent” (to the point of many of his own patients actually dying in his care) and instead became general administrator for Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. After accidently planting the idea into one of his patients’ minds that he (the patient) is a notorious serial killer known for his brutal murders and elaborate posthumous displays, Chilton

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TPP 2100 Final Project

ends up becoming the patient’s victim, having his internal organs removed while under local anesthesia. Miraculously, Chilton survives the attack, though missing a few organs. *Season Two* Season 2 shows Chilton back at work and struggling with the aftermath of having been so mentally and physically traumatized. His normally full beard is something more of a “5-o’clock shadow” and he relies on a cane to walk. He is more present in this season and is later revealed to be the victim of another crime - this time at the hands of Hannibal Lecter. When Will Graham is put on trial, Chilton initially testified against Graham as a way to keep him as his patient in his facility. However, he is later manipulated by Will to shift his loyalty and act as a double agent for him when discussing his sessions with Hannibal Lecter. This shows how easily Chilton can be persuaded to change his affiliations when it will be beneficial to him. Lecter frames Chilton as the prime suspect for a series of gruesome murders (that Lecter himself committed) and begins his downward spiral into paranoia. He is then taken into custody of the FBI where he is shot in the face by another victim of Hannibal Lecter, who has been brainwashed into believing that Chilton has been holding her captive for over 2 years. As in season one, Chilton did not take enough caution to distance himself from situations that didn’t involve him and, as a result, was nearly killed twice. *Season Three* The ever persistent Frederick Chilton returns (minus an eye and all of his left teeth) for

 ith the intention of taking down Hannibal Lecter once the third and final season of Hannibal w and for all. He is reintroduced into the series having become a successful author by writing a highly fictionalized account of Hannibal’s crimes and his own involvement in the chain of events that have transpired throughout the show. He also attempts to gather Hannibal’s living victims as a way to build an army of those who are also driven by revenge in order to have Hannibal

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TPP 2100 Final Project

incarcerated and brought back into his care at the Institution. This proves to be extremely unsuccessful as the end result is Chilton being bound to a chair and set aflame by a sadist who idolizes Hannibal. His ultimate downfall is a result of his own overconfidence in himself, which results in him being outsmarted (for the third time!) by Hannibal Lecter. Although Chilton survives being lit on fire, he is so badly burned that he can barely speak, except to blame Will Graham for having planned Chilton’s final attack (which is not entirely true).

-- Characterization of Frederick Chilton -The character of Dr. Frederick Chilton shows how manipulative and meticulous Hannibal Lecter is throughout the series. Chilton, being so clueless to never suspect that he is making himself appear as an obvious suspect, serves as Lecter’s way of committing heinous crimes and always having someone else to frame. Chilton is shown to be overconfident and smooth-talkingup until his ultimate demise. Although he makes himself appear powerful, it is clear that he is nothing but a coward and relies on authority figures (Jack Crawford and Will Graham) to protect him from harm. He attempts to flee the country when he is framed for murder which shows his own unrealistic ability to handle obstacles. His final words in the series are spiteful, which proves that he is unable to accept responsibility for his own foolish actions. His decline in mental stability is ironic as Chilton is the head of a hospital for the criminally insane, and reflects his own lack of capacity to handle situations where real danger is involved. There is very little character development with Frederick throughout Hannibal’ s entirety. He is immediately characterized as someone who is drawn to people of higher power, using them as a shield to build his own higher social status. His naivety and cowardice are traits that Chilton has always possessed and simply becomes more prominent as the show progresses. His few bursts of courage are very quickly extinguished (as seen when he begs for Jack not to shoot him whilst attempting to escape custody and when he pleads for his life while being held captive by sadist Francis Dolarhyde) and only show that Frederick exhibits bravery when he believes there won’t be any real danger to him or he will be able to escape whatever peril his is faced with.

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TPP 2100 Final Project

-- Raúl Esparza as Frederick Chilton -Raúl Esparza is best known for his portrayal of Robert in the musical Company a nd more recently as Rafael Barba in Law & Order: SVU . As an actor who transitioned from the stage to the screen, it is clear that Esparza has put ample amounts of effort into making his character be memorable. Esparza portrays Frederick as a weak man who hides behind people with more social power than he; he speaks in a tone that implies that those he is speaking to are somehow beneath him, but his true colors show through when he faces danger. Esparza is able to show Chilton as being both a know-it-all and a man afraid of his own shadow with an ease that allows the audience to understand his character and pity him. The rapid emotional changes that Chilton experiences are presented in a way that is realistic enough for an audience to sympathise with the character in the frightening situations he finds himself in.

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