The Opera Scene from the Movie Hannibal

Have you ever been to Florence, Italy? I haven't, and I'm not sure whether what I've seen in a certain major movie is really that northern Italian city or a reasonable facsimile thereof.  I was similarly fooled when I thought the principals in the 1959 Alfred Hitchcock thriller North by Northwest were actually traipsing about on the carved presidential heads at Mount Rushmore, but no, the movie shots were cleverly made around artificially constructed models in the studio.  I say all this because, having recently seen the 2001 thriller Hannibal, follow-up to the acclaimed Silence of the Lambs with Anthony Hopkins portraying erudite and cultured cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, there is a two-minute scene (at 1:02-1:04) in which Hopkins' character is seated in an outdoors theater watching a wonderful operatic performance.  I was curious as to which centuries-old work it was and, to my astonishment after looking it up, discovered that the opera itself was imaginary and that what I saw was only a "libretto" titled Vide Cor Meum (See My Heart) based on a poem by philosopher Dante Alighieri and composed solely for the movie by Patrick Cassidy.  You may not go for the horror genre in film, especially the kind that shows gore and extreme violence like this one.  But this two-minute segment is almost magical in its otherworldliness, and also captures the building suspenseful conflict between Lecter and Italian police inspector Rinaldo Pazzi, played by Giancarlo Giannini, as the two exchange dueling stares in the midst of the performance.  I have noticed that I have a tendency, when rewatching movies I like, to fast-forward to the most appealing scenes. This one, very brief scene from an admittedly disturbing movie, to me, is one of those unforgettable, all-time greats.  You can hear the extended version of the piece by searching on YouTube.  I come away from this particular experience with a greater appreciation...as well as some apprehension...as to how expertly done media can influence my thoughts and emotions, this time for the better.  As for Hannibal, it all focuses down to a spectacular two-minute interlude.  Makes me want to visit Florence...or a reasonable facsimile thereof...