Manhunter analysis - part 52: References to the number '3' in the movie

CATEGORY: MOVIES

In part 51 it was mentioned that the biblical prophet, Jonah, spent three days and nights inside the body of a large fish, before God caused the fish to vomit him out. It turns out that the number three comes up in quite a few places in Manhunter. Below is a list of each place that 'three' is said by the characters:

1) Graham records that there are three blood stains on the east wall of the Leeds house.
2) Graham caught Dr. Lecktor three years ago (mentioned in the Atlanta police meeting).
3) Lecktor first recognizes Graham by the aftershave he wore in court three years ago.
4) Eileen tells Dollarhyde that there is a variation in the gamma in "number 3."
5) Chilton says that he can keep Lecktor in the holding cell for three or four hours before he gets suspicious.
6) There are three "t's" in "Tattler" (spoken by Crawford).
7) Beverly Katz sent "three blue grains" to Brian (to be analyzed by him).
8) They tried sodium amytal on Lecktor three years ago... (mentioned in the investigators' meeting).
9) In the darkroom, Reba tells Dollarhyde to come forward three steps.
10) Crawford wants a chopper on the roof of the building he's in within three minutes.
11) Dollarhyde lives off of route 3, in Chesterfield, Missouri.
12) In the scene in Dollarhyde's back yard, it is stated that the backup is "three minutes away."

All these three's allude to the fact that Jonah spent three days inside the fish, which, as we will see later, is related to the three days between Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection.