Review: “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)

A Gory Classic 5/5

***This movie is rated R*** Spoilers ahead!

I had always wanted to see the psychological thriller “Silence of the Lambs,” (1991) (sequel to the film Red Dragon 2002) so when my friend invited me to Chicago to watch it in Grant Park I was psyched.  The movie is directed by Jonathan Demme and written and adapted by Ted Tally from the 1988 novel by Thomas Harris of the same name (which is just as fantastic).  The movie got a 95% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it had a $19 million dollar budget, it made $272.7 million at the box office.

Watching this movie for the first time in the pitch black of the night with only the full moon out as a light source was probably not the smartest idea, from the first shot of Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling running through the woods (using low key lighting, and mist) I already felt an eerie presence.  The story goes that the FBI is worried about an increasing number of female victims being  murdered and skinned by a man going by the pseudonym of Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine).  The director of the Behavioral Science unit at the FBI Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) asks Clarice Starling, (best female protagonist ever) an inexperienced but capable trainee (she’s top in her class) to go interview the incarcerated cannibalistic, serial killer, psychiatrist; Hannibal Lecter.  By interviewing him, Crawford believes they might be able to buy time and save Senator Ruth Martins (Diane Baker) daughter Catherine Martin (Brooke Martin) who has been kidnapped by Buffalo Bill and find out more information about Buffalo Bill himself.  Some of my favorite scenes are between Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins who plays Hannibal Lecter, they both have undeniable chemistry.  Hopkins came back to play Lecter in the prequel film installment Red Dragon and the sequel film installment Hannibal, but his performance as Hannibal Lecter in this film is by far the best and most chilling.

 

In an analysis of the first interaction between Lecter and Clarice shows an example of the idea of characters trying to get something they want.  The scene starts with both characters looking directly into the lens which demonstrates them as equals, as soon as Lecter delivers his line telling Clarice that her temporary FBI credentials would expire in a week, the camera switches to  both characters looking over each other’s shoulders which can be shown as an example of them putting up a defense.  It can be argued that Lecter has the power from here on out because he tells her to sit and the camera shifts to always look slightly down on her and up at him.  Clarice looks off camera as Lecter stares into the camera which I thought demonstrated her POV; or in other words the audience being inside her head.  This is reinforced as the director pans the camera to what she is looking at (the drawings inside Lecter’s cell) and then back to Lecter himself.  It seems as though the audience is now inside his head because of the angle that the camera is positioned, Clarice wants him to take a survey as the camera does a close up emphasizing its importance and he becomes genuinely interested, only to turn the tables.  Lecter delivers a second blow, the camera dollies (meaning it moves closer/further away from the subject)  for the first time in the scene and leaves Clarice off balance while framing Lecter normally.  Just as she thought she was getting what she wanted; she suddenly didn’t.  Lecter looks slightly off camera, as they are no longer seeing eye to eye, he walks away from the camera towards the back of his cell which is mirrored in the next shot when she does the same and walks down the hall to exit the hospital.

Overall the movie is absolutely astonishing and very well done (especially by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster).  The acting by the entire cast in par is astounding and the movie itself is one that everyone should watch.  Even though there is a scene where things get slightly gory and violent (the gourmet cannibal is back) the movie itself is not very scary, it’s more psychotically messed up.  The scenes are very fun to analyze and have much symbolism through the camera movements and the lines as well as the characters actions.  The book sequel in the series is called “Hannibal” which came out as a movie in 2001, it has Julianne Moore playing Clarice Starling (and of course Anthony Hopkins in his final portrayal of Hannibal Lecter).  In my opinion, I think that Foster’s portrayal of Starling granted the character justice, not to say that Moore’s portrayal wasn’t good, it was but overall that movie wasn’t nearly as good as this one and with that come some shaky acting from the cast.  This ended up being my favorite movie (and book) of all time.  I give this movie 5/5 stars and recommend it 100%.