Directed by Jonathan Demme
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
Rated R
In The Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling (played by Jodie Foster) is a trainee at the FBI. She is sent in to speak with Dr. Hannibal Lecter (played by Anthony Hopkins) to see what he knows about Buffalo Bill (played by Ted Levine) a serial killer who murders larger woman. Starling now has to work with Dr. Lecter and seek his advice to catch the serial killer who now has another victim kidnapped.
The Silence of the Lambs is not a traditional horror film, but it has an eerie mood that is present throughout the film. The mood is set by two characters in the film, Buffalo Bill and Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Buffalo Bill is an unsettling character who makes the audience feel uncomfortable throughout the film. There are no redeeming qualities about the man as he is the worst humanity has to offer. Levine does a terrific job bringing a monster to the screen. Also, Dr. Lecter is the other character who brings an unsettling tone to the film. While on screen for a few scenes and not the main villain, Dr. Lecter leaves a big impact on the film. He is the most memorable character in the film and of all time. Not only is Dr. Lecter menacing, but also somehow charming. He’s smart, manipulative, and somehow likeable. He shows respect to those who respect him. He’s a terrifying character because one minute he can be listening to classical music and the next he could be eating your face.
Dr. Lecter stands out in the film is because he interacts with Clarice Starling so well. In the scenes where Dr. Lecter and Starling interact, these two have great banter. In the scene where these two characters meet, they instantly have a connection. It is not for the right reasons, it is because these two are polar opposites. These great interactions can be attributed to the great performances by Foster and Hopkins and the brilliant screenplay by Ted Tally.
But even when Starling is on the screen alone or with other characters, she still makes her presence known. We root for Starling to succeed in finding Buffalo Bill as she is a woman in a man’s world. We know has to prove herself in a man’s world as there are multiple scenes where we can tell Starling is uncomfortable. This reoccurring theme is brilliantly told by having men look at the camera and thus make Starling uncomfortable. I applaud director Jonathan Demme for his terrific directing.
The Silence of the Lambs is one of those films that everyone will remember after one viewing. The characters, plot, dialogue are all memorable elements of the film. This film also has top notched performances that are still remembered to this day. The Silence of the Lambs is one of those films that is considered to be one of the best films of all time and it deserves that title.
4/4
Edward's Film Reviews 