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The Silence of the Lambs (1990)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
August 30th, 2007
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'Silence of the Lambs' is one of the creepiest and most compelling thrillers ever made. It is a study of the pathology of evil, the psychology of evil, and a competent police procedural, with an FBI agent masterfully using her own intuition and resourcefulness to capture an elusive serial killer, by asking one for advice and insight, which he gives her, only if she reveals her deepest secrets to him. It is a twisted relationship forged out of necessity, but built on respect and more than a little eroticism, with an obvious sexual undercurrent in their exchanges, more on his part than hers. The agent is Clarice Starling (Foster), still a trainee, who gets an assignment from her boss, Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) to go to an asylum and talk with Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins), a former forensic psychiatrist who turned to murder and cannibalism, a man of terrible cruelty, but also refined, sophisticated tastes, repulsed by rudeness and obscenity. Starling wants him to help her catch Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), a cross-dressing psychopath who kidnaps and kills young women. His latest victim is the daughter of a senator.
Lecter insists that Starling talk to him, reminiscing about her childhood, recounting bad memories and experiences, all in an attempt to get inside her head and toy with her, for his own enjoyment, though he does express genuine interest in her. The chilling and unforgettable first encounter with Lecter comes as Starling visits his cell for the first time, approaching the end of a long, colorless corridor, with Lecter standing rigid and upright in his cell, staring at her emotionlessly but with sinister curiosity. This is Hopkins's trademark character. No one else can or should ever play Hannibal Lecter. He won an Oscar for his extraordinary performance, in which he gives life to one of the most memorable and terrifying cinematic villains of all time.
We know Lecter is a monster, who committed unspeakable crimes, yet we always find him charming and fascinating, inviting and intelligent, even kind and courteous, to those he believes are deserving of such behavior. Foster also won an Oscar for her magnificent turn as Clarice, who is naive and inexperienced in a lot of ways, but possesses a strong instinct and sharp intellect that belie her hickish exterior, that of a poor girl raised by her father in rural West Virginia, as Lecter is quick to point out. Levine is terrific as the deranged Buffalo Bill.
Anthony Heald is great as Dr Chilton, the asylum administrator, who is proud to house Lecter in his facility, but also likes to provoke him and pretend that he fully understands him, and could outsmart him at every turn. The plot takes unexpected twists and turns, as dictated by an Oscar-winning script, adapted by Ted Tally from the bestselling novel by Thomas Harris, and Jonathan Demme won for Best Director; the film itself won Best Picture, all tremendously well-deserved accolades.
Most interesting is the way Clarice is shown to be a determined woman in a profession dominated by men, all of whom believe she cannot handle the work and must rely on their assistance, though she proves more than capable of doing this and most anything else. But in the end, it is all about Lecter, whom we have followed through a sequel and two prequels, none of which match the quality of the original film, itself a follow-up to Manhunter, from Michael Mann, and featuring Brian Cox as Lecter. It appeared on my list of the greatest movies ever made.
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