The Silence of the Lambs
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- Release Date: February 14, 1991
- Directed by: Jonathan Demme
- Written by: Ted Tally
- Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes
- Series: Hannibal Lecter
What kind of an introduction does The Silence of the Lambs even need? It won five Academy Awards and is still considered to be one of the greatest horror films ever made. It has also had a special place in my heart ever since I was about 12 years old. When I was that age and beginning to really get into horror, my Mom and I used to go to the local Family Video and find things to watch together. This was one of the first horror movies that she rented and showed me, and I loved it so much that we quickly rented and watched the sequels as well. I have to thank this movie for being a big gateway entry into my favorite genre, and each rewatch feels just a little bit special to me.
Every time I watch this thing, I'm always drawn in by the performances of the cast across the board. Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling is such a great protagonist. She's smart, determined, and takes no shit from anyone who tries to get in her way. I love all of the moments where she brushes off people's remarks with a laugh or a comment of her own, as well as the ones where she works to keep her composure at the aftermath of a horrific crime. She does such a great job of portraying a character with deep trauma who is trying their hardest to fight it off and prove themselves. Of course, Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter is one of the most iconic in the history of horror films. He has two modes that he exists in: the intelligent, well-spoken yet sarcastic doctor, and the face-eating mad cannibal. You can never tell when he's going to switch into his violent mode, and it always feels like he's walking the line separating the two personalities. Every sentence out of his mouth sounds like he's probing whoever he talks to, constantly trying to get into the head of anyone vulnerable enough to let him in. My favorite thing to watch for in his scenes is the amount of time he goes without blinking. Once you notice it, it makes all of his wide-eyed stares even more unsettling. Finally, Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill is such a twisted villain. He doesn't have as much screen time as the others, spending a lot of the movie being a background character as the monster to be caught. However, when he is on screen, there are times where he's even more unsettling than Lecter is. Everyone always mentions his famous dance sequence, but I've always been most disturbed by the scene where he cuts open a victim's shirt just to look at their back. Knowing what his goal is, the implications are sinister, and I love how creepy he manages to be with such a short introduction.
On the filmmaking side of things, what I appreciate most about this movie is how well it builds suspense without showing much explicit material. There are numerous points where either the characters or the shot itself will imply something extremely disturbing or graphic, but the audience never gets to see it. One example early in the film is when Clarice is shown a photograph of a nurse that was attacked by Hannibal. As the doctor describes to her how "the doctors managed to reset her jaw, more or less, save one of her eyes", all the audience sees is Clarice's face as the shock of what she is seeing sets in. Another moment is when she has to inspect the corpse of one of Buffalo Bill's victims. For a good chunk of the scene, the camera lingers on her face as she describes what the body looks like as it lies just out of focus. The camera tracks her as she moves, clearly shaken and struggling to keep her voice steady. It makes the audience draw a disturbing picture in their minds before finally showing off the body bit by bit. This is a major situation where sometimes what you don't see is scarier than what you do, and the tension that it builds is thrilling. When the scene of Hannibal's rampage against the guards of his cell finally happens, the bloodshed and violence feels like a special treat after such effective buildup. It's perfectly paced, and the last act of the movie always has me nailed to my seat.
The Silence of the Lambs has its reputation for a reason. Whether you're a fan of horror films, psychological thrillers, serial killer stories or cop stories in general, this movie stands as an example of one of the best. In terms of characters, acting, writing, and tension, it's so strong that almost every other movie in its series pales in comparison. My first viewing experience got me into a genre that was still very new to me, and when I get the chance to rewatch it, it feels just as exciting and disturbing as it did when I was young. I owe a lot to this twisted little movie and its cannibalistic icon, and I'll always have to thank my Mom for introducing me to such a classic.