Director: Jonathan Demme.
I decided to end my blog by reviewing a classic in the Criterion Collecgtion, which just so happens to be one of my personal favorites: the 1991 smash hit, The Silence of the Lambs.
Release poster.
The Silence of the Lambs follows a young FBI-trainee, Clarice Starling, as she tracks down an at-large serial killer known only as Buffalo Bill. The Bureau enlists the help of brilliant psychiatrist and famed cannibalistic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter. However, Lecter seems unwilling to help. At a loss, the FBI sends Starling in hopes of collecting the necessary information. Lecter takes a certain interest in Starling and begins supplying the information required to catch Buffalo Bill.
What unfolds in this 118 minute psychological thriller is something so remarkable, it’s hard to put into words. Instead, it is much easier to simply bury it in accolades. The Silence of the Lambs won a landslide of awards, including five Academy Awards and being placed on a multitude of “Best Films of All Time” lists. This film is a recognized artistic triumph.
The characters in this film are extremely diverse and are portrayed so realistically and thoroughly, you feel as though you know them personally. Clarice Starling, played by Jodie Foster, is the protagonist of the film, and is certainly a heroine to be admired. Buffalo Bill, played by Ted Levine, is unbelievably sick and twisted, driving the plot of the film forward each time he comes onto the screen. Hannibal Lecter, outstandingly played by Anthony Hopkins, truly steals the film.
The character of Hannibal Lecter is complicated and deep, and his story has been explored throughout a number of movies, books, and television programs. In the Silence of the Lambs, Lecter is incarcerated for his crimes of murder and cannibalism and is regarded as the most dangerous man currently residing in the prison. Despite his horrid hobby, Lecter is cultured and sophisticated, not to mention brilliant. Yet, beneath the seemingly well-mannered surface is a man capable of, and almost giddy to, murder.
“I’m having an old friend for dinner.”
The Silence of the Lambs is a true classic and a definite bucket list film.