The Silence of the Lambs

Rating

Director

Jonathan Demme

Screenplay

Ted Tally (Novel by Thomas Harris)

Length

118 min.

Starring

Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, Ted Levine

MPAA Rating

R

Review

On occasion, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences makes a Best Picture selection that is so undeniably interesting that even if it isn’t the best of the year, you can’t help but applaud their effort. The Silence of Lambs holds that distinction.

As FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) winds her way through the tricky case of a serial killer, she must rely on the creepy Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) for advice. A former serial killer himself, Lecter is also a psychiatrist and, through his own experience, has an undeniable understanding of the mind of such a killer.

The horrific elements involving cannibalism, for which Lecter is well known, and human skinning, which the target of the investigation has been dabbling in, might help to classify the film as a horror, but the psychological nature of the investigation and Clarice’s internal struggle to silence a part of her past, make it more akin to a thriller, though cases can be made for both.

The Silence of the Lambs tells multiple stories. While the film is about the search for a serial killer, it is as much an inspection of the psychology that motivates us to pursue our goals. Clarice is as much an investigator as she is a patient. As she sits before Lecter in his prison cell, she sits as if on his couch awaiting psychoanalysis. Lecter plies her for personal information in hopes of learning something about her while helping her excise her own internal demons. Lecter seems to have a keen perception of human behavior and easily recognizes that guilt in her mind.

Although the audience is interested in Agent Starling’s attempts to capture the elusive serial killer, it is more interested in the dynamic between her and Lecter. It’s riveting to watch Foster and Hopkins work together. Each is so amazingly talented in the film that it’s hard to place one ahead of the other in terms of quality.

Director Jonathan Demme brings a palpable sense of suspense to The Silence of the Lambs. He is adept at creating the kind of mood and atmosphere that will help the audience follow these two idealistic and intriguing characters match wits with one another. It is a thoroughly involving bit of filmmaking.

What sets The Silence of the Lambs apart form other films of its kind is its psychological makeup. Most films explore only partial bits of the psyches of their serial killers and the persons who hunt them. They often rely on cheap horror techniques to terrify the audience. The Silence of the Lambs is subtle. Most horror films and psychological thrillers provide chills and emotional turmoil through the obvious use of music. Much of the score of Lambs is rich, dark and quiet. The scenes are dark and ominous accompanied by clever music that doesn’t ply the audience for suspense. We create our own fear. The film doesn’t force us, it leads us.

Most films feel artificial or manufactured, but there is something genuine about The Silence of the Lambs that makes it both entertaining and terrifying. Rarely do we get treated to such movies and unfortunately, we have been denied for years this kind of quality. We can only hope that something as enjoyable as Lambs emerges again in the future.

Review Written

January 9, 2007