The Silence of the Lambs

In 1981, novelist, Thomas Harris published a book titled, “Red Dragon.” The Plot involves an FBI profiler named, Will Graham who searches for a serial killer called, “The Tooth Fairy.” He seeks help from a brilliant former psychologist turned cannibalistic serial killer known as, Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter.”

In 1986, the book was adapted into a film under, “Manhunter” starring William Petersen as Will Graham & Brian Cox as Hannibal Lector. In 1988, Thomas published a sequel, “The Silence of the Lambs.” This time, FBI trainee, Clarice Sterling takes over Will’s role as the main protagonist. She seeks to apprehend a serial killer called, “Buffalo Bill.” She seeks Hannibal’s advice. Three Years Later, Jodie Foster & Anthony Hopkins portray the lead characters in a film adaptation.

Released in 1991, (same year Terminator 2: Judgement Day came out) it received critical acclaim from critics and movie goers alike. In addition to praise, the film made enough money at the box office. The Silence of the Lambs was followed by a sequel, “Hannibal,” two prequels, Red Dragon & “Hannibal Rising.”

The Silence of the Lambs won a few Oscars including “Best Director, (Jonathan Demme) “Best Actress,” (Jodie Foster) “Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins) & “Best Picture.” The Criterion Collection included the film as spine number 13. In 2011, the Library of Congress selected The Silence of the Lambs for preservation in the National Film Registry. American Film Institute or AFI for short, ranked Hannibal Lecter number one as the greatest villain surpassing Norman Bates & Darth Vader.

Jodie Foster will headline True Detective’s upcoming fourth season. It’ll air/steam in January 14, 2024 on HBO/Max. Jodie’s most recent film, “Nyad” is officially out in select theaters. It’ll stream on November 3, 2023 on Netflix.

Anyway, it’s Halloween Month 2023. I’ll be watching and reviewing several Horror films throughout October. Which Horror film should I review next? Please leave a comment and I’ll reply back.

This review contains no SPOILERS. I’m giving some of you a chance to see this masterpiece.

Legal & Illegal Aspects

Legal: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn & Ted Levine all did an excellent job for their respective performances. Too bad Jodie’s a Marvel hater like Martin Scorsese & Oliver Stone.

The late Jonathan Demme did a superb job directing.

Scare Factor heavily relies on a psychological atmosphere. I prefer this type of Horror element over Jump Scares. Ten times scarier than “Child’s Play 3.”

Howard Shore (The Fly, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, A History of Violence) orchestrated the soundtrack.

Cinematography felt stable. Extreme Close-Ups of Hannibal, makes you feel uncomfortable. As if standing next to Clarice.

Pacing didn’t feel slow or fast. My eyes were glued to the screen.

The film’s title means something personal to the main protagonist.

Fun Fact 1: Seth Green confirmed Chris Griffin’s voice is based on Buffalo Bill.

Fun Fact 2: Anthony based Hannibal’s personality and voice on HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Truman Capote & Katherine Hepburn.

We learn about Clarice’s troubled backstory.

My favorite line from Buffalo Bill is, “Say, are you a size 14?”

Moths play a pivotal role as some sort of calling card. Now I understand why a moth’s on the poster.

Clarice isn’t a carbon copy of Will Graham. She’s a rookie who has a tragic backstory and Hannibal shows her repeat.

Character Development involving Clarice. As the film progresses, she does her best as a competent rookie.

B-Movie filmmaker, Roger Corman makes a cameo appearance as an FBI director.

Buffalo Bill dancing to “Goodbye Horses” became a meme and parodied in other works. Particularly, “Clerks II.” When I first saw Clerks II, I had no idea Jay was spoofing The Silence of the Lambs.

The Ending sets up the third film, Hannibal.

Illegal: I couldn’t find nothing wrong. I’m giving the cast and crew an Extra Point for making a flawless film as possible.

The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!

The Silence of the Lambs is a masterpiece. All the positive stuff listed above, indicates why this film won Best Picture. If you’re new to the Hannibal Lecter series, start with this gem. Then, Red Dragon. If you wish to watch the weakest entries Hannibal & Hannibal Rising, so be it.