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The Silence of the Lambs
is so near perfection it defies criticism. Justly sweeping the 1991
Academy Awards, taking all five top Oscar honors (picture, director,
screenplay, actor, and actress) this landmark film reinvented the
serial killer and became a blueprint for true-crime suspense. Knockout
performances, wickedly superb dialogue and masterful direction led
Hannibal Lector to be voted as the #1 greatest movie villain of
all time by the American Film Institute and earned the film a spot
on their 1998 and 2007 Top 100 list, as well as countless other
well-deserved accolades.
Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is assigned to catch a mysterious serial killer dubbed Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), who skins his victims and is believed to still hold a live kidnapped girl. But in order to catch the elusive Bill she must enlist the help of notorious cannibal and imprisoned doctor, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to unlock clues about Bill’s identity and how to catch him. In a skewed sense of payment for his help, Hannibal demands information about Clarice’s childhood, and as she draws closer to saving the tortured girl, Hannibal has a plan of his own that spells mayhem for all involved in his twisted game of wits. Cool, calm, collected and a cunning genius, Hannibal is an antagonist
so engrossing we undeniably root for him despite the fact that
he's a downright villain. Perfectly complementing Anthony Hopkins’
stellar performance is Jodie Foster's Starling who is independent,
tough and unyielding, yet respectful of Lector’s advice,
where others, including prison psychiatrist Dr. Chilton (Anthony
Heald), despises his perspicacity. The chemistry between Hannibal
and Clarice is unforgettable and the character development, mostly
through Starling’s stories about her childhood and from
retelling Hannibal’s horrific crimes, is flawless in its
execution. |
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Equal parts horror and
thriller, The Silence of the Lambs redefined and rejuvenated the
serial killer film while simultaneously putting the audience in
a curious juxtaposition concerning whom to revere. Starling is the
embodiment of a strong, willful female lead, but Hannibal is devilishly
brilliant. Who wouldn't want to relate to his verbal craftiness
and slyly scrupulous choice of words? It's interesting to see that
despite his superior intelligence, during his moment of superiority,
he resorts to raw physical violence to overcome his captors. His
actions are so calculatingly devious that we are constantly guessing
as to what he will do next. Hannibal actually has an incredibly
small amount of screen time and perhaps the least of any Best Actor
Oscar winner, but makes such great use of it that he stays in our
minds long after the movie concludes. Either way, hopefully no one
is cheering for Buffalo Bill.
By no means the only one of its kind, The Silence of the Lambs is purely and simply the best. Leading the way for psychological thrillers, most recently including Zodiac, The Black Dahlia and Mr. Brooks, Lector also returns in the sequel and prequel Hannibal and Red Dragon, respectively. Unfortunately neither the scripts nor the direction of these two subsequent films could achieve the sheer brilliance of the original. - Mike Massie |
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