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No. 13 -
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
To enter the mind of a killer she
must challenge the mind of a madman.
Rated: R (Restricted) for violence, gore and strong language
Director: Jonathan Demme;
Screenplay: Ted Tally; based on the novel by Thomas Harris
Starring: Jodie Foster,
Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith,
Diane Baker, Kasi Lemmons, Charles Napier
Movie Introduction: Clarice Starling (Foster) is a
top student at the FBI's training academy. Her boss Jack Crawford
(Glenn) needs Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter
(Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist, and psychopath, who is serving life
behind bars for various unspeakable acts. Crawford believes that Lecter
may have insight into recent kidnapping case involving a
senator’s daughter. The investigators feels that the girl was taken by a
serial killer known as "Buffalo Bill".
 Defining Moment: The
library
Dr. Lecter has been moved to the
library, but still is housed within a barred enclosure. Up to this
point, we have only heard the stories of his brutal past. Though a bit
creepy, his behavior to this point has been respectful, charming and even suave.
This suddenly changes. When the guards bring him supper, he overpowers
them, and we witness the full, unmerciful power this man can wield
toward those in his way to freedom. The way he is able to escape the
locked room is quite ingenious.
Something subtle you might have missed: local connections
Primary filming took place in
and around Pittsburgh, PA. The house used as Buffalo Bill's home is
located in Perryopolis, PA sat on the market for nearly a year, finally
selling in 2015 for $195,000. The State Hospital was actually the
exterior of the Western Center near Canonsburg, PA.
Memorable Quotes:
"And you're to tell him nothing
personal, Starling. Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside
your head. Just do your job, but never forget what he is." - Jack
Crawford
"A census taker once tried to
test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chi-an-ti. You
fly back to school now, little Starling." – Dr. Hannibal Lecter
"And you think if you save poor
Catherine, you could make them stop, don't you? You think if Catherine
lives, you won't wake up in the dark ever again to that awful screaming
of the lambs." - Dr. Hannibal Lecter
Dad's Review:
Warning: This film has parts
that are
extremely disturbing. Be warned!
After dozens of
good and bad slasher films, most moviegoers were starting
to feel bombarded.
Halloween gave us
the blank-faced killer. Nightmare on Elm Street gave us a dream
murderer. Friday The 13th gave us a hockey-mask-wearing super villain. All
these antagonists would die at the end of one movie, only to come back, sequel after bloody
sequel.
Each franchise attempted to out-do the other.
Eventually, they just became
unrealistic.
 This film is too realistic.
This has happened, and probably happening right now someplace.
I have always had a morbid curiosity for the "serial killer".
These murderers randomly select victims with which they do not even have a connection. The
victim is simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time. That is really terrifying.
I’ve read books on Jack The Ripper,
H. H. Holmes, Jeffrey Dahmer. In college I rented
Henry: Portrait of a
Serial Killer (starring a young Michael Rooker). Lord, that film
was unnerving. I felt I was witnessing a "snuff film".
Silence of the Lambs
fortunately is an
intelligent thriller. Our protagonist, Clarice Starling, is likewise smart
as a young FBI trainee assigned to a serial killer case involving person called "Buffalo
Bill". Her best chance to catch him is to seek advice from the imprisoned
Dr. Hannibal Lecter, himself a serial murderer. Click
HERE (language warning) for
Clarice's first visit, and unsettling conversation with the creepy Dr.
Lecter. The genius of this scene, aside from Mr. Hopkin's
career-defining performance, is Jodie Foster's ability to portray that
she's completely terrified, even on the safe side of one-inch protective
glass.
This film is part psychological
thriller,
part pure horror film. What sets it apart is the Oscar-winning
performance by Anthony Hopkins. He seethes the character and received
praise from the book's author, Tim Harris. When he is on screen you want
to grab your teddy bear. His performance is listed on the American Film
Institute as #1 in the list "AFI's 100 Years - 100 Heroes and Villains".
Not too bad for an actor who had just left Hollywood, thinking is career
in film was over.
This film took home five Oscars and
sits on every "Best of..." film list there is. So grab your teddy bear
and enjoy!
Onto No. 14... Woodland Simpleton |
