Movie Notes: 'Silence of the Lambs' (1991)

Based from Thomas Harris novel, The Silence of the Lambs stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, an FBI Trainee who is given a great opportunity by being assigned in the investigation of the vicious murders of a serial killer dubbed Buffalo Bill. 

Through the instruction of Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) she interviews Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a Cannibalistic psychopath who happens to be a brilliant Psychiatrist for insights to help her solve the case.

He initially declines but later on agreed on the terms offered by a Senator whose daughter was believed to be abducted by Buffalo Bill. He also added that Clarice should share with him his past in exchange for the information she needed.

This psychological horror deserves all the accolade it receives and a true masterpiece in the psychological horror genre. It delves not only on the savagery of serial killers but also on their dark and dreary minds.

The impeccable performance of Jodie Foster as Clarice with her repressed vulnerability and the astounding portrayal of Anthony Hopkins to one of cinema's and one of my favorite characters Hannibal Lecter. It is no surprise that this movie would create such memorable characters that I thought it would be impossible to separate them from their actors (well until the Hannibal series came and Mads Mikkelsen created another light on Hannibal) 

Jonathan Demme has become faithful to most of the novel and the cinematography especially the scenes were the camera pans on the gaze of Hopkins is enough to scare.

The whole movie is enthralling and almost hypnotic. The horror of it can be described as watching a predator playing with its prey. Hannibal with his intellectual superiority managed to crush Starling's wall of strength and unearthed the repressed darkness of her past.

Just listening to Hannibal and her brilliant power of suggestion is enough to scare because it projects the savagery, violence and everything that is evil any human is capable. 

All in all this movie is gripping and dark with a drizzle of enough gore to make you lose your appetite.

 

I give this movie 5 out of 5 and listing it under my list of GREAT Movies.