Silence of the Lambs is
Terrifying, Shocking and Psychological.
Silence of the Lambs also has
the best performances from some of the best actors in the business.
This horror classic is firmly ingrained in pop culture.
Written
by BHM Contributor Ronnie
Angel May 9, 2007
Release: 1991 Directed by: Jonathan Demme Written by: Thomas Harris (novel), Ted Tally
(screenplay)
Starring:
Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter Scott Glenn as Jack Crawford Anthony Heald as Dr. Frederick Chilton Ted Levine as Jame 'Buffalo Bill' Gumb
Some things get so popular that they become forever ingrained
in American pop culture. When was the last time you wanted to punch
somebody that said "Git er done"? For me it was about four hours ago.
Then again, it was me that said “I like you, I like
sex…is nice!” from the Borat movie for the
thousandth time just 10 minutes ago...
In case you are wondering, I do have a point here. One of the greatest
and most suspenseful horror classics of all time is one of those movies
forever burned into American pop culture. Just saying the words "Hello
Clarice" will let you know what I’m talking about - Silence
of the Lambs. Silence of the Lambs has
become quite a phenomenon since it was released over fifteen years ago.
It is not common for a horror movie to win an Oscar, and Silence
of the Lambs won 5.
The
story in Silence Of The Lambs revolves around a
rookie FBI agent, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), involved in the hunt
for the latest serial killer on the loose. The killer is called Buffalo
Bill (played masterfully by Ted Levine), so named because of his
penchant for picking up "big girls" and skinning them to make
his own clothing line (I guess?) out of skin (obviously an homage to
real life serial killer Ed Gein). Yep, Bill is seriously messed up in
the head and very, very creepy.
To add urgency to the case, Bill’s latest kidnap victim turns
out to be the daughter of a Tennessee Senator.
The FBI needs help tracking down and catching a serial killer like
Buffalo Bill from someone that can explain the way a serial killer
thinks. Enter fellow serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins
in hands down the best role of his career). Once a respected
psychologist, Lector is currently imprisoned in an underground
glass-encased maximum security prison cell for several brutal killings
involving cannibalism.
The FBI sends Clarice to try
and get into Lector's head and get all the information and clues she
can to help find Buffalo Bill. Lector is very, very clever, however,
and he ends up the one on top of the situation most of time, striking
deals in his favor for more freedom and getting into Clarice's head
with clever manipulation. As more help comes from Lector, who is moved
to a new facility in a deal, the closer the FBI gets to catching
Bill…but things get out of hand. Lector is planning an
escape.
As her dealings with Lector continue Clarice gets better and better at
her job – but also gets more emotionally involved in the case
than she had planned.
The story in Silence
of the Lambs climaxes with Lector’s escape attempt
and the tracking down of Bill, but there is much more to it than just
that. Silence of the Lambs is shocking, no matter
how many times you watch it, as the events unfold leading to the
conclusion. Silence of the Lambs truly deserves all
the praise and popularity it has received over the years.
Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill is one of the scariest and most realistic
villains to ever grace the silver screen. Everything he does and even
how he talks will make you uneasy, and his special home dungeon, poodle
"Precious" and "studio" make him even more unsettling.
Speaking of unsettling, you might want to cover your eyes during the
infamous "man-gina" scene.
As for Hopkins as Lector, I don't think I can say much that has not
already been said about him. Hopkins is purely brilliant in this role.
Lector is a different kind of scary than Bill, more like a lion quietly
waiting for the right moment to attack. Lector is somebody you would
never, ever want to turn your back on.
Of
course the one that ties this all together is Jody Foster as Clarice
Starling, who plays perfectly the tough but naive FBI agent troubled by
her past.
Silence of the Lambs paved the way for many
psychological thrillers, using movie ideas such as profiling, realistic
looks into the investigation and realistic situations, putting you
right in the middle of the story.
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To add urgency to the case, Bill’s latest kidnap victim turns
out to be the daughter of a Tennessee Senator.
Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill is one of the scariest and most realistic
villains to ever grace the silver screen. Everything he does and even
how he talks will make you uneasy, and his special home dungeon, poodle
"Precious" and "studio" make him even more unsettling.
