The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Director: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn

Synopsis:
An FBI trainee is tasked with interviewing the notorious serial killer 'Hannibal the Cannibal' Lecter in a bid to help catch another serial killer known as Buffalo Bill.

Impressions:
I can't praise this film enough. It's a sublime thriller that hits all the right notes. The performances play out like a master course for studying the craft of acting. Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling is strong yet vulnerable and smart yet not infallible. Anthony Hopkins' performance as Hannibal Lecter is simply amazing. I love the way he easily transitions from sophisticated to vulgar to throw people off balance and how truly terrifying he can be when he reveals his monstrous side. He's rightly ranked as AFI's #1 villain and Hopkins fully deserved his Oscar (Foster did too). Ted Levine is also quite good as Buffalo Bill (so good that it cost him work for a while) and I really liked Anthony Heald as the smarmy Dr. Chilton.

I don't normally make mention of cinematography, but I probably should. The camera work here deserves particular mention, especially when the camera focuses on Hopkins' piercing stare. The music by Howard Shore is also a fine accompaniment to what we're seeing.

Another thing worth mentioning is how well themes like sexism are handled. A lot of it is fairly subtle, such as showing Starling dwarfed by male recruits surrounding her, the way eyes just follow her, and the way most of the guys she encounter will hit on her with varying degrees of creepiness. It never gets hamfisted and Starling never gets on a soapbox. It gets the point across without insulting the audience's intelligence and I appreciate that.

I highly recommend this film and believe it belongs in the collection of most any film buff. About the only proviso I'd make before recommending it to everyone is to make note of the subject matter, which can be disturbing to more sensitive viewers. If your sensibilities aren't so delicate, you definitely need to see it.

Rating:
Treasure It