The Silence of The Lambs, 1991

The Silence of The Lambs, 1991
Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney



Stage: Home TV selection on a nice Saturday


Silence in short: Young FBI agent Clarice Starling is assigned to help find a missing woman to save her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims. Clarice attempts to gain a better insight into the twisted mind of the killer by talking to another psychopath Hannibal Lecter, who used to be a respected psychiatrist. FBI agent Jack Crawford believes that Lecter who is also a very powerful and clever mind manipulator have the answers to their questions to help locate the killer. Clarice must first try and gain Lecter's confidence before he is to give away any information.


Preps: Ahhhh, a classic. Need to see it from time to time. One of the best thrillers ever made.



Reality: Well, Sir Hopkins rocks in this part. As an ex carnivor (in human sense, because he ate human flesh) and psychologist, he is tricky to be swollen by the spectator. We get to know him through Clarice, a young eager FBI agent, on her way to the stars.
He reveals his secrets through the psychoanalysis he is doing all the time. For no appareant reason, he likes Clarice and likes "hanging out" with her, if you can even call his sessions he has with her. An interesting trade - she reveals her deep childhood secrets and he tells her how to get to one man FBI is after.
I have never seen scenes so obscure and thrilling. You know something is going to happen, although with common sense, you cannot see how. But you sense it. The largest piece of contribution goes to the music (absolutely beautifully played for each perticular scene) and Sir Hopkins. Obviously he brought the best out of (at that time) still young Foster. I loved her in this part because she represented a kind of character (profession) I once wanted to be, therefore I could perfectly harmonize with her cast.
In general, I believe the three part movie (The Silence is the first from the threesome) is one of the best trilogies ever made. Still gets the creeps out of me. The story is awsome. Trading with really sick prisoner is breathtaking. The music gives me the chills and imagining things that are presented in this piece is unbelievable. Dresses out of human skin? Eating human flesh.. liver with a glass of Chianti. You find yourself worshiping Lector, and despising him at the same moment. Not a lot of pieces do this to you.

In any sense, a thriller worth seeing every now and then. Makes you believe Lecter is in the prison because he wants to be and not because his government wants him to. Also makes you sure about the next piece, the sequel, because the story doesn't end with the rescue. A normal setting for a sequel.

Sometimes you see one person make a movie and be notorious about it. In a good sense. Anthony Hopkins has this one as the milestone in his career. Absolutely great cast and great energy. He owns the stage.

My personal rating: 9,0 (a solid, strong thriller. I would claim an oldie goldie, even though the movie isn't really ancient).


The Silence on IMDB