The Silence of the Lambs (1991) directed by Jonathon Demme

AFI Top 100: #74

Watching this film for the first time the other night was very eye-opening to me. While I know of the infamous cannibal Hannibal Lecter, I never knew what made him so evil or the story behind the man. I can honestly say that I was expecting a more horror-like film, and when I got a crime thriller, I still was not disappointed. The Silence of the Lambs is a fantastic movie with amazing elements that kicks off the incomparable legacy of Hannibal Lecter.

There was only one problem that I had with this film, and I might as well get it out of the way now. It involves the story of Hannibal Lecter, and I think they could have used more of it. I was expecting Hannibal to be the main villain of the film, but he was more of an accessory villain to the real threat throughout. While he did end up escaping in the end (and successfully setting up possible sequels), I personally think that they could have used more of his backstory for this film. I have not seen any of the other films in the franchise so they might have explored more of him in those, but I would have liked to seen what made him a cannibal and do the god-awful things that he did to people. He was definitely the most interesting character in this film, cementing him in suspense history, but that infamous mask should have been taken off, metaphorically.

This film has so many memorable scenes and elements, and it is worthy of all of the praise it received. One of the best parts in the film was the performances by Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. Although he might play a psychotic cannibal while she plays a mild-mannered FBI trainee, they had such amazing on-screen chemistry. Their roles fit them so well as the humility of Foster's character contrasted the stark and controlling nature of Hopkins' character. Even though their characters worked beautifully together, the best part of this film was the female empowerment portrayed by Foster's character Clarice Starling. She was one of the only females that had succeeded in the rigorous FBI training program, and she still did not give in to any of her male counterparts, even surpassing them. She had been asked out twice in the film, and handled her male superiors with the greatest attitude ever. She truly showed how independently strong and successful a woman can be without being influenced negatively by those damn boys. Starling was very bold and career-oriented, which we can thank the writers of this film for making such an inspiring and well-rounded character.

In conclusion, The Silence of the Lambs is a very powerful and moving crime thriller, with the reputation of Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins backing it up. While it presented a new criminal that would have an impact on people for years, it also presented one of the strongest women in film. I would recommend this film for anyone who is interested in a good suspenseful movie, because this film has some of the best writing of its genre.

My Rating: ★★★★