The Silence of the Lambs Movie Review

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

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Written by: Thomas Harris (based on the novel by), Ted Tally (screenplay by)
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
Rated: R
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Plot
A young FBI cadet receives help from an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.

Verdict
It's a unique story structure where a trainee must team with a dangerous killer to solve a crime. That's our introduction to Dr. Lector. He's unnerving but polite at first before we see how dangerous he can be. Despite his limited screen time, his impact endures throughout the movie. It's a thrilling manhunt that requires partnering with the devil. How far do you go to solve a case?
Watch It.

Review
FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is tasked with contacting a serial killer in the hopes that he can provide insight on an open case. Expectations are low, but the FBI has to try. Imprisoned in the basement Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins) is beyond dangerous. His cell is unique, a clear polycarbonate sheet separating him from everything else. Clarice is told even then not to get too close.

Jodie Foster plays Clarice Starling

From his first scene Hopkins is electric, intriguing and scary. Lector was a psychologist that ate his victims. He shows no remorse for his crimes. Initially dismissive, he does provide Clarice with a clue. Lector doesn't seem like the type to freely help. What's the cost of working with Lector? He's likely to want something in return. As smart as he is, Clarice is playing the game at a disadvantage.

Anthony Hopkins plays Hannibal Lector

In a typical thriller like this, the antagonist would be the serial killer on the loose, but with this movie the antagonist is Lector despite being imprisoned. The active killer is a side character at best. For his assistance Lector is transported to a different prison. I had never seen a prisoner restrained like Lector before this movie. This is the point we see just how dangerous Lector is. He's a psychopath, feeling no guilt.

While Lector's helps is deliberately cryptic, Clarice manages to deduce the clues anyway.  Does Lector know the killer? Is he orchestrating all of this?

This uses split scene to great effect where Starling and the FBI are following separate leads. We think we're following the FBI on a raid as they knock on the door when the scene cuts to Clarice at a different house. Even knowing it was coming, the scene effectively ramps the tension.

The movie has been criticized for how it portrays the LGBT community in relation to Buffalo Bill. Bill is a criminal but this portrays him as a deviant. While his sexuality provides motivation for his crimes, the issue isn't his behavior directly but, especially at this time, so few movies depicted LGBT characters. One of the only mentions of an LGBT character offered nothing positive.

This is a movie with two villains, Lector and Buffalo Bill. Lector is the more dangerous and principled. He's evil on a higher order, scary not due to the acts we see him commit but with how calm and unnerving he remains despite any situation. Even if Clarice catches Bill, it's with the help of Lector and he benefits from the deal.