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Silence Of The Lambs - Definitive Edition [1991]


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A GREAT THRILLER
Review date: 2007-12-09 Rating: 10 out of 10

'The Silence of the Lambs' is one of the best movies made in the nineties. Most memorable is probably Anthony Hopkins' performance as mass murderer Hannibal Lecter, also known as Hannibal the Cannibal. The first time we see his character is one of the creepiest moments I have seen in modern movies, which is almost strange since his character is in a prison cell at that time.

He is visited by Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), another famous name in the movies. She, a young woman who is still at the academy to become an FBI-agent, is send by FBI-man Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) who is on the case of Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), another mass murderer who skins his young female victims. Crawford thinks Lecter can help with the case and uses Starling to manipulate the smart Lecter, who was a psychiatrist who ate his victims. Doctor Lecter decides to help Starling, sort of, but she has to tell personal things to him, not that smart with a psycho psychiatrist. Slowly she comes closer to catch Buffalo Bill, although the head of the institution where Lecter is held, Dr. Chilton (Anthony Heald), is responsible for some unexpected events I will not reveal, although you probably can guess the main event since there is a sequel with the name 'Hannibal'.

This movie is not only good because it has suspense, although it is one of the most suspenseful movies I know. The movie is more than a thriller. It gives us an interesting view of a woman in world filled with men, it shows a psychological study on a killer and an agent, is has memorable characters, terrific performances and it is perfectly directed by Jonathan Demme. Hopkins is the most memorable since his character is so interesting and creepy at the same time. Foster is as good as Hopkins, and probably Heald as well, but their characters are a little more usual.

When you talk about movies with suspense, like 'Psycho' or 'The Exorcist', you can not forget 'The Silence of the Lambs'. It is not a strange thing that this movie won the five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, both Best Actor and Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay).

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Reviews


How all thrillers should be.
Review date: 2007-09-06 Rating: 10 out of 10

You've heard of this film, it's been so parodied and referenced over the years since it's release that it's become firmly embedded in the public consciousness. The reason for this? It's absolutely fantastic. It's one of the few films I haven't a bad word to say about, it's pretty damn near perfect.
The story follows a young FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Foster) who's sent to interview an imprisoned serial killer, the now world-famous Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins). The interview coincides with the continuing activity of another very different killer, Buffalo Bill, and of course the two plot lines quickly become one as Lecter offers to use his undoubted psychological genius to aid the police in exchange for improving his circumstances of imprisonment.
Hopkins as Lecter is only on screen for about twenty minutes totaled up and yet he gives such a stunning performance that his presence is felt throughout the film. He is at once charismatic, dangerous, electrifying, creepy, hypnotic, menacing and deeply disturbing. The first time he stares into the camera you feel like he's staring into your very soul, and for Starling he is. He's behind glass and yet Hopkins manages to instill such a sense of danger to him that he seems infinitely more terrifying than Buffalo Bill - where Bill is deranged, confused and emotionally volatile, Lecter is cold, intelligent, darkly empathetic, and completely detached from that most basic drive that prevents us killing. That Lecter clearly has his own strict moral code based on manners and politeness makes him even more frightening.
Foster as Starling delivers a career best performance, perfectly realizing the character as both strong but vulnerable, sensitive but determined, by no means the 2D female lead the film would have produced in almost any other actress. We feel for Starling, we want her to succeed, we feel afraid for her as she becomes dangerously close to Lecter. Foster really has to drive this film, Hopkins makes us afraid but Foster has to make us care, which she achieves easily. Her performance is often overlooked in this film because of Hopkins, but they both won Oscars for their roles and both were well deserved, two of the greatest performances on film to date.
The directing by Jonathan Demme is superb, forcing his audience into every scene by keeping face-on to the dialog and way too close to the action for comfort so we feel like we're there without the need for shaky-hand-held-documentary-style work that works well in some films (e.g. the Bourne Franchise) but would have ruined this. This film is not rugged, it's precise. It's not about random violence, it's about calculated horror.
In conclusion this is an incredible film with stunning performances, intense atmosphere, perfectly calculated directing, and one of the best constructed and driven plots in cinema history. Buy it now, it doesn't matter which edition, just get your hands on this film and prepare to be blown away. Good? It's Perfect.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Anthony Hopkins
Scott Glenn
Jodie Foster
Ted Levine

Creators:
Jodie Foster (Primary Contributor)
Anthony Hopkins (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
EAN: 5039036031561
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Dolby, PAL,
Release date: 2007-03-05
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 114 minutes
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Hungarian (Original Language)

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