Mutant Reviewers from Hell do "Silence of the Lambs"

Mutant Reviewers from Hell do

Silence of the Lambs

"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

Summary Capsule

FBI rookie enrolls in the serial killer exchange program to save a life

reviews

Justin's Rating: See, I think eating body parts would be completely gross if you didn't cook and season them properly
Justin's Review: It's hard to explain exactly why Silence of the Lambs looms majestically over standard horror movies, or over its sequel Hannibal, or over even the countless Silence-serial-killer knock-offs that came after. All of the elements contained within -- the fledgling heroine, the evil killer, following the clues to solve a mystery -- come standard with every Philmmaker's Kit (tm). There is nothing new under the sun, so Silence does old things in a new and breathtakingly powerful way. Plus, it's got a guy who eats people's tongues, so that's another thing going for it.

Like most scary things, we go to watch because, in a perverse way, it affirms our courage without ever being in danger ourselves. It's human nature to want to face the things they fear most and come away feeling triumphant that they toppled their fear of pudding, or whatever have you. Horror flicks -- like rollercoasters -- offer people a safely-controlled environment to face these fears. Thus guys can go see Nightmare on Jason's Haunted Hill and come out feeling like conquering heroes... except they're heroes with a small wet patch near their jean zipper. What unnerved so many people about Silence is that this is one of those rare horror/suspense films that doesn't let you remain safely outside the glass (a clever metaphor for the movie audience and horror echoed in the mental asylum visits here); Silence simply convinces you that all this could be real. Boom. You're in the film.

Evil in Silence of the Lambs takes two human forms, both serial killers, and both extremely dangerous. But while one is the epitome of everything we associate with killers -- psychopathic behavior, imprisoning the princess, uncomplicated brutality -- the other one wears a very clever person disguise. Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) is the opposite of everything we associate with villains. He's intellectual, articulate, meticulate, into the fine arts, and a doctor of psychology. He doesn't gnash his teeth or make overblown threats; instead, as we are first introduced to him, he's standing still and quite calm. Hopkins manages to pull off a magic feat of impressive proportions during the film. While Lecter is quite open with his past and who he is, he manages to lull the characters in the film (and us, to be honest) into refusing to believe he's as bad as he says he is. How can a person who is clearly brighter than anyone else in this movie and who dotes on courtesy be all that bad? Because we see the side of Lecter that he wants us to see, we begin to question his evil nature altogether. I believe that this is a test to see whether a person believes in an inherent "goodness" of man -- can there actually be people who have no redeeming qualities? Is there pure evil in the world today? We make excuses for Lecter on his behalf (as do the characters, in their treatment of him) because it's easier than accepting the possibility of absolutes.

It's a powerful statement, to be sure, and one that the film will slap you with upside the head by the time the credits roll. As you are lulled in by Lecter's friendly (if odd) demeanor and smile, never stop looking at his eyes. Brrr! No aspect of Lecter is as striking as those cold dead unblinking eyes that remind me, more as I rewatch this movie, of a highly dangerous snake that is biding its time before striking.

Beyond the study of Lecter as a serial killer is -- in my opinion -- the key to taking this film to the highest level: the relationship between Lecter and FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). While this movie does engage in the typical cat-and-mouse hunt between the good guy and the baddie, it's all a slight of hand to distract you from the much more interesting alliance of Lecter and Clarice. As Clarice meets Lecter as sort of a homework assignment, he about rips the unprepared girl to shreds with his psychoanalysis and unnerving presence. Yet as the film progresses, Clarice and Lecter develop a unique relationship -- not quite a friendship, not quite a team, and hardly a romance (although it contains elements of all these) -- that ignites the screen whenever they're on together.

In a virtual baptism by fire, Clarice learns from the best and shows that she's tougher than her petite demeanor suggests. As desperate as she is for Lecter's help in solving another serial killing case, she is caught in a vulnerable situation. He will only trade information for personal glimpses into her life. How would you feel about exposing your deepest thoughts to a shrink killer? I doubt any serial killer would want to hear my hours-long monologues on the virtues of video games, but if it happened, it'd be scary. We have to love Clarice's stubborn resiliance, as she refuses to let anything -- disrespect, prejudice, background, big hulking men, scary cannibals -- trample over her. She might be small, but by the movie's end, she's proven herself to be about five times the man that most could ever be.

While he starts out their relationship by batting her around (metaphorically), it's interesting to see Lecter develop deep respect for Clarice over time. He warms up to her as he does to no other (and the movie gets any snide comments out of the way when a sleazy doctor suggests that it's Clarice's femininity that might get him to open up), becoming a sort of mentor. In his isolation, Lecter is as lonely as a person can be, and he sees a like soulmate in Clarice. It is this relationship that the audience pins its hope on that even a person as evil as Lecter can change for the better; yet how ironic is it that only Clarice never forgets who he truly is.

Silence of the Lambs is dark without being soulless, it's graphic without being gratuitous (in fact, probably one of the most unnerving scenes is an autopsy that suggests horrible smells and sights), and when the day is done, it is as much of a victory for the bad guys as it is for the good. While people might dote on Lecter's character or the violence as reasons they like this movie, don't fall into such narrow vision -- from near-perfect camerawork to a haunting score to odd characters and dialogue to multiple themes, Silence deserves more recognition than just being "that one with the guy who goes 'fft-fft-fft' with the liver and chianti".

extras

The Scoop

[rating]
R

[year]
1991

[genre]
Suspense Horror

[director]
Jonathan Demme

[starring]
Jodie Foster
Anthony Hopkins
Ted Levine
Scott Glenn

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Soundtrack
Mutant Gear
Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

The "Pain Agony Hurt Love-It" sign was actually part of the FBI course; the filmmakers decided to leave it up
Little Clarice in the elevator with all the big tall men -- and all the little suggestions at the academy that few think she is cut out to be an agent (like the men jogging who look at her and smile). The elevator scene is later replayed when Clarice is standing in the waiting room with all of the nonsmiling male cops
The red lighting when Chilton shows Clarice the photo
The camera shakes and bumps slightly as Clarice goes down the hall in the mental hospital. This was done by building a special dolly track to simulate walking movement (the steady-cams and standard dolly tracks were too smooth)
Lecter's mocking of Clarice's background by slipping into a fake southern accent and calling her a "rube"
Lecter rarely blinks, but does throw more than one wink at Clarice
How did Lecter get that pen?
Lecter in the dark cell = very scary
Beetle checkers
The two flashbacks that are mixed in with "current time" scenes... very well done, especially the one in the funeral home
The odd bug doctor is actually kind of cute in the way he hits on Starling (and strangely enough, is the most honorable dating prospect she faces in the film)
Claw marks on the well walls
What "quid pro quo" means
A 'Bon Appetit' magazine can be seen in Hannibal Lecter's temporary cell.
Almost all the scenes in Hannibal's original cell have either a reflection of Hannibal or Clarice, depending on the camera's point of view.
In Hannibal's last words to Clarice before Dr. Chilton has her removed, he stresses the word "simplicity". This was not just an urging to her to keep things simple, but was a reference to the dress pattern company Simplicity.

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

Other than to soak up the atmospheric music, no.

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

Dino De Laurentiis, who had produced Manhunter, passed on Silence of the Lambs because Manhunter had flopped. He gave the rights away free to Orion Pictures.

Anthony Hopkins spontaneously invented the slurping sound on the set. Everyone loved it, but Jonathan Demme apparently got really sick of it after a while.

The Tobacco horn worm moths used throughout the film were given celebrity treatment by the filmmakers. They were flown first class to the set (in a special carrier), had special living quarters (rooms with controlled humidity and heat) and were dressed in carefully designed costumes (body shields bearing a painted skull & crossbones)

Only two actors appear in both Manhunter and Silence. Ironically, both actors play different characters in both movies. Frankie Faison plays Lt Fisk in Manhunter and Barney in Silence of the Lambs, and 'Butler, Dan' plays an FBI fingerprint expert in Manhunter and an entomologist in Silence of the Lambs.

The third movie to win all five major Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay.

Buffalo Bill is the combination of three real life serial killers: Ed Gein, who was skinning his victims; Ted Bundy, who used the cast on his hand as bait to make women get into his van; and Gary Heidnick, who kept women he kidnapped in a pit in his basement.

When the killer looks at Starling through the night-vision goggles, Starling's shadow appears on the walls as if there were a light shining on her, and yet it's supposed to be pitch dark in the room. However, the shadow could be cast by an infrared illumination source carried by the killer.

Official and Not-So-Official Websites

Silence of the Lambs Fan Site

Snug as a bug in a rug

Groovy Quotes

Lecter: Dr. Chilton does enjoy his petty torments.

Lecter: People will say we're in love.

Hannibal Lecter: First principles, Clarice. Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature? What does he do, this man you seek?
Clarice Starling: He kills women--
Hannibal Lecter: No! That is incidental. What is the first and principal thing he does, what need does he serve by killing?
Clarice Starling: Anger, social resentment, sexual frustration--
Hannibal Lecter: No, he covets. That's his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice? Do we seek out things to covet? Make an effort to answer.
Clarice Starling: No. We just--
Hannibal Lecter: No. Precisely. We begin by coveting what we see every day. Don't you feel eyes moving over your body, Clarice? I hardly see how you couldn't. And don't your eyes move over the things you want?

Murray: Is it true what they're sayin', he's some kinda vampire?
Clarice Starling: They don't have a name for what he is.

Clarice Starling: If you didn't kill him, then who did, sir?
Hannibal Lecter: Who can say. Best thing for him, really. His therapy was going nowhere.

Jack Crawford: Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head.

Hannibal Lecter: You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste. Good nutrition has given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Agent Starling? And that accent you've tried so desparately to shed? Pure West Virginia. What's your father, dear? Is he a coal miner? Does he stink of the lamp? You know how quickly the boys found you... all those tedious sticky fumblings in the back seats of cars...while you could only dream of getting out... getting anywhere... getting all the way to the FBI.
Clarice Starling: You see a lot, Doctor.

Hannibal Lecter: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

Hannibal Lecter: Amputate a man's leg and he can still feel it tickling. Tell me mum, when your little girl is on the slab, where will it tickle you?

Hannibal Lecter: I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye.

Lecter: Oh, and Senator, just one more thing: love your suit!

Gumb: It puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. It does this whenever it's told.

Hannibal Lecter: Tell me, Clarice... have the lambs stopped screaming?

Dr. Frederick Chilton: The doctors managed to reset her jaw more or less. Saved one of her eyes. His pulse never got above 85, even when he ate her tongue.

Soundtrack Review

Never underestimate this soundtrack, which plays with feelings of dread as much as actual notes. It comes and goes in various scenes, but does an excellent job building up the tension.

If you liked this movie, try these:

Hannibal

Manhunter

Copycat

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