One of the best book adaptations in film history and the epitome of a psychological thriller

Rating: 9/10 (3 February 2014)

With The Silence of the Lambs, Jonathan Demme laid the foundation of all psychological thrillers to come after it and also accomplished a contestant for one of the best book adaptations in film history, as he transformed Thomas Harris's entertaining and thrilling novel of the same name into a visionary, absorbing, and stereotype-defying motion picture that deservedly ranks among the prestigious trio of films to have won the Big Five categories at the Academy Awards. It's one of the very few thrillers (not horror films, as asinine Hollywood likes to classify it) that improves with time, similarly to the Chianti Hannibal Lecter mentions in the essential The Silence of the Lambs quote, as it's neither a whodunit nor a howcatchem, but rather a study of psychopaths' and serial killers' twisted states of mind.
For doing so, Demme actually has two at his disposal, though only Anthony Hopkins's shockingly stoic and sophisticated cannibal counts among cinema's unforgettable villains. This film's actual antagonist, Buffalo Bill, is quite fascinating himself and contributes to some outstanding scenes, but gets a disappointingly amateurish exit, one of the very few flaws The Silence of the Lambs has. While I'd not call it a flaw, Jodie Foster as the film's protagonist is a bit overrated in my book, being a relatable and strong heroine that manages to bear up against Hopkins, yet not having overly interesting features herself. The contrary is the case with the film overall, that may not satisfy viewers looking for a good scare, but is a masterful look at human emotions and, if that's not your cup of tea, also a splendid psychological thriller.
Another important factor contributing to making The Silence of the Lambs a classic is its visual appearance, most inventive in the parallel montage of a FBI squad kicking in the door of Buffalo Bill's suspected lodging and Clarice, alone, knocking on the door of one of Bill's acquaintances and the showdown, seen through night vision goggles. Because of all this, The Silence of the Lambs can very well be called the epitome of a psychological thriller and is setting the bar for films of this genre until today, more than twenty years since its release.