The Quintessential Suspense Horror!

Rating: Null/10 (4 October 2015)

One of the most intense, bone-chilling & edge-of-the-seat experiences I've ever had at movies, The Silence of the Lambs is a masterpiece of suspense, sustained thrills & nail- biting terror that blends the elements of horror, crime & psychology into one tightly packed & smoothly narrated story, features precision level of craftsmanship in all departments of filmmaking, and benefits immensely from exceptional performances turned in by its cast.
Based on the novel of the same name, The Silence of the Lambs follows young FBI cadet Clarice Starling who's pulled out from her training and is assigned a new task that requires her to interview the notorious psychiatrist & cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter for his inputs can provide possible clues that may help them apprehend another serial killer known as "Buffalo Bill" who likes to skin his victims. Things get interesting when Lecter takes an interest in Starling's life.
Directed by Jonathan Demme, this psychological horror introduces its chilling sense of dread right from the moment Howard Shore's score hits the screen, and it only gets more unsettling from there on. Demme's direction is top-notch for he really understands what this film is supposed to be, and leaves no stone unturned to make it as gripping as possible. Of all the films he's made in his filmmaking career, The Silence of the Lambs remains his finest effort to date and is one cinema he will be remembered for.
Ted Tally's screenplay also deserves a mention for the script packs in a tightly structured plot, fleshes out its characters amazingly well and never for once deviates from the main storyline. All the themes are smartly addressed, every character has a well-defined arc, the attention to detail is very impressive, each storytelling element is nailed to perfection and there's just nothing to complain about. Even the technical aspects are executed in a manner that's always in the service of its story & characters.
The sets pieces are wonderfully detailed & well-lit. The camera makes heavy use of close- ups which brings a creepiness of its own while the balanced colour tones & minimal lighting further enhances its dark ambiance. Each sequence is relevant to the story, the whole film is methodically paced and each scene sets up the next one in queue. Last but not the least, the background score by Howard Shore consists of tracks that encapsulate the whole story with a tense, foreboding atmosphere which further amplifies the entire experience by a considerable extent.
Coming to the performances, The Silence of the Lambs features a terrific ensemble in Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn & Ted Levine. While Foster delivers her finest work as Clarice Starling, Hopkins' rendition of the brilliant psychiatrist & cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter is beyond excellence and his spot-on chemistry with Foster turns every single conversation between Lecter & Starling into an instant classic moment. Glenn does well as Jack Crawford and Levine is just as good as Foster or Hopkins even if it often gets overshadowed by their inputs.
On an overall scale, The Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest films ever made and a timeless masterwork of smart direction, taut screenplay, splendid camera-work, tight editing, ominous score & stellar performances that exemplifies just how great a movie can become when all the right ingredients come together & work in harmony to form a complete whole. Absolutely deserving of all its accolades, immortal for its contribution to cinema as well as pop culture, and notorious for bringing on screen arguably the most cunning, charming & feared psychopath, this quintessential suspense horror comes very highly recommended.