Dr. Lecter will see you know...

Rating: 8/10 (4 May 2014)

The Silence of the Lambs is one of the rare horror films that convinced much of the American public, and even the Academy Awards, that horror doesn't have to always be about gore, excess violence, and extremism. In fact, horror can stem from many different aspects, one of them being psychological, which is the subgenre that the film caters to. Through use of strong acting and an interesting story, the film manages to explain why it etched itself into the list of greatest American films ever made simply by existing and going what nobody thought its own genre could do.
The film stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, who is pulled from her training at an FBI academy by Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn), who works for a unit in behavioral sciences. Jack grants Clarice the honor of meeting one-on-one with former psychiatrist and serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), who is also known for cannibalistic crimes. Lecter's knowledge is requested because of a serial killer nicknamed "Buffalo Bill" currently running rampant in the streets, who is highly-publicized and known to skin the corpses of his female victims.
Upon arriving at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Clarice meets a surprisingly mannered and well-articulate man that is Hannibal Lecter and not the psychotic murderer one would believe. What unravels is a strange relationship between an FBI trainee and an insane mental patient. Starling has to get close to Lecter for his knowledge and insight into the crimes of "Buffalo Bill," but also must refrain from dangerously close connections which could instantly spark something detrimental to her well-being.
The first thing to marvel at with this film is how it utilizes its talent, plunging Foster and Hopkins into a story and set of circumstances that need to be well acted in order to be believable and gripping; both veteran talents do not slump here. Foster gives a very solid performance as Clarice, that is mostly successful at avoided the often alienating tropes that result when we focus on cops or undercover investigators for two hours. Then there's Hopkins, in a role he has become known for for good reason. Hopkins instantly clicks here as Lecter, provoking fright and unsettled nerves with viewers. Rather than over-the-top zaniness, Lecter relies on quiet, mannered acting techniques that are all the more frightening because of how out of the ordinary and unexpected they are from a man of his caliber. This leads the viewer to ping-pong back and forth with the idea that Lecter is really a misunderstood victim or an amazingly talented con-artist.
Then there's the mounting tension on display here, largely thanks to Jonathan Demme's direction and Ted Tally's screenplay. The film plays like a true detective story, utilizing slowburn and patient tension in order to achieve a great, suspenseful result. These kinds of films hold up because they deliver something new each time one sees them. This being my first time viewing The Silence of the Lambs one gets the idea that even after seeing it, watching it again would be a great experience because it would allow you to pay more attention to the serene details of the film and how the end result came to be.
With strong work behind the camera, and equally strong work in front, there's really no shock that The Silence of the Lambs came out the way it did, a strong and capable psychological thriller/horror film that beautifully relies on nuances and mannerisms rather than shock and awe. The fact that the film may have lead some to look at the horror genre with a bit more respect in the short-run would maybe be a stronger statement if horror didn't go south in the long-run. But that's another blog/review for another time.
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, and Ted Levine. Directed by: Jonathan Demme.