Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Brilliant. Cunning. Psychotic. In his mind lies the clue to a ruthless killer. Clarice Starling. FBI. Brilliant. Vulnerable. Alone. She must trust him to stop the killer.

Rating: Null/10 (21 December 2002)

There are moments in Silence of the Lambs' that are truly wonderful to watch. Yet there are others that are evil, gruesome and disgusting, that many people would have to turn a blind eye to. In that sense, it makes this film very unique, as it compels you to watch what you normally would not. Also, in my time of watching movies I have not seen a more evil and dastardly character than that of the now famous Hannibal, the Cannibal'.

A psychopath killer known as Buffalo Bill' is kidnapping young women across the Midwest. Believing it takes one to know one, the FBI sends Agent Clarice Starling to interview a demented prisoner who may provide psychological insight into the killer's action. The prisoner is psychiatrist, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant murderous cannibal who will only help Starling if she will feed his morbid curiosity with details about her own complicated life. The twisted relationship forces Starling not only to confront her psychological demons, but leads her face to face with a demented heinous killer, an incarnation so powerful, that she may not have the courage  or strength  to stop him!
It is no wonder that Silence of the Lambs received five academy awards. Of great highlight to me was the cast, which was brilliant. Anthony Hopkins performance as the brilliant mad man', Hannibal Lecter, was truly astonishing. He played the mentally disturbed doctor to perfection. I love how we see the close shots of Lector's eyes, as they look full of intrigue and mischief. Hannibal is a clever man, and shows the audience this many times. I like the chemistry that Hopkins shares with fellow actress Jodie Foster. Her performance as Clarice was exceptional. I like how we see the character of Clarice being someone who is very vulnerable (she refer to her childhood and the lambs screaming'), a woman who is trapped very much in a man's world, then having her be the heroine, to be of great significance to the entire story. I am sure 10 years ago, it would have been rare to find a woman be the hero/rescuer in a movie story.
The rest of the supporting cast include many fine performances. The role of James 'Buffalo Bill' Gumb (Ted Levine) was great. I enjoy how we see that he has a very weird sense of reality and that he could be thought of as a transsexual. This role caused quite a lot of commotion in America with Gay activists and I can see why it would do that. You also have the role of Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn), Clarice's boss. He gives Clarice the difficult tasks of talking to Lecter, so she can solve the case surrounding Buffalo Bill'. Add in the minor role of Catherine Martin (Brooke Smith), who was good in the role of the woman in distress and in need of rescuing.
The director of Silence of the Lambs', Jonathon Demme, captures many elements to the story which I feel were crucial. Such themes as the woman alienated in a man's world', Hannibal's evil character and the way Buffalo Bill' entices then kills his female victims are done in the correct way, making the movie feel so right. Silence's screenplay, comes from the book Silence of the Lambs' written by author Thomas Harris. With such an involved plot, it is no wonder that it was to be made into a movie. The person who made Silence's screenplay so good was Ted Talley, making Harris' characters really come to life
The cinematographer for Silence was Tak Fujimoto, who had some difficult tasks in this film. I like the way he made Hannibal look, as the camera is hooked on Lecter's eyes for the most part, adding to the thrill and suspense. Add in the way he showed Buffalo Bill to be a quite a queer character, fascinated in bugs and the like was exceptionally good. This leads me on to what extraordinary scenes Silence of the lambs' had. Gory and violent ones, such as when Hannibal escapes from prison and when we see what sort of an animal, Buffalo Bill' really is. I also enjoyed watching all the interaction with Clarice and Hannibal at the prison cell(s), as these scenes really bring out what the book had intended these characters to be like.
In concluding, I was not scared as I thought I would be by Silence of the Lambs', but more captivated by how good a psycho-thriller this movie really was. Then again, I have realised I am nowhere near as shook up by violence as an adult, than I was when I was youngster. I am sure if I had seen it back in 1991, I would have been a lot more scared. I was interested to find out that Michelle Pfeiffer rejected the role of Clarice' and Gene Hackman the role of director in Silence of the Lambs', as they thought the story was just too violent for their liking, which is understandable. Silence of the Lambs' also proves to me what a dangerous area Psychiatry can be. I have been monitored by such a doctor, respect what he has to say and trust him. I am unsure how the Psychiatric profession would feel towards Hannibal Lecter and the movies that he is portrayed in. All in all this is one of the great movies of the 1990's'.
CMRS gives Silence of the Lambs': 4 (Very Good Film)
P.S.
Finally, I want to mention how silly John Sammy' Newman can be on the AFL footy show in Australia. One night on the show he was wheeled out like Hannibal is in Silence of the Lambs'. A member from the audience was asked to take his mask off. Once they did, he lashed out of his costume and scared the wits out of them. Just hilarious. For this moviegoer, it was his first taste of what Hannibal Lecter' was going to be like.