A brave but brilliant masterclass

Rating: 9/10 (7 January 2016)

I thought it was about time I actually took the time to review, The Silence of the Lambs. What was already a very interesting and exciting picture was made even more so once I took the time to do some research into the story behind it. But first, from viewing the film itself, it is entirely dependent on the acting abilities of the main roles. Jodie Foster's great performance is only bettered by that of Anthony Hopkins in the role that cemented his place in Hollywood soon after he had all but given up on one. To give the performance that he does, in doing so creating one of the most memorable characters in cinema history, despite only sharing the screen with his co-star for no more than four scenes is without question a remarkable feat.
I didn't think much of the opening titles design, taking up most of the screen and defeating the object of having visuals behind them. And the film does have a relatively slow start until the two principal characters meet each other. This is a brave choice for a thriller but one that works. However, I go back to it - if it wasn't for the acting and chemistry of Hopkins and Foster then that slow start would have continued for a very long time. It is some time before any conventional "action" is to be found.
I felt the scene when Lecter disposes of the two policemen/security guards seemed ridiculous, cheap, macabre, poetic and brilliant all at once. The low angle victim's POV shot as Lecter bashes him with his own baton somehow looked majestic but also rather faked at the same time. But it works.
I have never been familiar with the work of Jonathan Demme before this picture but he makes some incredibly brave choices. The amount of close up POV shots took a lot of bottle with cast members even doubting him as he did it. But then when you analyse the psychology behind why he made those choices and he is immediately forgiven for the impact it has. Also, the way he chose to cut together the reveal that Clarice Starling is actually at a different location to Jack Crawford's men in the culmination of the third act was an editing masterclass. This is made even more fantastic when in the knowledge that Ted Tally did not write that to be a twist but they chose to make it so when in post.
Budgets being cut halfway through the screenplay being written, starring roles being turned down and casting nobody's favourite picks in the end, doubt over the director, the studio facing bankruptcy - there was so much leading towards this film never happening or flopping miserably; culminating in the film being made to wait behind Dances With Wolves for a release which spelled next to no hope at any Academy Awards recognition.
But then the film scoops every major prize at the Oscars. You just couldn't write it. The only reason this film doesn't have a 10/10 is that for all its bravery, there are one or two occasions when the shots don't quite have the desired effect and the opening is a little slow but, given its based on a novel, there wasn't much that could be done with that.
A genre defining masterpiece.