The Lambs Can Never be Silenced

Rating: 10/10 (9 July 2005)

If you want a movie to watch in the dark, look no further than The Silence of the Lambs. Jonathan Demme's tense thriller combines excellent actors and a wonderfully adapted screenplay to make, what seems to be one of the best, if not the best, thrillers of all time.
The film follows three main stories, those being that of rookie FBI agent, Clarice Starling, the psychopath murderer Buffalo Bill and imprisoned psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, imprisoned for murder and cannibalism. Clarice is sent to Dr. Lecter to attempt to gain information on Buffalo Bill, because he was a former patient of Hannibal, however all Hannibal is interested in is getting inside Clarice's head. As the film goes on Clarice becomes more deeply involved in the case, right up to the dramatic and excellent climax, as well as Hannibal becoming more deeply involved in Clarice's mind. Meanwhile Buffalo Bill continues his murderous spree, killing and skinning women.
This movie is like no other. It combines tenses scenes with a cast like no other. Anthony Hopkins was born to be Hannibal, and why Michelle Pfeiffer was originally suggested for the role of Clarice over Jodie Foster is bizarre, but because Jodie Foster got the role, it doesn't really matter. When it comes to violence this film is very intense. There are some graphically violent scenes, however the worst violence in the film is the mental violence. Hannibal's ability to destroy someone mentally, is incredibly disturbing, and the films motives are pretty full on. However this contributes to the films overall feel of horror, which is why The Silence of the Lambs is one of the most mentally frightening films of all time.
Stars: 10/10