eternally scary, and one for the library, definitely

Rating: 9/10 (5 August 2005)

I found this film extremely scary and haunting, even though the actual violence wasn't overpowering by today's standards. In some ways, the suspense and the build-up to scenes is quite "old school" and proves that this approach still works. There are has been a lot of analysis why this film is so powerful. One talks about how Hannibal Lecter only appears for a very brief time in the movie, yet others talk about him and build him up, how some of the set pieces refer to our deep psychological fears...in the end, it works well, and I would highly recommend it. I have read critics who say that the killer Clarice is pursuing is too stereotypical, or simplistic. I would beg to differ: I find that that character too is quite scary, though doesn't have the three-dimensional nature of Hannibal Lecter. And what of Clarice? she is brave, and even though it was made in the 90s, I think this film is still one of the first I saw with a woman as lead detective. Full marks to the script, and the book of course, because Clarice is quite fallible, not perfect, and this makes the story more real and unsettling. We're fighting in her corner, as it were, but we're not sure if she will win, unlike other male-dominated movies. And one personal quirk: watch out for Tom Petty's song, "American Girl", I found the usage interesting, fun and ironic, and the song has stuck in my head post the movie.