The American Nightmare

Rating: 10/10 (18 March 2009)

So I recently had a conversation with a friend who is ten years younger than me about the relative merits of the new wave of horror thrillers and remakes (Last House On The Left, The Hills Have Eyes, Halloween, etc.). She is a fan of the genre but remarkably she hadn't seen this film. We watched it together and she was understandably blown away. "That might be the most tense climax I've ever seen on film!", as she put it. I figure moving into Hitchcock is the next logical step, but I digress.
It's still amazing to me that the Academy deigned to recognize a psychological thriller that opened in the first quarter of 1991, and not only that but made it the third film ever (and so far the last) to sweep all 5 "major" awards. But the appeal of Silence of the Lambs has little to do with its critical accolades. This is a film with deceptively subtle themes, a brilliant screenplay and superb direction, and two of the most outstanding performances in film history. All thrillers since owe a debt to SOTL and probably could learn a thing or two about the power of sustained tension and suspense from it, instead of the "gotcha" sensibility of modern horror.
The story follows Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a fresh-faced FBI agent with obvious ambition, as she becomes involved in the case of a serial killer named Buffalo Bill. Bill has a predilection for skinning his victims, and other bizarre character traits which become apparent later. He is also exceptionally smart and due to a lack of evidence, the FBI can only glean a pattern of his crimes but nothing about the man himself. In desperation, her boss Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) suggests that she seek insight from another notorious killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). And that's when everything is really set in motion.
One of the most overlooked aspects of SOTL is the buried symbolism of America. Director Jonathan Demme and his DP Tak Fujimoto use heavy reds, whites, and blues all throughout the film. Sometimes, the tinted effect emphasizes tension; other times, danger. Aside from the opening training sequences in Quantico, you'd be hard-pressed to find many well-lit bright shots. A key scene in which Bill takes another unsuspecting victim is foreshadowed by that victim singing Tom Petty's "American Girl". Location and colloquial dialects of many characters are extremely important in highlighting American culture. There is definitely an "only in America"-type of recurring motif. If The Godfather represents The American Dream, SOTL is The American Nightmare.
Another brilliant choice that Demme makes is to use a lot of closeups with no camera movement on Clarice and Hannibal. He trusted that his two actors, with such compelling facial expressions, could handle the material and they don't disappoint. Much has been said about both Foster and Hopkins' work here so I won't repeat much, except to say that Starling's vulnerability vs. Lecter's unflinching, probing gaze is one of the fundamental reasons that the film sustains so much pressure and both actors are marvelous in some excruciatingly emotional scenes.
Finally, the screenplay elevates the material to that of a classic. Consider how strong a character Clarice is. She is not submissive to her superiors, who initially dismiss her talents because she is a female with no real experience. However, though she starts out as a timid, passive agent her strength of will and perseverance shine through and eventually HER efforts lead to the resolution. She also refuses to succumb to Lecter's psychological torture, and that is why he finds her so intriguing and continues to push her deeper and deeper into her rawest emotions. Rarely has there been such a well-developed, strong female lead in all of film history. On top of all that, the screenplay affords equal time to Buffalo Bill, a decision that makes him all the more interesting since we see and learn of his process, methods, reasons, and true brutality. The night-vision climactic standoff is so effective precisely because we truly care about Clarice and genuinely fear for her safety if she fails.
In short, instead of watching the high gore, low impact crap that passes for a good horror thriller these days, you could do much better and see one of the most effective and revered movies in the genre. With edge of the seat tension, powerful imagery and a chilling masterclass of acting by Anthony Hopkins (in only 16 minutes of screen time!) along with great work by Jodi Foster, Silence of the Lambs is rightly considered among the best of its kind. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm having an old friend for dinner...