Amazing Script ,Amazing Acting

Rating: 10/10 (1 July 2006)

Silence of the Lambs has perhaps the best script translation onto screen I have ever seen. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins mix so seamlessly in this psychological thriller that it pulls you in farther than you expected a movie could do. It won numerous awards, and for good reason, it simply put is in a league all its own. Hopkins performance as the now infamous Dr. Hannibal Lectar is perfect. A psychologist genius, who eats his patients is detained in the insane ward for life due to his total threat to society. Meanwhile one of his old patient's lovers (Buffalo Bill) has become a serial killer pursued by Jodi Foster/the FBI recruit. Only Lectar knows the identity of the killer and has the mental aptitude to elude the FBIs questions long enough to enjoy the numerous conversations between him and Jodie Fosters character Clairice. The true terror of Hannibals character, genius and cunning , is contrasted by Buffalo Bill who skins his (female) victims after holding them hostage for days. This film gives you interesting glimpses into the FBI's pursuit of a serial killer, putting you in the shoes of an investigator piecing together a puzzle in order to save a young womans life. This film is purely psychological, and extremely clever with subtleties that most people who have seen the movie have never caught themselves. Examples are the numerous hints Hannibal gives in very unconspicous ways about the killer Buffalo Bill. The movie has a couple big twists that are hard to see coming among all the SUPERB acting and dialogue. One of the more memorable scenes are of the Buffalo Bill home and torture levels below ground that seem to go ON AND ON forever. It almost looks like he'd been living down there since the 60s or 70s and never moved junk around..very cool prop work. I just can't say enough about Hopkins performance...finally, a SMART villain. Amazingly, Silence of the Lambs proved that the scariest villains aren't supernatural but could be the people next door.