Brilliant masterpiece, and utterly unforgettable!

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 2003)

A few years ago I tried to watch The Silence of the Lambs but there were many distractions and I was unable to follow it properly. Having had Red Dragon delivered to me accidentally (my own fault, through not cancelling the order) and thinking it was brilliant, I decided to invest in The Silence of the Lambs. And I am delighted that I did. It is the best psychological horror/thriller I have ever seen, and Anthony Hopkins is undoubtedly one of my favourite actors, especially after seeing his first class performance in this film. He has such presence on-screen, a real intensity, and fantastic chemistry with his co-star Jodie Foster. He completely underplays his character, largely only talking for the majority of the film, yet you cannot help but watch him in awe when he is on the screen. I also found - and I'm sure others did too - that I was unable to hate Hannibal Lecter. Despite what he has done, and seeing what he is capable of, Hopkins's portrayal of him makes you think that somewhere inside him he is capable of feeling, and his developing relationship with Clarice shows this. What also makes The Silence of the Lambs exceptional is it's surprising lack of violence and gore. There is only one scene that some may find disturbing (but it had to be in there somewhere!), but other than that it is the gripping storyline, and the wonderful acting that keeps you glued to the screen. The Silence of the Lambs does not need to rely on the cannibalism issue to interest people, and when you think about it, the film is not really about cannibalism. Hannibal Lecter is a serial killer - oh, and he's got a taste for cannibalism as well. Perhaps the only reason it is remembered so much for this is because - in my opinion - no other film has managed to use this subject in an effective way. There would be nothing entertaining in seeing bloody, gory images of someone cannibalising someone throughout an entire film. A good storyline is needed to make this kind of film work, and that's exactly why it does work - it's brilliant in every way, and I cannot fault it.