People would be wise to listen to this madman's assessment of Starling, and return to their abhorrence of monsters in general. We should revile them rather than champion them. Even with that in mind, Lecter is kind of like the James Bond of serial killers. He does kill people, but he lives with grace and style. Movie audiences like the character of Lecter because he can penetrate the mind of almost anyone, and that's a powerful trait to have.
People like to be put off guard n the safety of a movie theater.
While I was persuing a bookstore, I happened upon a copy of Hannibal , and had heard many things about the ending of the book. They said it was bizarre, and that Starling would never find herself in the situation that the book puts her in. Having read the ending and seen the ending in the movie, I can say that the movie does stay true to the ending, but doesn't duplicate it completely. Ultimately, people will maintain that The Silence of the Lambs is still better because of the implication of horror. Others may like Hannibal because we get to see what Lecter is like without that safe glass wall between us and him.