Released in 1991, and faithfully based on the novel by Thomas Harris, The
Silence Of The Lambs is that rare intelligent horror movie that manages to
elevate the genre while at the same time remaining a good, scary ride. Clarice
Starling (Jodie Foster, who won a well-deserved Oscar for her role), a young
trainee at the FBI Academy, is given a special assignment by Jack Crawford
(Scott Glenn, in an understated performance), the director of the Behavioral
Science Unit, which deals with serial killers. Starling's job is to interview
Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins, in a mesmerizing performance that also
landed him an Oscar), an infamous serial killer who is incarcerated in Baltimore.
On the surface, it is a standard psych interview, but during the course of an
eventful visit to Lecter's cell block, it is revealed that Lecter may have some
connection to Buffalo Bill, another serial killer who is currently at large and
murdering young women in the mid-west. This is the real motive behind Crawford
sending Starling to Lecter, to see what the good doctor knows about Buffalo Bill
without revealing their agenda. Tracking down the leads that Lecter has given
her, Clarice Starling soon finds herself hot on Buffalo Bill's trail, as well as
being caught in the unflinching gaze of Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter himself.
Almost 15 years after it's release, The Silence Of The Lambs is still a
nerve-wracking movie to watch. It was a major influence on American culture, in
addition to shining a spotlight on serial killers--and serving as the inspiration
for dozens of serial killer movies that have come in its wake--Silence was also
one of the forerunners of the strong female character trend in movies and
television. Jonathan Demme, who does a superb job at directing Ted Tally's
superior script, is largely responsible for that. But the entire cast and crew,
under Demme's direction, deserve praise for having created a flawless movie that
easily stands the test of time. Filled with realistic characters that you care
about, the suspense in Silence slowly mounts over the course of the film until
it's raised to an excruciating level at several points within the storyline. And
while Anthony Hopkins' creepy portrayal of Lecter has garnered much worthy
praise, actor Ted Levine is also just as equally disturbing as Buffalo Bill.
Brooke Smith turns in another remarkable performance as Catherine Martin, the
grown daughter of a U.S. Senator who is abducted by Buffalo Bill. There are also
several surprising cameos within the film, as well.
The DVD that I reviewed is the standard MGM wide screen version, and while it
does not have the extended special features of the Criterion Collection DVD, it
is not without some features, such as a new 'making-of' documentary with cast
and crew interviews. There are also about 20 minutes worth of deleted scenes,
the original 1991 "making of" featurette, an outtake reel, and a phone message
recorded by Anthony Hopkins, just in case you'd like scare the daylights out of
any telemarketers who would dare to call your voice mail. Until either the
Criterion or an equal quality version is released again, the MGM edition is
really the only choice to see this classic film on DVD.
And Silence Of The Lambs is truly a classic. Proof of this fact comes from an
incident I had when listening to the radio one day. When Tom Petty's "American
Girl" started playing, it gave me chills. I was genuinely creeped out when I
heard this. At first I wasn't sure why, since "American Girl" was basically an
upbeat rock song. Then I remembered that in "Silence", this was the exact same song that
Catherine Martin was singing along to in her car just before Buffalo Bill
abducted her. "Silence Of The Lambs" managed to do to me what very
few horror movies can; it burrowed deep within my consciousness, and haunts me
even in the calm daylight. --SF