Well, anybody that hasn't seen this classic film yet ought to go out to the shop right now and either rent it or buy it! This is a must see.
Let's get some facts out of the way first:
Year - 1991 Price - Amazon have the special edition starting from £5 (bargain) Running time - 1hr 54 mins Rating - 18 Director - Jonathan Demme
CAST Clarice Starling - Jodie Foster Dr. Hannibal Lecter - Anthony Hopkins Jack Crawford - Scott Glen Jame Gumb - Ted Levine Dr. Frederick Chilton - Anthony Heald Catherine Martin - Brooke Smith Ardelia Mapp - Kasi Lemmons Senator Ruth Martin - Diane Baker Paul Krendler - Ron Vawter
The Silence of the Lambs is inbetween a horror and a psychologial thriller in which budding FBI student Clarice Starling is sent on a case which turns out to be a lot more important than expected. The serial psychopath Jame Gumb (otherwise known as Buffalo Bill) is at large having kidnapped the Senator's daughter (Catherine). The Head of the FBI - Jack Crawford then sends
young Clarice Starling to talk to the imprisonned cannibal - Dr. Hannibal Lecter to see if he can help. Nobody really expects him to talk but as the film goes on, he agrees to help Clarice on the condition that she tells him about her painful past "Quid Pro Quo Clarice". The problem is - does he help in time to save Catherine's life?
For me, everything about this movie is excellent. The story is so intelligently written and enhanced by fantastic acting - an oscar each for Foster and Hopkins (best actress and actor, respectively) says it all. Jonathan Demme's direction is excellent as he deliberately chose that during most of the conversations, the actors' faces be zoomed into so that the audience feels involved and as if they are talking to us. The movie won 5 oscars in total including Best Picture! and best director. This truly is a timeless classic. In my opinion, the best thing about The Silence of the Lambs and the thing that makes it so unique in hollywood is the female hero. How many films can you name where the cop and hero is a woman? I can name a million with men - Die Hard, every Arnie film there ever was etc etc. but a female hero is a rare occasion and something to be relished.
As for negative points - it is pretty gruesome although not half as gruesome as some films nowadays and not as gruesome as its weaker sequel - Hannibal. I definitely wouldn't let youngsters see this one as its quite disturbing to see a man preparing for a kill so that he can creat a dress made of female skin and a cannibal who will do anything to escape.
I can't finish this review without mentioning the extras that the special edition dvd has to offer. They really are fantastic:
1.) Inside The Labyrinth: The Making of Silence of the Lambs. Excellent documentary filmed especially for the DVD 10 years after the film was released that lasts about an hour and has various interviews and reveals a lot of how the movie was made and the fact that Buffalo Bill was actually based several real life serial killers.
2.) Original featurette - Same thing as the above but filmed at the same time as the movie was being made and also only lasts 10 minutes.
3.) Deleted scenes (21) - Interesting but for me one of the more tedious features because with most of the deleted scenes, it's blatently obvious why they were deleted.
4.) Outtakes reel - Brilliant. I love to watch actors make mistakes and laugh at themselves. Just a shame there are only a few.
5.) Several trailers - self explanatory
6.) Anthony Hopkins phone message - I love this one. It's now on my mobile as the answerphone - class.
7.) Stills galleries - loads and loads of great pics compared to other dvds
8.) Various other bits of things.
As you can see, this dvd set brings you excellent value for money and an excellent film too. That about sums it up. I hope this helps and I hope you enjoy the movie if you haven't already seen it!
NB: I just wanted to comment on the gay community's reaction to The Silence of the Lambs when it was first released. You may or may not know there was outcry that there are never any gay characters in movies and when there are, they are psychopathic killers. Personally, I disagree with the attack on this film because for a start, Buffalo Bill is not gay and not portrayed as being so. Also, not once is Clarice's sexuality mentioned in the film so why are we just to assume that she is heterosexual? Much like Jodie's own private life, Clarice's stays behind closed doors so who's to say she's not gay? Jonathan Demme was very upset by the uproar and agreed that hollywood had been unfair to the gay community to a certain extent. I don't think it was coincidence that his next film was Phildelphia.
Pictures of Silence Of The Lambs (DVD)
Original case
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Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Brilliant review - I like the combination of factual details and opinions that you have included.
Your notes of warning are extremely reasonable - I saw it at 14 and although I could recognise it as a good film, it scared me rigid. Never managed to brave watching it since.
As Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter Anthony Hopkins is the archetypical antihero--cultured ... more
quick-witted uncontainable--a portrait of the sharpest human faculties gone diabolically wrong. His performance marked him as a major star in America and the m...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster deliver knockout Oscar Winning performances in this ... more
shocking, powerful thriller. This terrifying masterpiece of suspense garnered five Academy Awards including Best Director and the coveted Best Picture.A psychopath kno...
Advantages: Anthony Hopkins is exceptional in his performance a truly thrilling film. Disadvantages: Is not in my opinion as explosive and intense as the 2001 follow up 'Hannibal'.
very helpful by (100%):
