***Silence of the Lambs is showing on ITV2 at 10.00pm 31/03/2008***
Silence of the Lambs is one of those infamous films that everyone seems to have seen but until last week I was one of the chosen few who'd never seen it. After a friend of mine nearly fainted with the shock of this fact, he pestered me, going on and on about how fantastic the film was and then subtly left his special edition DVD at my house. So, one evening my boyfriend who had seen it before suggested we sit down and watch it. I made some popcorn and settled down for a few hours of blood and gore.
The story centres on a young female FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, who aims to become part of the behavioural sciences team once she qualifies. She appears very determined as we see her training, on the assault course, practicing diffusing hostile situations, using her gun and reading lots of background material. One day she is called in to her superior's office, Jack Crawford, he has a special assignment he wants her to undertake, she is visit a sociopath who has been locked away for several years and try to persuade him to take part in a psychological questionnaire. Dutifully Clarice embarks on her journey to meet Doctor Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal the Cannibal as he become known. The experience is not a pleasant one as Clarice is insulted by other inmates of the institution; Lecter also reveals shocking information about one of his victim's demise. It is no surprise that Lecter refuses to take part in the survey.
Meanwhile, on the outside a violent serial killers who mutilates his female victims and disposes of them in rivers all over the country has taken his latest victim, the daughter of Senator. Crawford hopes that Lecter, a highly intellectual psychiatrist will be able to help in uncovering the identity of this killer, nicknamed Buffalo Bill. Clarice visits Lecter several times and each time inflicts pain, she has been warned not to let Lecter get inside her head but the quest for anything he can tell her, she is forced to exchange personal information. Clarice makes a deal with Lecter if he can help to find the Buffalo Bill, he meets with the Senator but sends her and the FBI on a wild goose chase. It appears that only Clarice has the ability to save the latest victim from a fate worse than death, but is she up to the job?!
I didn't enjoy this film as much as I thought I would have but I think this is mostly because of the hype from my friend and then my boyfriend. I thought the plot of the film was very clever; I would credit this to the original writer, Thomas Harris, more than any screenwriter though. There are many twists and turns in the film which make it very edgy and captivating to most people, I have to say some of these were rather predictable, but my boyfriend still jumped and couldn't look away. I also found the juxtaposition of a vulnerable woman living in a man's world, struggling to get a break and a man behind a wall of glass, treated like a caged animal very interesting. I also enjoyed the horror of Lecter's character being complemented to a fair, honest disposition. He appears to be respectable, clearing annunciating every word he speaks, unless he is mocking Clarice in her rough country dialect. Despite his desire to inflict pain on to others we do see a gentle nature as he helps Clarice realise his true potential as she investigates the Buffalo Bill case. This turns Lecter from a cold blooded killer to a hero in his own right.
The direction of this film is brilliant; Jonathon Demme truly deserves every award he won for this adaptation. There are moments where two scenes are played out with the other mirroring the same scenario simply with different characters and locations. This reflects the bonds between the characters well, showing how people who appear so different can be so similar. There is one scene where Lecter meets the Senator whose daughter has been abducted; Lecter is presented to her bound, on a small trolley, face squeezed into a tiny mask, despite this treatment Lecter is posed, respectful and witty. This gives an insight into the man behind the mask, a man of such outstanding intellect he can become anything he wishes to, he can manipulate any situation to is advantage. Another thing which I felt really helped this film was the focus on the little things; in one scene we see Clifford, the manager of the institution Lecter was held in, leave a pen on Lecter's bed, later Clifford needs to sign something and cannot find his pen, Lecter produces it soon after. Another scene shows Buffalo Bill/ Jamie Gumb, wearing night-vision goggles and again this is seen again later in the film. Throughout the film a lot of close-ups and extreme close-ups are used, this really draws the audience into the film, allowing them to empathise with Clarice and Lecter.
The performances in this film are outstanding, Jodie Foster plays Clarice Starling, a young girl with a troubled past, but she portrays well the attempts she is making to improve herself. The moments in this film that really brought this character to life for me were as Clarice stands outside Lecter's cell, he begins to rip her to shreds with his words and she responds with the quirkiest facial expressions that could not be acted. I have Jodie Foster in some other films and I have not been impressed by her work but in this role I really began to believe the struggle she was going trough. Anthony Hopkins plays Hannibal Lecter, his role is one of a sociopath killer, with the heart of a good man, but the mind of a mad one. Again, it is attention to detail which makes this character so believable, when Clarice arrives to see him for the first time he is standing in the middle of the cell waiting for her. The imposing accent he uses, which quickly becomes a snarling duplication of Clarice's own shows his intelligence. As he manipulates her into telling him things she'd really rather forget Anthony Hopkins' eyes open wider and wider, his nostrils flare for a split second as a scene intensifies. Ted Levine plays Jamie Gumb, Buffalo Bill, Lecter tells Clarice Bill longs to be a woman and this is reflecting well by Ted Levine as he prances around his house in a very feminine manner. His deep voice is a direct contrast to this and I think this shows the conflict within his own mind. Also, when we see his house, each room becomes more bizarre than the last, showing his withdrawal from reality. Ted Levine also shows the true nature of a serial killer, just by using small gestures and mannerisms. Again his performance is very believable. These are the main three characters which is why many people find the film so disturbing as they can relate to these individuals. Some of the other actors and actresses involved in this movie include Scott Glen as Jack Crawford Anthony Heald as Dr Frederick Clifford Brooke Smith as Catherine Martin, the latest victim of Buffalo Bill Stuart Rodin as Miggs, a fellow inmate of Lecter Diane Baker as Senator Martin
The title of the film eluded me for some time until Lecter begins to question Clarice's personal life. When she was a child Clarice was forced to live with a distant relative on a ranch, after waking up one night to hear the screaming of the lambs, she took just one and ran away. The silence of the lambs symbolises to trying to save something, someone from an inevitable fate. But as Lecter asks Clarice "And you think if you save poor Catherine, you could make them stop, don't you? You think if Catherine lives, you won't wake up in the dark ever again to that awful screaming of the lambs" There are many animal references throughout the film along with the title, one of the Buffalo Bill victims is found with a moth in her mouth, Buffalo Bill has a small dog called Precious; all these animals were loved by someone but their treatment seems to mirror the treatment of Lecter as he stands with a mask on, awaiting his inevitable destiny?!
Finally, some of the most powerful quotes in the film. Lecter : "You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste. Good nutrition's given you some length of bone, but you're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Agent Starling? And that accent you've tried so desperately to shed: pure West Virginia. What is your father, dear? Is he a coal miner? Does he stink of the lamp? You know how quickly the boys found you... all those tedious sticky fumblings in the back seats of cars... while you could only dream of getting out... getting anywhere... getting all the way to the FBI."
Lecter : "Look for severe childhood disturbances associated with violence. Our Billy wasn't born a criminal, Clarice. He was made one through years of systematic abuse. Billy hates his own identity, you see, and he thinks that makes him a transsexual. But his pathology is a thousand times more savage and more terrifying."
The film runs for 1 hour and 54 minutes It bears an 18 certificate, due to the adult themes
This DVD has a number of subtitle languages available - English, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Portuguese, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Hebrew, Turkish, Czech and Croatian.
There is then a bonus DVD which contains - Inside the Labyrinth - The Making of Silence of the Lambs runs for approx 1 hr This gives an insight into the work of Thomas Harris and the production team of the film. Hannibal Lecter is a fictional character, Buffalo Bill on the other hand is the composite of several violent serial killers i.e. Ed Gein who mutilated women using their body parts as furniture and art; Ted Bundy who used to lure women into his van pretending his arm was broken and Gary Heidnick who would imprison his female victims before torturing and killing them. For me this makes the film even disturbing, it may not be a true story but a basis in reality is bad enough. Watching this short documentary also uncovered some more interesting facts - Orion and Gene Hackman bought the story for $500,000 - The majority of the film was filmed in Pittsburgh with smaller towns being used to portray rural West Virginia - $20 million budget - FBI training academy used - No dumbies were used, all pictures were created with actresses - Francis Bacon inspired artistic mutilations - Every scene was filmed in less than 3 takes - Death head moth was not available, native moth used and disguised - Many of the crew appear in the film - When the film opened there was controversy over the treatment of homosexuals in Hollywood This short documentary gives a good insight into how Anthony Hopkins and Ted Levine came to terms with their characters and how they prepared for the film. Jodie Foster is about the only person who does not appear personally.
- Original featurette approx 10 min Shows Jodie Foster, Anthiny Hopkins, Jonathon Demme speaking about the film Shows the links between Clarice and Lecter This is really just an extended trailer
Deleted Scenes (21) 21 deleted scenes each lasting only a few seconds, although this does give you a greater understanding of some elements of the film. These are worth watching
Outakes Reel The true nature of production is revealed, lots of laughing and joking Shows Anthony Hopkins in his element as plays up to the camera
Overall I think this is an enjoyable film to watch, it is clever, it is not overly gory but there are several scenes which some people may find disturbing. The storyline is not a nice one and if you are sensitive sort of soul I would avoid this one. Usually I wouldn't watch the special features on a DVD but I'm glad I did I found the additional footage and facts interesting. The special addition DVD is definitely worth the extra little bit. So, if you haven't seen this one yet I'd recommend you watch it, you don't want to miss a classic. The only thing I would say about this one is that it's age is starting to show, after all it's nearly 20 years old now.
Lambs contains only a couple of genuinely shocking moments (one involving an autopsy, the other a prison break). The rest of the film is a splatter-free visual and...
