Silence of the Lambs

The Silence of the Lambs swept through the 1992 Academy Awards, taking the top five biggest honours and bagging 39 other film awards. While it enjoyed relative financial success, grossing $13 million in its opening week, the inimitable film spawned the adaptation of three other Hannibal Lector novels by crime author Thomas Harris.

Director Jonathan Demme's work of genius proved to be a masterful psychological thriller that broke the stereotypical hero mold, produced some of the scariest movie moments in history and created a spine-chilling villain (now probably the world's scariest and most recognised cinema villain of all time).

In the past, villains were reduced to merciless animals, barely humane or even human. They were beastly creatures barely capable of intelligent thought, let alone cunning observations or calculating escapes. But Dr. Hannibal Lecter is no mere villain.

A brilliant doctor of psychology, Lecter listens to classical music, takes pride in his appearance (or at least attempts to, being confined to the "limiting" white penitentiary attire) and is politely mannered and well spoken. All this apparent sophistication is acutely juxtaposed with the cannibalistic monster he is at heart. Essentially what frightens us most is that for all we know, we could've found ourselves on his couch revealing our deepest depressions while he fantasises about the taste of our spleen.

But while it turned the nature of villainy on its head, The Silence of the Lambs also broke the protagonist mould. Trying to excel as a young FBI trainee in a male dominated profession, Clarice Starling is constantly objectified by her male peers. In various scenes Demme calls attention to Clarice's beauty with men frequently staring at her and trying to pick her up – from the criminally insane Miggs who throws semen at her to the higher-ranking FBI criminologist Jack Crawford who assigns her to question Hannibal Lecter. Even the local officers in the small town of one of the victims she visits gets to her. It is only with Lecter that she is considered an equal – and not sexually, but intellectually.

This tour de force produced feminist undertones, drawing attention to women who didn't need a male hero. Even Buffalo Bills' kidnapped victim, who probably needs rescuing the most, doesn't wait for help and tries to rescue herself.

As soon as The Silence of the Lambs hit cinema screens in early 1991, it was slapped by homophobic protests. Gay rights groups criticised that serial killer Buffalo Bill was portrayed with stereotypical homophobic bias. But even all the bad press couldn't sink the titanic thriller; it initiated a media discussion of Hollywood's depiction of sexual minorities.

Remarkably – for all the killing and skinning that underpins the psychological thriller – no gruesome shots of mutilated corpses (with the exception of the debowled police officer during Hannibal's escape from the Tennesse courthouse and a few bloody scenes) are filmed. Demme tastefully avoids gory scenes, staying within the thriller genre and never quite venturing into the realm of horror. Instead The Silence of the Lambs storyline is driven by the mental tug-of-war between the characters, not explosive car chases or bloody gun fights.


Memorable quotes from the movie:

Hannibal Lecter: Now then, tell me. What did Miggs say to you? Multiple Miggs in the next cell. He hissed at you. What did he say?
Clarice Starling: He said, "I can smell your cunt."
Hannibal Lecter: I see. I myself cannot. You use Evian skin cream, and sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps, but not today.

Hannibal Lecter: "Plum Island Animal Disease Research Center." Sounds charming.
Clarice Starling: That's only a part of the island. There's a very, very nice beach. Terns nest there. There's beautiful...
Hannibal Lecter: [cuts her off] Terns? Mmh. If I help you, Clarice, it will be "turns" with us too. Quid pro quo. I tell you things, you tell me things. Not about this case, though. About yourself. Quid pro quo. Yes or no?
[pause]
Hannibal Lecter: Yes or no, Clarice? Poor little Catherine is waiting.
Clarice Starling: Go, doctor.

Murray: Is it true what they're sayin', he's some kinda vampire?
Clarice Starling: They don't have a name for what he is.

Clarice Starling: If you didn't kill him, then who did, sir?
Hannibal Lecter: Who can say. Best thing for him, really. His therapy was going nowhere.

Hannibal Lecter: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

Hannibal Lecter: Why do you think he removes their skins, Agent Starling? [sarcastically]
Hannibal Lecter: Enthrall me with your acumen.
Clarice Starling: It excites him. Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies from their victims.
Hannibal Lecter: I didn't.
Clarice Starling: No. No, you ate yours.

Clarice Starling: Where are you, Dr. Lecter?
Hannibal Lecter: I've no plans to call on you, Clarice. The world is more interesting with you in it.

Hannibal Lecter: [on telephone] I do wish we could chat longer, but... I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye.