Quick Review: The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
AUGUST 8, 2013

Hannibal Lector is one of the best villains in cinematic history, made possible by the astounding performance by Anthony Hopkins, whose dead stares and impressive delivery become staples in his Academy Award winning performance as the former doctor. Jodie Foster plays off him wonderfully and when Hopkins isn’t stealing the show as Hannibal, Foster is carrying the film as the iconic Clarice Starling. Despite its mystery storyline, “The Silence of the Lambs”, based on a novel by Thomas Harris, is a horror film at heart, and with a fantastic screenplay and wonderful directing, this horror flick went on to win five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor and Actress, proving so much more than just being an incredible film but defying the odds against the horror genre and the Oscars. With intensity around every corner and a staggered level of villains including the deep voiced Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) and the prissy and proud asylum doctor, Frederick Chilton (Anthony Heald), there is never a dull moment throughout the entire film, eventually leading to an iconic climax involving night vision goggles and the stalking of Clarice. Setting up the series perfectly, this could be one of the greatest films of all time, opening the door for horror films and villains to follow.