"The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)
As far as adaptations go, the movie is a very faithful adaptation of the book (to the point where they built Buffalo Bill's house and the insane asylum set solely on Harris' descriptions in the book). I don't often read action thrillers, except for the occasional Dan Brown (whose novels are terrible, but they're guilty pleasures), since most are horribly written, but Harris is a surprisingly intelligent and nuanced writer. There's a cool-headed, no-nonsense tone to his prose that's pretty refreshing. I like the book, but since I saw the movie once before, I already knew the twists and turns and the movie's faithfulness to the novel made reading it feel rather superfluous.
The Silence of the Lambs is a classic, and well-deserving of its exalted status. It's a well-oiled machine, made with ruthless efficiency and creeping dread. It was the movie that, like Halloween and The Shining, elevated the horror film to a more respected status (it's the only real horror film to win Best Picture), especially after a decade of trashy slasher films. It was also the movie that made Jonathan Demme a more renowned director and, at the time, he was an unconventional choice since his previous work consisted of quirky comedies like Melvin and Howard, Something Wild, and Married to the Mob.
I think enough has been said about the acting, but I'll praise it even further. Anthony Hopkins is truly brilliant as Lecter, even down to how he speaks. We always seem to envision Lecter as having this elegant, mellifluous accent, but there's like a flat sort of monotone to that accent which makes him even more of a cipher.
One aspect that always stood out to me is how effectively the movie puts us in Clarice's shoes (played beautifully and empathically by Jodie Foster). Very much keeping with the serial killer theme (not enough credit is given to Tak Fujimoto's cinematography), the camera has a sort of stalking, creeping movement throughout. The camera always seems to follow Clarice in a voyeuristic manner. Not to mention the excruciating close-ups that were a staple of Demme's style, especially the scene when Clarice tells the story of the lambs to Dr. Lecter (side note: there's a great video by the former YouTube channel "Every Frame a Painting" that explains the dynamics of the quid pro quo scenes between Lecter and Clarice, from the use of high and low angles, to the way the characters look either directly into the camera or slightly off-center). And because she's a woman in a male-dominated profession, there is a claustrophobic feeling as she's being scrutinized by the men around her, from Hannibal's penetrating stares, to the casual advances by Dr. Chilton, to the cold-eyed stares of the West Virginia cops, to the danger she faces when she finally confronts Jame Gumb. Even Jack Crawford, as paternal and caring as he is, kind of uses her initially, thinking that a woman will get different answers from Lecter.
Though if there is one slight criticism, it's the very last scene of the film. The scene is Lecter calling Clarice from the Bahamas after he escaped from confinement. After he hangs up, Lecter follows Dr. Chilton, supposedly preparing his revenge and the film rolls credits. Not that there's anything wrong with the scene itself (it's close to how the book ends) but it's the fact that the film had to end on that note. It feels too pulpy and sequel-bait-y. The movie should have ended with Clarice achieving some sort of closure (or maybe even lack of closure), since the movie is really about her.
I feel like enough has been said about The Silence of the Lambs so I suggest you check it out and let its legacy speak for itself.
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