The Silence Of The Lambs

It holds up pretty well 30 years later. But not perfectly. Not even close.

The two major problems are Buffalo Bill and Hannibal Lecter. Buffalo Bill is pretty much inexcusable for obvious reasons, and there is no need to rehash them. I will say that the film did so wrong by the transgender community that the short-lived series Clarice actually felt the need to do a Mea Culpa about that and add some nuance to Clarice's perspective about transgender people.

Anthony Hopkins plays the hell out of Hannibal Lecter, and the dude is mesmerizing. But I feel the sexual things he says to Clarice detract from the dark fascination I have with the character, mostly gained from Mads Mikkelsen's performance on the TV series Hannibal. Mikkelsen's Lecter would not say the vulgar things he does to Clarice, not because he's a broadcast TV serial killer, but because what was shocking to audiences in 1991 now comes across as low-rent and skeevy in 2022. TV's Hannibal believes himself cultured and urbane, and the way Lecter speaks to Clarice for titillation's sake is vulgar, and kind of desperate and pathetic. I get he hasn't been around a woman in 8 years, but damn, dude, gross. When Clarice tells him that's something Miggs would say, she summed up my problem with screen Hannibal in a nutshell.

Anthony Heald is surprisingly great as Chilton. He's the one guy in the movie you wish Hannibal would eat. It's almost a happy ending for me because Heald plays him to loathsome perfection.

The stuff in the climax with the night vision goggles was scary and cool, because it used different visuals than most other horror films to find a way to be scary. But to honest, it's a crime thriller, but I don't really think it's a horror film at all. Far too grounded for that.

I was a bit shocked that Kathryn carried Precious out when she was taken to the ambulance. First thing I would have done if I were her was snap that little turd's neck. I love how she's proactive in setting the trap for Precious (a bit rich Bill is screaming at her not to hurt his dog) and I felt her rage and frustration when Clarice told her she was going to have to leave the room. Whether it was the right tactical move or not (and it was) that must have been equally terrifying and infuriating.

Clarice was right to be impressed with Senator Martin's TV message about her daughter Kathryn. It didn't work, but it was brilliant for the reasons Clarice stated. Martin is a Republican in 1991 who is good at politics.

The huge black opening titles feel wrong for this specific movie. Title fonts are something modern movies are very careful with, and that's partly why most main credits occur after the movie nowadays. But those big black letter belong at the front of a less subtle movie. That sort of in-your-face font was good for Pulp Fiction. Not this film. That sort of minutia actually matters to me.

I think it was a solid film. Probably deserved the Oscar in 1991 (although I would have given it to Beauty And The Beast). But it's not perfect. ****.