The Silence of the LambsWhat is it within a person that makes them into a monster? Is Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) any closer to answering that question at the end of The Silence of the Lambs than when she began her unorthodox tutelage under the guidance of the diabolical mastermind that is Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins)? Clarice is possessed of an excellent capacity for deductive reasoning, and at the beginning of the film is easily able to discern Jack Crawford's (Scott Glenn) motive behind recruiting her to solicit a questionnaire onto Dr. Lecter, hoping to gain some profiling insight, since the Behavioral Science Unit is too involved, working to apprehend serial killer-at-large, "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine).
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Almost from the onset, there is a kind of spark, a connection between extremely dangerous killer and the junior detective, namely a sense that they are in the company of another who is receptive to offering what the other needs. This connection blooms over time, and although to describe Dr. Lecter and Det. Starling as friends would be too far, they begin to cultivate a mutual respect for one another's convergent thinking and intelligence, and the willingness to cooperate to advance each others' goals. And just what would those goals be? For Clarice, she seeks acknowledgement in her work, and measures herself by her accomplishments. This is in part because she feels the need to be accepted on her terms. Being raised in foster homes meant that it was likely in her teenage years--as it is for her now--that she was often judged by her appearances and people's first impressions. She conceals her accent--except when it is advantageous not to do so--and presents herself on professional terms, resenting when she is seen as a woman first, and a federal agent second. This is what Lecter sees, and it might be what he would write in his diagnosis were she his official patient. What Clarice actually discovers she needs from Lecter is his wisdom, his experience, and mostly "the mindset" to perform her job better, to see and deduce what she is prohibited from seeing. As Lecter and Clarice trade information of mutual interest--quid pro quo, meaning "something for something" in Latin--Lecter unofficially mentors her in his trade...analysis, a deeper understanding to gain power over a situation. It is interesting that Clarice always refers to Lecter as "Dr. Lecter"; yes, he is a doctor, but it comes across as how a student would address a professor, not an inmate at a maximum security prison. Clarice has been invited to respect Lecter because--unlike men such as Dr. Chilton (Anthony Heald), who ogle and outright hit-on the attractive student detective--Lecter approaches her on an intellectual basis, appealing to her mind and not her body. It could be argued that Lecter is exploiting this quality of Clarice to further his interests, paradoxically by not exploiting this element. Alternately (or maybe, in conjunction), Clarice lets (or accepts that) Lecter sets the rules of the game, though she accepts the challenge and proves to be an adept player.
For a horror film, The Silence of the Lambs remains a highly cerebral movie, where the deft plays between Clarice and Lecter are the primary action, with Clarice's follow-up investigations between. The battleground of the film is the mind, as is fitting for a film about mentally deranged criminals and the Behavioral Sciences Department investigating and profiling these minds. Ironically, the most canny mind in the film belongs to one who has been diagnosed as insane: Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The showstealing Lecter is savage, cruel, and thoroughly evil, but he is also intelligent, experienced, and contains a disciplined mind with a cold, calculating acumen bereft of emotion. Lecter occupies a unique role in the film--and film in general; he is not the antagonist of the film--that is Bill--and he is helping the protagonist to achieve her goal of catching "the bad guy"--if for superficially mercenary reasons. Lecter's role is very foreign in the traditional narrative sense, one which should not exist, a consultant for the heroine; it is alien because he is more evil than the villain. Like Lecter, this leaves us uncomfortable in our emotions about how to rationalize his place in the "good guy/bad guy" spectrum. And as I'm sure Lecter would appreciate, that give him power over us. Lecter craves power, freedom, a sense that he has the ability to exert dominance, like all criminals do. But Lecter is intelligent and craves a kind of acknowledgement for his talents--just as Clarice does--in that he wishes to do his work: analysis. Clarice and her broken childhood presents a prime cut of meat for him to dig his proverbial fangs into. It could easily be said that the Hippocratic Oath is not something which interests Dr. Lecter, and he is not interested in "healing" Clarice's childhood trauma...but he is interested in her story, in her confession, in understanding and feeling validated in his power of deduction and analysis. It is with great sincerity when he thanks her for her story, because he has gained something he has lost since his incarceration and inability to practice his trade, a kind of vulnerability beyond fear, a flavor of power he has been without since his days as a psychiatrist. Quid pro quo.
Recommended for: Fans of a cunning and intelligent horror film, a procedural thriller which is intense in his ability to generate fear in convincing and realistic settings, with characters who are all good at what they do engaged in a fierce battle of detection.
For a horror film, The Silence of the Lambs remains a highly cerebral movie, where the deft plays between Clarice and Lecter are the primary action, with Clarice's follow-up investigations between. The battleground of the film is the mind, as is fitting for a film about mentally deranged criminals and the Behavioral Sciences Department investigating and profiling these minds. Ironically, the most canny mind in the film belongs to one who has been diagnosed as insane: Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The showstealing Lecter is savage, cruel, and thoroughly evil, but he is also intelligent, experienced, and contains a disciplined mind with a cold, calculating acumen bereft of emotion. Lecter occupies a unique role in the film--and film in general; he is not the antagonist of the film--that is Bill--and he is helping the protagonist to achieve her goal of catching "the bad guy"--if for superficially mercenary reasons. Lecter's role is very foreign in the traditional narrative sense, one which should not exist, a consultant for the heroine; it is alien because he is more evil than the villain. Like Lecter, this leaves us uncomfortable in our emotions about how to rationalize his place in the "good guy/bad guy" spectrum. And as I'm sure Lecter would appreciate, that give him power over us. Lecter craves power, freedom, a sense that he has the ability to exert dominance, like all criminals do. But Lecter is intelligent and craves a kind of acknowledgement for his talents--just as Clarice does--in that he wishes to do his work: analysis. Clarice and her broken childhood presents a prime cut of meat for him to dig his proverbial fangs into. It could easily be said that the Hippocratic Oath is not something which interests Dr. Lecter, and he is not interested in "healing" Clarice's childhood trauma...but he is interested in her story, in her confession, in understanding and feeling validated in his power of deduction and analysis. It is with great sincerity when he thanks her for her story, because he has gained something he has lost since his incarceration and inability to practice his trade, a kind of vulnerability beyond fear, a flavor of power he has been without since his days as a psychiatrist. Quid pro quo.
Recommended for: Fans of a cunning and intelligent horror film, a procedural thriller which is intense in his ability to generate fear in convincing and realistic settings, with characters who are all good at what they do engaged in a fierce battle of detection.