Now this is the type of film I’m talking about when I mean a great thriller film. Combining horror, crime and bit of psychology, The Silence of the Lambs was one of those enthralling thrillers (which seem to be increasingly rare) and it’s no surprise that it won five Academy Awards. Now I’m looking forward to watching Hannibal and Red Dragon (the sequel and prequel), though naturally, I’m not expecting them to be as good as the original film.
The notorious character of Dr Hannibal Lecter was really what made this film so appealing, as well as the performance by Jodie Foster. Foster plays Clarice Starling, a trainee FBI agent who seeks the help of Hannibal, an imprisoned cannibal, to find the serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill”. Hannibal, who is played brilliantly by Anthony Hopkins, is a complex, intelligent psychiatrist himself and thus, he makes the interactions between him and Starling quite challenging and mentally exhausting for her. But, interestingly, a kind of relationship forms between them − sort of mutual trust and respect. This aspect of the multifaceted personality of Hannibal is what intrigues me about him. Compared to most other serial killers depicted in films, he seems almost sane − well, until he takes a bite out of one of the policemen’s faces − then once again he repels you.Foster’s portrayal of the FBI trainee was also really good to watch. She was determined to be a strong, female force in the agency but there were times, particularly when she was with Hannibal, where glimpses of her weaknesses shone through. She is, in effect, like one of the young, delicate lambs in the slaughterhouse she saw as a child − an experience which she recounts to Hannibal (despite being told not to discuss her personal life with patients).
Anyway, I also have to mention the ending, which I thought was a great, refreshing way to conclude a film like this − Hannibal remains on the loose and even calls up Starling, telling her is “about to have an old friend for dinner”. Nice.
4.5/5
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