Film Review - The Silence Of The Lambs

 
Film Review -  The Silence of The Lambs

Director: Jonathan Demme


Year of Production: 1991


Genre: Psychological Horror


Brief Plot Outline: A training FBI student (Clarice) is helping with finding the newest serial killer "Buffalo Bill" by talking to serial Killer "Hannibal Lecter". Hannibal provides Clarice with a deeper insight into the killers mind in exchange for personal details into Clarice's life and a transfer to a different prison.


Which two scenes impressed you the most? Why?
1) When Clarice first meets Hannibal Lecter because it automatically puts the viewer on edge with sinister, parallel music as she walks down the corridor towards him and an extreme close up of his eyes creating a sense of claustrophobia.
2) The elevator scene where Hannibal has escaped and we don't know where he is hiding as no one is able to predict the twist in the plot line of how he is disguised (using someone else's face as a mask). Plus it is a creepy location as they are enclosed with a serial killer supporting the fear of being trapped. The scene is full of suspense due to Hitchcock style editing with an extremely slow montage.

How has watching this film helped you understand this genre of film making? Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?
 This film has helped me understand how you can incorporate body horror/gore into a film with a psychological horror genre. To see evidence of this, please scroll down to "Body Horror" listed below.

- Contrapuntal Music = when the music box is playing

- Lots of Close Ups = especially during all the cell scenes with extreme close ups of Hannibal's eyes to create tension.

- Point of View Shots = during the ending when Clarice and Hannibal are on the phone. POV shots are used as they each survey the area they are in.

- Low Key Lighting = Generally when one of the serial killers is on screen and whenever Buffalo Bills' hideout is shown.

- Parallel Music = when building suspense e.g when Clarice walks through the prison cells.

- Slow Montage = When the FBI think Hannibal is on top of the elevator. This builds tension for the audience and warns them that something scary is about to happen.

- Creepy Locations = For example: the prison cells, the elevator, Buffalo Bill's hideout.

- Restricted Narration = Creates mystery for the audience as they don't know what is exactly happening and also emphasizes gore if sound effects are involved. This is used when Hannibal attacks his cell guards while he is being relocated.

- Body Horror = The best example of this is when Hannibal steals a guards face to use as a mask and another good example is when an inmate at the prison throws semen at Clarice (this also shows the theme of sex and taboo).

- Feeling Outside The CDI = Buffalo Bill dresses as a woman at several points during the movie which may unsettle some of the audience and he also wears a vest made out of women which emphasizes the disturbing image created.

- Historical Context = The serial killer "Buffalo Bill" is based on the real life serial killer Ed Gein from the 1950's who dressed up and impersonated his mother and who's murders shook America. This would give "Buffalo Bill" a more significant, scarier/more serious impact on the audience.

Which aspects of the film I would like to include in my own trailer:
Hannibal Lecter is a flipped stereotype of a serial killer as even though he is a bad character in general he is portrayed as a protagonist who helps Clarice. This makes him likeable for the audience by the end of the film. This is interesting as when he is first introduced the director used several horror conventions representing him as a antagonist yet by the end the audience wants Hannibal to stay free even though he is still killing. This might be due to his dialogue being slightly humorous in a twisted way.

Which aspects of the film I would like to avoid in my own trailer:
I would like to use less body horror as it can be really realistic (like in this film) or it can look fake and ineffective in making the audience squeamish. Bad gore can wreck a horror film, in my opinion, and as my group would have limited funds for our own trailer I would rather restrict the amount of gore effects we include.

What was the best aspect/more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? Can you recreate this in your own film? How?
Hannibal's escape scene as it was full of suspense and shocks the viewer with a twist they do not expect. This effect I will be able to recreate by using a slow montage to build tension and then collision cutting to a quick montage which will make the audience jump and then become panicked.