Silence of the Lambs

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“A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.”

Ah, yes, the movie that landed horror with an Academy Award. And let’s be clear, this IS a horror movie. But due to the drama and brilliant acting, it was skirted into the Academy anyway in a time when horror was still the dirty little secret that no one wanted to admit they enjoyed for its true cinematic quality.

There is one thing that I want to address right of the bat. As part of the LGBT+ community – yes. This movie did insight quite a bit of fear of the trans community. While there is a line of Lecter stating that Bill is “not a true transsexual,” it is widely muted by the rest of the profiling and actions in the movie. This movie does give a transphobic vibe.

Now that I have mentioned that an given it the attention it indeed needs – let’s talk about the acting and plot otherwise.

Clarice Starling’s struggle is the main focus point and her rise through the guidance of serial killer Hannibal Lecter. Yes, there are murders. But she’s a petite, lower class woman who is, through her own determination and grit attempting to become something more within the FBI. This trainee has caught the eye of the a head honcho who basically is like “Let’s use her for bait to this psycho to see if he helps us!”

Okay, that may be simplifying it. But, ya know.

There is a lot of tension here and yes, the gore is graphic but it’s…. it’s necessary. So, you don’t feel like you’re just seeing it gratuitously.

SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT

The final confrontation between Starling and Buffalo Bill is tense! She’s just a student and now she faces off against a real serial killer. I love the switch to the night vision and how her ears tell her all she needs to know.