Beyond the suspense and thrill that come with the hot pursuit of a mastermind killer, Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs is spine-chillingly reflective of the different personalities that exist in our society, with characters like Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill, who will remain forever relevant, reminding us of our inherent violent instincts. Released in 1991, The Silence of the Lambs not only features a strong, well-developed female lead, but at the same time, if you notice, the entire narrative majorly unfolds from Clarice’s point of view. In this article, we’re analyzing how Demme, by presenting the story from Clarice’s point of view, brings credibility and emotional resonance to the entire narrative. Analysing The Story: From Clarice’s POV In the story, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), an FBI agent in training, is assigned to a special serial killer case: a serial killer who goes by the name of Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). His only target is women, whom he abducts, keeps captive for three days, then brutally kills and skins them. To track him down, Clarice is compelled to connect with Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a former psychologist turned serial killer. Serving his sentence at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Lecter is crucial to the investigation as he can profile Bill and also provide important intel about him. Only if the whole process were as straightforward as a regular FBI interrogation or intel collection. It’s in the nature of a psychopath, like Hannibal Lecter, to manipulate. He...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today