Film
The Silence of the Lambs: 30 Years On WORDS BY RÓISÍN RYAN ART BY MEGHAN FLOOD
Thirty years on from its original release, The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991) remains an
enduring cultural touchstone. Even those who have never seen the film will still likely recognise a certain infamous quote involving fava beans and a nice chianti. So iconic is Dr Hannibal ‘the Cannibal’ Lecter that first-time viewers may be surprised that Clarice Starling is hunting another serial killer entirely, the demented woman-killer Buffalo Bill / Jame Gumb (played with unnerving efficacy by Ted Levine). Silence brought groundbreaking gravitas to its gripping, if grisly, story of serial killers and cannibalistic psychopaths, material once primarily the preserve of pulpy thrills. The effects can be seen in the media landscape to this day, from weighty crime dramas to true crime deep-dives. The central performances remain of gold standard. Jodie Foster never lets you forget that Clarice is an FBI recruit painfully out of her depth, yet also suggests an unshakeable inner determination. Anthony Hopkins’ Lecter on the other hand combines a chilling stillness with a camp flair for the theatrical to enthralling effect. Suspense is built masterfully throughout the film. The relentless close-ups build intensity to occasionally unbearable heights. Brief twists of humour let you off the hook now and then, but the edge of your seat rarely gets a break. There is no flab in this film; it exploits every minute of its near two-hour running time to the fullest extent. Horror and the thriller, the two genres from which Silence draws its lifeblood, can be particularly susceptible to aging as story beats become too familiar and new techniques become ubiquitous and stale. Not so with Silence. The twists still thrill, the characters still compel. In certain regards, Silence possesses a prescience that makes it feel remarkably fresh. Seen through the prism of post-#Me Too sexual politics, it is striking how much attention the film pays to what it means to move through the world as a woman. Clarice first appears surrounded by soaring pine trees as she jogs through a symbolically weighted obstacle course, but more often than not it is male colleagues and professional contacts crowding her out, looking down on her, excluding her, dismissing her.
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