Over the next 100 days, I will present one movie of significances in horror, suspense or thrillers for each year from 1919 to 2018. The next film presented here is the 1991 horror thriller "The Silence of The Lambs" starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald and directed by Johnathon Demme.
The Silence of The Lambs (1991)
Dir- Jonathan Demme
Not since the days of Hitchcock have we the audience been given a horror/thriller that was every bit as great as anything by the master of terror Alfred Hitchcock. Thomas Harris wrote the novel from which this story is based; we first find the camera following a jogger in the woods, yet this typical horror victim cliché is shown to be dead wrong when it turns out to be the protagonist Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). Stalling is an FBI trainee who is assigned to investigate a series of brutal deaths as part of her final training. Her job is to interview a serial killer in prison; the idea is that the best way to catch a serial killer is to consult another serial killer. The sight of Dr. "Hannibal the Cannibal" Lecter (Sir Anthony Hopkins) is one of the most shocking in the annals of horror, he is neither grotesque or evil looking. What makes him so creepy is that he is indeed a vicious killer, yet his charm and grace would suggest a man of high education and refinement. Both her superiors and Lector test Stalling as she digs through the evidence at hand.
Meanwhile, we soon witness the cruel acts of abuse at the hands of the serial killer known as "Buffalo Bill." He kidnaps a young woman and holds her hostage in preparation for some grotesque sewing project. The step by step process of finding the killer brings Lecter and Stalling closer as a strange fondness develops. The movie then progresses as Stalling is steered to the serial killer's identity but not until she earns from Lecter his trust and respect. The finale is a very tight and a well-played showdown that leaves the viewer at the edge of the seat, but that is not the only showcase. The escape of Lector and his horrible work are shown to the viewers who may have forgotten what kind of monster he is, all in vibrant color and grisly detail. The first horror movie to win a Best Picture Oscar, The Silence of The Lambs would also yield Oscars for Jodie Foster, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and director Jonathan Demme. It would also provide many immortal lines, and memorable scenes as the genius of Hopkins would come to life as one of the terrifying movie monsters of horror cinema.
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