"The Silence Of The Lambs"

 

     The Silence of the Lambs is a horror film that introduces one of the most complex and interesting characters ever created, Dr. Hannibal Lecter.  He's a "monster" of a human being with a dark soul, yet you find yourself admiring his intellect.  Anthony Hopkins does an exceptional job of bringing this character to life.

     Once a respected psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter is in prison for murdering and eating his victims.  The FBI wants his assistance in developing a psychiatric profile for another serial killer they are trying to catch, nicknamed Buffalo Bill.  A trainee named Clarice Starling, played by Jodie Foster, is chosen to try and speak with him.  The reason Clarice is selected is because she's a female.  Once he meets her, Hannibal is immediately interested in Clarice.  The two develop a "quid pro quo" relationship where if Clarice shares personal information from her past, Lecter will give her clues on how to find Buffalo Bill.  Catherine Martin, the U.S. Senator's daughter goes missing and there's reason to believe it's Buffalo Bill who has kidnapped her.  Without wasting any time because they know they have to move fast, the FBI has Clarice offer a fake deal to Lecter promising to transfer him to a different prison, if he will give her more information on Buffalo Bill.  Frederick Chilton, the head of the prison where Lecter is held has been secretly recording Clarice and Lecter's conversations and reveals to Lecter that the deal is a scam.  He then offers him a deal of his own, to which Lecter accepts and he is transferred to Tennessee, where he meets the Senator herself and gives her false information about Buffalo Bill.  However, after she comes to visit him at her own will, Lecter gives Clarice some real information that she uses to track down the real Buffalo Bill.  Meanwhile, Lecter  escapes from his cell in prison, using a pen he stole from Chilton, kills the guards and disappears.  The last scene in the film is of Clarice getting an award for catching Buffalo Bill, but she's interrupted by a phone call from Lecter.  He tells her, "I've no plans to call on you, Clarice. The world is more interesting with you in it."     
     The main theme in this film is change.  Buffalo Bill murdered young women because he wasn't comfortable in his own skin and wanted to transform himself into something different.  Just like the moth that transforms from a caterpillar, into something much more beautiful after leaving it's cocoon. 
The Silence of the Lambs is and will always be one of my all time favorite films.  It's absolutely horrifying yet keeps you on the edge of your seat, as well as has you wanting more.  Also, every single actor in this film plays their character exceptionally well.  These are all qualities that I look for in a film, and because this film meets every one of them it will for sure go down in history.