The Silence of the Lambs Review

Review of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) by screenqueeen: 👍 3.5/5

I'm surprised how underwhelmed I was by this, and that I was underwhelmed at all. I enjoyed following Clarice and watching her come into her own, filling the role of the investigator she truly wants and needs to become. I enjoyed seeing Hannibal Lecter play the teacher and Jack Crawford the mentor to Clarice's displaced, disturbed student. I also enjoyed attempting to explore Buffalo Bill's own reasoning behind his crimes and his construction of the suit of women's skin. But I wanted to get to know Buffalo Bill more, and see Hannibal Lecter less.

Maybe it was because when this film came out, moviegoing audiences only were introduced to Lecter once before in Michael Mann's Manhunter (but probably didn't remember him much since he wasn't in a lot of it) which led to a sort of fascination with the character in Silence of the Lambs, more so than the character actively being chased.

Maybe it was the fact that I had watched all 3 seasons of Bryan Fuller's cancelled but fucking magnificent Hannibal television show before I saw this and just got spoiled. If so, shame on me but I definitely see how one begat the other and how quickly creative inspiration snowballs into its ideal form.