The Silence of the Lambs
"A Knockout! The Most Exciting Thriller In Years!" -The New York Times
Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster deliver sensational Oscar®-winning performances in this "shockingly powerful thriller" (New York Magazine). "Stunning" (Los Angeles Times) and "spellbinding" (The Hollywood Reporter), this terrifying masterpiece garnered five Academy Awards, including Best Director and the coveted Best Picture.
A vicious psychopath is murdering women throughout the Midwest. Believing it takes one to know one, the F.B.I. Sends agent Clarice Starling (Foster) to interview a prisoner who may provide clues to the killer's actions. That prisoner is Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins), a brilliant, demented cannibal who agrees to help Starling only if she'll feed his morbid curiosity with details of her own complicated life. But as their relationship develops, Starling is forced to confront not only her own hidden demons... but also an evil so powerful that she may not have the courage - or strength - to stop it!
Member Reviews
Good but not great. - Amadeus
Silence of the Lambs is a horror/thriller film most notable for its character of Hannibal Lector a cannibalistic psychopath played by Anthony Hopkins. Jodie Foster is one of my favorite actresses and she seems a little too vulnerable here to be an FBI agent. Anthony Hopkins, surely one of the world's greatest actors, is suitably creepy as psychopathic Dr. Lector, however, I prefer his performance in Magic; his role is much larger in that movie and he does more acting. Jonathan Demme, also one of my favorite directors, does a good job but, once again, I prefer his Married to the Mob (1988) or Harold and Melvin (1980) over this film. Howard Shore's musical score is terrific. As far as violence goes, Silence of the Lambs might have been shocking when it was release but, by today's standards, it is tame. There are no lingering closeups of violence. The CSI TV series shows much more graphic images. I see why this film won Academy Awards, mainly because the competition was not that stiff. Although it's a good film, it does not deserve the high status that is has been accorded. But it is still well worth seeing because of the tension it manages to build and for the terrific performances of Hopkins and Foster.Excellent!!! - sampid
The Silence of the Lambs, having accomplished the rare feat of winning all five of the major Academy Award categories, is a remarkable achievement in filmmaking. Gruesome, pulpish material was transformed by dedicated participants on all levels of production, and a film that would have failed in the hands of many others wound up becoming a modern masterpiece. Taut direction and a superb screenplay might be the best arguments for the film's power, but the flashiest are certainly delivered in the bravura performances of Hopkins and Foster. Their interplay -- and remember, they only share a handful of scenes together -- is nothing short of riveting.I can't stop watching this movie, absolute classic - tlefrancois
Brilliant Best Picture of 1991 that never gets old. "The Silence of the Lambs" deals with a young FBI cadet (Oscar-winner Jodie Foster) who is sent to interview a captured madman (Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins in one of the greatest performances ever on the screen) to find out about a serial killer (Ted Levine) who is stripping the skin from his female victims after they die. The FBI has had no luck with the case and agent Scott Glenn tries to throw a curve-ball to Hopkins by sending Foster. Hopkins is a former doctor of Levine and holds the clues to capturing the unknown criminal. Needless to say the film takes many twists and turns, creating a suspenseful thriller that has no equal. At the heart of "The Silence of the Lambs" are the confrontations between Hopkins and Foster. They play a complicated chess match of words which results in some of the greatest footage ever captured for the cinema. Hopkins dominates in spite of the fact he has approximately 17 minutes of time in the film. This is a film that will wrap itself around you and you will likely never be able to shake some of the key elements you have seen in this amazing masterpiece
Member Reviews
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Good but not great. - Amadeus
Silence of the Lambs is a horror/thriller film most notable for its character of Hannibal Lector a cannibalistic psychopath played by Anthony Hopkins. Jodie Foster is one of my favorite actresses and she seems a little too vulnerable here to be an FBI agent. ...Excellent!!! - sampid
The Silence of the Lambs, having accomplished the rare feat of winning all five of the major Academy Award categories, is a remarkable achievement in filmmaking. Gruesome, pulpish material was transformed by dedicated participants on all levels of production, ...I can't stop watching this movie, absolute classic - tlefrancois
Brilliant Best Picture of 1991 that never gets old. "The Silence of the Lambs" deals with a young FBI cadet (Oscar-winner Jodie Foster) who is sent to interview a captured madman (Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins in one of the greatest performances ever on the ...