The Silence of the Lambs

I saw this movie at some point in the 90s, but this felt like a first time watch because I didn’t remember any of the specifics. I must have been too young to appreciate it at that point, as I’ve always thought this movie was overrated. I stand corrected.

It stood out early just how aggressive this movie was, as I was surprised not just by language in the second scene but by the actions of Lecter’s neighbor. Although there are some gross moments, this movie does an excellent job of being disturbing in creative and novel ways. Anthony Hopkins and Ted Levine have different approaches to playing psychopaths, and both are overwhelmingly successful. Jodie Foster is great as always. The directing is excellent as well, the first half of the movie explores a variety of ways to make it stand out just how uncomfortable it must be for Jodie Foster to be a young, small, female FBI agent.

The plot is excellent, even as a few of the tricks it employs are slightly more predictable now that they’ve been copied repeatedly. I have no real criticisms, and The Silence of the Lambs gets a 9.