The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

I used to have a very serious job, researching domestic abuse and homicide. It was worthwhile, it was rewarding, it was beneficial to society, but it was not fun.

Since taking voluntary redundancy I have been trying to find ways to have fun with my work. And it is amazing the opportunities that find you when you decide to follow passions.

Last month, I had a blast recording a film podcast. Those who know my writing, know that film is one of my great loves in life. But there is one film, that while it holds a special place in my heart, I struggle to love.

The Silence of the Lambs.

And I used the Reels of Justice podcast to try and make the case that this is not the great movie, everyone thinks it is.

So, this is my case for the prosecution.

The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological horror thriller.

As you can see from that description the words, ‘romantic’ and ‘comedy’ do not feature.

Yet, this was the choice of my partner (now of 33 years) for a second date…. Not only was it our second date, he also brought his friend, Will, along too.

We are still together….

But if you are in any doubt, The Silence of the Lambs, is not date movie material.

But that shouldn’t mean it is not a great movie. The two central performances of Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter are compelling. Ted Levine is terrifying in his 10 minutes of screen time. The direction is tightly focused and the screen play has a real sense of character and place. It is one of only three films that have won the big five Oscars.

But it is deeply disturbing.

My major argument is that The Silence of the Lambs is... yucky.

If you do not know the plot, this is a film about men putting women in danger. It is about the fact that women aren’t safe, even when all they’re doing is driving home from the grocery store.

It lets us know that serial killers have a type – in the case women who are a size 14.

But it isn’t just the violence of one serial killer that permeates the film. It isn’t even that the film features two serial killers. There is violence all around, from the salacious looks of co-workers to the downright macabre slaying of skin.

I was scared from the moment this film began. It opens with a very fit, but very slight Jodie Foster running in a forest. And then walking amongst a series of tall men. She was strong and fit, but the framing of shots made her slightness always visible and highlighted her vulnerability. Her height and build are in constant reference to those around her. She gets into a lift with everyone a good half a foot taller than her.

I am a similar height and build to Foster – like an espresso – small but full of energy. We get to go to the big meetings, but we sit in chairs where our feet don’t touch the ground.

But Jodie Foster is appealing, even to serial killers.

One of my biggest concerns about the film was the trope of the evil genius behind the slaughter of other human beings for his own pleasure. I’ve read too many domestic homicide reviews to believe that killers are somehow both more evil and more intelligent than most. They are not. They are brutes, who fear losing control and think they can get away with it. There is almost a reverence to the way Lecter’s intelligence is treated.

And that is before we even get to the regressive trans story line.

Buffalo Bill.

Let’s remember a trans identity is more likely to make someone prey rather than be a predator. But this films plays on all the tropes about transwomen, as a danger to ‘real’ (I’m using air quotes here for good reason) women.

And poor Ted Levine – who played this part – brilliantly – really suffered with it and wouldn’t take on parts like it again.

The thing I hated about this film though, more than anything else is that it suggests that women have to be exceptional, formidable, just to avoid being killed. And I found that exhausting. There are very few women in the film and all exhibit incredible levels of courage. Can we not just have a day off and miss a deadline because we were too busy being mediocre, dancing around in our pyjamas?

In conclusion, for me, the best bit of The Silence of the Lambs for me, is that the opposition by the LGBT community to the role of Buffalo Bill, led Jonathan Demme to make Philadelphia – a story with much more heart.

Yes, it is memorable and has been successful, but if you listen to the Podcast you will find that not everything that meets that benchmark should also be critically lauded.

In other words, the best thing about The Silence of the Lambs is another film entirely.

Find out if I convinced the judges here… (or wherever you usually find your podcasts).

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