Day 30 - 01/30/2019

  Some movies, especially horrors and thrillers fall short during a rewatch decades after its release. Fortunately, The Silence of the Lambs is the quite opposite of it, as the cheap jump scares or over the top visual effects are not what makes it haunting, but something as ordinary as a solid script with proper screenplay. 

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  An FBI rookie, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), interviews Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in order to find details about the serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. The information and contacts that Hannibal has from his past crimes proves to be very helpful, as he has leverage on the FBI and Clarice Starling, it's only a matter of time until the daughter of the US senator, Catherine (Brooke Smith), is the next victim of Buffalo's streak. 

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  One of the main factors on why The Silence of the Lambs stands the test of time is the attention to detail. Factors such as the screenplay and mental strength between Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in the opening scene and the form senator Martin (Diane Baker) talks to Buffalo, though unfortunately done with no results. Hannibal is not a physically strong man, but his mental and emotional strength prove to be more than necessary and is what makes a strong case for a psychological horror. At last, it's even interesting how the line between a criminal interview and a romantic date weirdly becomes a thing line between Clarice and Hannibal. 

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  Sadly, some scenes are forgettable as well as the "wrong house trope". It can be argued that some of the scenes that build the ground for logical explanations of the story simply breaks the flow of the thriller. Following that, though this film was certainly one of the first to use the trope, it is still oddly convenient that the one protagonist is the only one that finds the right place, with no backup, while the elite squad is called for a simple fraud. Finally, the way Clarice surpasses her final challenge is outright unrealistic.  

 

  If there is a case to be made that budget, scenario or even post production alterations are not completely necessary, The Silence of the Lambs is one of, if not the best example to prove this argument right. Overall, the haunting success makes this picture worthy of 8.2 out of 10 stones.