It’s one of the greatest villains ever put on a screen.
But, you could make a real case that Jodie Foster is even better as Clarice Starling.
The last movie to sweep the major category awards of the Oscars is such a bizarre Best Picture winner.
It’s also a horror/thriller which academy voters typically turn their noses up at.
I love what director Jonathan Demme did with this so much.
It’s such a unique and clear vision.
He was just coming off Something Wild and Married To The Mob.
Demme is so efficient.
Take the early scene when Jodie Foster gets into an elevator with a bunch of male FBI agents.
She’s a short woman being towered over by these huge guys.
We don’t need a lecture about how it’s hard to get by in a man’s world.
That shot says enough.
When Clarice is explaining her childhood to Lecter, that exterior falls away.
Because nothing beforehand was heavy handed, it’s so much more effective.
Where do you rank Hannibal Lecter among great bad guys?
Is he a better villain than Darth Vader?
He’s right there with those top tier guys.
It’s not just his brilliance that sets him apart but also Hopkins' charm.
Now, Demme is wise enough to never have the audience want him to succeed over Jodie Foster.
But we don’t care about anyone else in the movie that Lecter is on screen with.
We are all rooting for a mastermind serial killer to literally get away with murder.
We’re not rooting for Darth Vader.
That has to be a point in Hannibal’s favor.
There are so many brilliant scenes that have you holding your breath in terror.
When Catherine gets kidnapped by Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine giving the most unnerving performance…ever?).
The night vision scene when you have no idea what is around each corner in that basement from Hell.
Hannibal Lecter attacking two guards and literally ripping the face off of one.
But this is more than just horror.
Imagine if Demme was an action director instead?
It’s interesting to look at the careers of the people involved with this.
Jonathan Demme and screenwriter Ted Tally weren’t as lucky.
Other than Rachel Getting Married, nothing Demme did afterwards really moved the needle.
His genius of the late 80’s/early 90’s was gone.
As for Tally, his most notable work after this was probably the middling sequel Red Dragon.
But this movie is so fantastic that it is legacy enough.
Many movies afterwards (including the two sequels) tried to capture what this movie does so well.
They all failed on various levels.
It’s not just that the concept of a supervillain helping the police find a bad guy.
It’s that dread that Demme does so well.
It’s how much you believe in and want Clarice to succeed.
Silence of the Lambs doesn’t need to overload you with exposition.
It literally has everything else going for it.
The Silence Of The Lambs
8.
The Sixth Sense
10.
A Few Good Men
14.
The Truman Show
16.
There’s Something About Mary
20.
Schindler’s List
22.
Saving Private Ryan
25.
Dumb & Dumber
27.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
31.
Out Of Sight
36.
Carlito’s Way
37.
Wayne’s World
45.
Back To The Future Part III
47.
A Bronx Tale
48.
The People Vs. Larry Flynt
49.
Eyes Wide Shut
50.
The Green Mile
54.
Man On The Moon
55.
Boyz N The Hood
56.
Grosse Pointe Blank
57.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
63.
The Usual Suspects
65.
In The Line Of Fire
66.
My Cousin Vinny
67.
The River Wild
79.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
Stir Of Echoes
82.
Mission: Impossible
83.
For Love Of The Game
86.
Being John Malkovich
87.
Men In Black
88.
Glengarry Glen Ross
92.
Die Hard With A Vengeance
93.
The Blair Witch Project
94.
Any Given Sunday
99.
The Wedding Singer
100.
