Our Psycho: Hannibal Lecter and The Silence of the Lambs

Steyn On-Line ^ | October 21, 2023 | Rick McGinnis

[Twotone]

When The Silence of the Lambs became a shock hit in 1991, the talking points anatomizing its out-of-nowhere appeal featured speculation that fascination with serial killers had gone mainstream, emerging from the world of tabloids and grimy paperbacks and z-grade slasher flicks. With the film's final shots, "the serial killer becomes an American gift to the world, a fragmentation bomb, ready to explode," wrote Amy Taubin, a great defender of the film, in an appreciative essay.

I would go a step further and say that, with a film whose secondary villain (but principal antagonist) is a renowned psychiatrist (albeit one locked away for heinous murders), and whose heroine works for the criminal profiling unit of the FBI, the real subject of director Jonathan Demme's film is how modern society encourages and enables insanity.

We had been living with the antihero for decades and this sort of mild sociopathy had become dated; every bored or maladjusted teenager imagined themselves as a rule-breaker and a truth-teller (I know I did) and being misunderstood had become a kind of superpower.

It was time for the debut of the psychopath hero.

The Silence of the Lambs was released in the midwinter doldrums of 1991, a sign that Orion, its producer, wasn't expecting much of this gory psychological thriller whose two stars weren't considered big enough to open a picture. Anthony Hopkins had actually given up on the idea of a movie career and was back in London doing theatre.

[escapefromboston]

I liked Brian Cox’s Hannibal but Anthony was perfect.

[digger48]

Thanks for this background by Steyn

Just watched this again recently. Still creeps me out

I’m sure glad they passed on DeNiro as Lector

I’d never watch the movie again

[leaning conservative]

Great article!

[Pelham]

Psycho, Manhunter and Silence of the Lambs are all three loosely based on Wisconsin’s Ed Gein.

He may have been the inspiration for the rest of that film genre.

[desertsolitaire]

‘Manhunter’ is sorely underrated. And Brian Cox is an acting treasure as well as Hopkins.

[Ransomed]

This movie had a lot of small weird parts that really worked. I think the slightly off lab guys were a neat little aside.

Some great quotes. I still say “Oh wait...was she a great big fat person?” when the moment is suitable.

freegards

[Drew68]

Great article. Enjoyed reading it.

I often think this was a film that could never get made today and then I remember that even in 1991, the alphabet people were outraged and protesting at theaters.

[CaptainK]

“Anthony Hopkins had actually given up on the idea of a movie career and was back in London doing theatre.”

Fresh out of high school, I saw Hopkins give his penultimate Broadway performance in Equus in 1974. It was a Saturday matinee. I've seen a lot of Broadway shows and many well knows actors since then but he stands above everyone I've seen. In person he was hypnotic.

I was positive he was going to be an acting superstar. However, I watched him laboring for years in some good productions and many stinkers. In 1991 I was pleasantly surprised to see a poster for "Silence of the Lambs" in a movie lobby with Hopkins face prominently displayed. I had no idea what the movie was about or what his role was and never thought this was the role that would finally propel him the to stature I believed was inevitable. I didn't think it would take 15 years.

[montanajoe]

My first wife when we went to see it back then told me that it was about lambing season on the ranches and would make me remember how hard I’d have to work...

She knew I didn’t like slasher movies lol

[7thson]

The actor who played Buffalo Bill was good in the early 80’s cop show “Crime Story.” He was excellent as Monk’s boss.

[joshua c]

he was also in Heat