The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

	Directed by: Jonathan Demme	COUNTRY USA GENRE Thriller/Horror/Crime NORWEGIAN TITLE Nattsvermeren RUNNING TIME 118 minutes
	Produced by: Edward Saxon Kenneth Utt Ron Bozman
	Written by (based on the novel by Thomas Harris): Ted Tally

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Clarice Starling	Jodie Foster	½
Dr. Hannibal Lecter	Anthony Hopkins
Jack Crawford	Scott Glenn
Jame Gumb	Ted Levine	½
Dr. Frederick Chilton	Anthony Heald	½
Catherine Martin	Brooke Smith	-
Sergeant Boyle	Charles Napier	-
Senator Ruth Martin	Diane Baker	-
Ardelia Mapp	Kasi Lemmons	-
FBI Director Hayden Burke	Roger Corman	-
Lamar	Tracey Walter	-
Uncredited	George A. Romero	-

Review

At times, Anthony Hopkins' meticulously nuanced Hannibal Lecter seems almost ironic, even parodic. But in light of The Silence of the Lambs’ ever-growing legacy as an all-time classic, it's worth remembering that the performance is not only one of the most renowned in modern film history, but one that has become a standard in its own right. There is no denying, however, that the film's true brilliance lies not in the brilliantly structured and suspense-filled hunt for the fascinating serial killer Buffalo Bill, nor in its detailed and insightful look behind the closed doors of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but rather in the creation, construction and execution of Hannibal Lecter himself. From Jonathan Demme’s superb use of point-of-view and his precise balance of concealment and revelation, to Hopkins’ once-in-a-lifetime performance, the film assembles a timeless character. Combine that with a narrative intensity that is almost unequalled in the genre (Hitchcock would have approved), and you have one of the most compelling films of our time.