Review of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) by Jon D — 27 Oct 2018

I guess I just don't really understand why everyone considers this film to be so great. Perhaps, at the time that it was released, it was innovative and fresh.

The performances here are okay. Anthony Hopkins does a pretty great job at coming off as disturbing and creepy, but that's about it. There's no real weight behind his character, no depth outside of simply being macabre. Jodie Foster's accent is distracting, and her acting is melodramatic at best.

The plot of this film is, to be blunt, boring. I was actually quite surprised at just how inoffensive The Silence of the Lambs is, given the subject matter. It could be that, given the status of today's films, I've been desensitized. The biggest problem is that nothing of import really happens. Conclusions are reached with no clear explanation. Buffalo Bill is not menacing, instead coming off as simply goofy and weird; his character does not match the actions attributed to him.

The Silence of the Lambs has a couple of plot holes that really bothered me. How did Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) get that pen when he was in a straight jacket the whole time? How did he have the time to kill two guards and carve them up, without any other officers even checking on such a high-security prisoner? Who the hell was the FBI going after while Clarice (Jodie Foster) bumbled into the real Buffalo Bill, and where did they get that information?

I was also really annoyed by the cinematography in this film. The close-ups were unnecessary, cheesy, and irritating. The soundtrack also left much to be desired, as the slow and often dull music did nothing to aid the glacial pace of the film itself.

I believe that The Silence of the Lambs was, at one time, a great film. It failed to stand the test of time, however, and has been eclipsed by better films over the past 27 years.