Film Analysis: The Silence Of The Lambs

The Silence of the Lambs v.s Hannibal

INTRO
Jonathan Demme the director of Silence of the Lambs skilfully crafts together different film techniques such as tracking panning close ups as well as music in order to create a film that

The opening sequence of “The Silence of the Lambs” shows the protagonist Clarice Starling running a assault course through a bleak forrest setting, black trees contrasting against a grey sky. Clarice enters the frame from the bottom of a hill using a rope to pull herself up, the camera is set at a low angle capturing her entire ascent, when she reaches the top of the hill the camera continues to tracks her movements. She pauses to look to the left of the screen before turning right and running off screen, this

The diegetic chirping and wing sounds in the beginning sequence references Clarice herself, her last name is “Starling”, Starlings ironically are highly social birds making Clarice’s isolation in the opening sequence jarring, especially when later she passes groups of people training together. Demme has cleverly done this to make the audience asks questions, why is she alone when everyone else is training in a group?, he does this to show her state mind, she is still stuck in the trauma of her past never having moved on, she is still alone running from the screaming of the lambs. By the end of the first scene the audience knows that the movie revolves around Clarice, what has happened in her past and how that affects her future, Demme manages this by expertly crafting together the tragic music with the tracking shot of Clarice running through the woods to show that Clarice s running away from something, her past which is her motivator, and running towards her future, the unfolding plot of the

In the beginning Lector is imprisoned with other criminals but Demme deliberately wants him to seem different from the others. The head of the Behavioural Sciences Unit at the FBI tells Clarice to interview Hannibal Lector so the FBI can build a profile on him, Clarice responds with “Hannibal the Cannibal”. Demme includes this to show that Lector’s reputation proceeds him and that he has made a name for himself. Crawford also warns Clarice “Be very careful with Hannibal Lector…. Your to tell him nothing personal Starling, Believe me you don 't want Hannibal Lector inside your head, just do your job but never forget what he is”, immediately after Clarice asks "And what is that?” the camera cuts to an establishing shot of the asylum showing the change of location as well as Doctor Chiltons response stating “Oh, he’s a monster, pure psychopath”. Demme uses establishing shots, dialogue in quick succession in order show off Hannibal’s reputation, he is evil and a cannibal so the audience is building a picture of what he might be like in their head before they meet him but Lector isn’t someone who presents themselves as absolutely insane. When the audience does meet him he seems very calm, rational and even charming. This is purposeful on Demme’s part he wants Lector to seem normal to make it easier for the audience to empathies with him because as humans it is easier to relate to someone normal not an insane person, for