ipl-logo

The Silence Of The Lambs Feminist Analysis

1540 Words7 Pages

Its Oscar night 1992 and The Silence of the Lambs has become one of the few films to have won the ‘top’ five awards: Best Actress for Jodie Foster, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, Best Picture for producers Ron Bozman, Edward Saxon and Kenneth Utt, Best Adapted Screenplay for Ted Tally and Best Director for Jonathan Demme. Proven to be a successful independent-minded filmmaker, Demme is one of those rare professionals in the film industry able to use his talents to create distinguishable movies within Hollywood customs. His ability to invest in characters with extraordinary depth and humanity has turned him into a multiple award-winning director. Demme is known for his courageous means of approaching controversial subject matters in films and simultaneously creating engaging plots for his …show more content…

In recent years woman’s film has drifted from this concept to female friendship or romance, however, Silence disregards both ideologies and specifically centres a woman in jeopardy, a mission and her struggle in a genre such as horror and crime where woman’s danger is continuously being gestured through sexual means, The Silence of the Lambs evades eroticised violence. Rather, the audience follows Starling’s struggle to determine her identity and move on from her past as her character develops throughout. Transformation plays a key role within Starling’s character and the film itself. The Silence of the Lambs has previously been compared to criminal heroic masculine films such as Seven (US, David Fincher, 1995) unlike these, it fully establishes the fascinating role of the female investigator and her transformation through the overcoming of obstacles that differ from those confronted by her male equivalents. The most essential of these is establishing her abilities and validity as a woman in a male dominated society, as Starling undoubtedly

Show More
Related
539 Words | 3 Pages

In every relationship there is always an unequal relationship with the significant other. In the short story The Chaser by John Collier, Alan Austen who’s the main character in the short story goes to an old man to buy a love potion so this girl named Diana would fall in love with him. The basic principle states that men and women have a relationship that is unequal or oppressive. In the short story “The Chaser”, it shows feminist criticism by feeling unconfident, buying a love potion, and Diana’s treatment of Mr. Austen. My first main point of the story that touched on feminism was when Mr. Austen feeling unconfident.

Read More
257 Words | 2 Pages

Feminist criminology has been around since the late 1960's and started out centered on speculations brought upon traditional theories of crime. Most traditional theories didn't necessarily ignore women in the criminal justice system yet they generalized crime and what causes a person to turn to crime so that women who commit crimes are overlooked by the generalization. Not only are the numbers skewed when you look at gender in criminal justice offenders but there is also a certain bias in the criminal justice systems workers. In the movie Vera Drake there is a clear example of this when the investigator and the officer come into the movie. While watching you can easily assume that the female officer is treated and thought of much differently

Read More
360 Words | 2 Pages

What is the role of women and crime? A majority of criminology theories do not heavily place women’s stance of crime and, as the emphasis of lawbreaking is focused mainly on men, Feminist theory of crime on the other hand attempts to justify crime and the part of women in society. In the book Criminology Goes to the Movies: Crime Theory and Popular Culture by Nicole Rafter explains crime using multiple alternatives of feminist theory to explain how women in society consider crime based on the societal role of women. in the movie Thelma and Louise, it portrays the struggle of women, as the men in their world overwhelming show their power keeping both the main characters Thelma and Louise under control exhibiting dominance over them. The conflict

Read More
1864 Words | 8 Pages

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a feminist advocates the rights and equality of a woman. Therefore, in Blood Relations by Sharon Pollock, Lizzie Borden, the protagonist defines her role as a feminist to advocate her rights and equality for her independence. Thus, Lizzie Borden wants to gain the property from her father when he passes, to illustrate her independence and take control of her actions. However, since she is a woman, her father does not allow her to take control as he believes that men have the power to impose the rights. Therefore, Lizzie takes actions and advocates her beliefs to prove that she has an equal right for herself.

Read More
823 Words | 4 Pages

The 1996 film Fargo by the Joel and Ethan Coen captivates the rare heroics of a pregnant female officer from Brainerd, Minnesota. The film’s depiction of female heroics is a proponent for empowering women in the film industry. We are always accustomed to seeing men as the primary focus and center of a film and women as the impotent secondary character. Films today should start portraying women as the strong primary character and, a character that’s inspires women to make difference like Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) did. Film is a societal changing platform and The Coen brothers use that to bring some parity in our male dominant society.

Read More
855 Words | 4 Pages

How is control shown and differentiated in both stories based on gender roles and the power dynamics? The Handmaid’s tale portrays the oppression of gender roles by exerting the power dynamics and control within relationships. Such as the oppressive Republic of Gilead taking control over the women and assigning them gender roles like Wives, Handmaids, or Marthas. Conversely, in Hills Like White Elephants, the male American character attempts to manipulate the female character’s decision.

Read More
1687 Words | 7 Pages

It can be contended that varying contemporary texts which have been created for both children and young adults endorse post-feministic values and the importance of adhering to a consumer culture. The text Pink by Lili Wilkinson (2009) can be viewed as promoting post-feminist ideals through the inferences of dialog between characters; specifically, through the protagonist Ava. Additionally, the film Mean Girls (2004) mirrors similar ideologies as Pink which portrays a post-feminist society, revealing issues which individuals face once gender equality has largely been achieved. Both of these texts have been created for a young audience and utilise various narrative strategies to convey their ideological position. Accordingly, this essay will

Read More
981 Words | 4 Pages

In The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the Republic of Gilead actively represses women by forcing them into very narrowly defined, ultra-conservative gender roles. This totalitarian government strips women of all rights and protections, and imposes severe punishments for defiance. Pollution and disease had caused severe infertility in this society, drastically reducing birth rates. In an effort to reverse a drastic population decline, this thoroughly misogynistic and power-hungry regime, takes full control over the human reproductive process. Furthermore, the leadership uses various dehumanizing methods to achieve complete subservience of women to men.

Read More
803 Words | 4 Pages

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS BY JONATHAN DEMME In many ways, ‘The Silence of the lambs’ is different from its predecessors in the Hannibal cannibal novel series. A 1991 horror-thriller movie directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Scott Glenn. In the film, a bright, young FBI Trainee Clarice Starling is chosen by Jack Crawford of the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit to interview Hannibal Lecter, a former psychiatrist and the cannibalistic serial killer whose insight leads to the pursuit of the serial killer named ‘Buffalo Bill’, who skins his female victim corpses. Compared to its immediate predecessor ‘Manhunter’ of 1986 movie, ‘silence’ is very much a skillful adaptation and brilliant execution of the plot taking an advanced step from the ‘Manhunter’.

Read More
1237 Words | 5 Pages

Lamb to the Slaughter is an action packed short story about a wife who is let down by her husband and proceeds to kill him as an act of revenge. Obviously much more happens in this story consisting of humour, action, mystery and irony. Roald Dahl is a master of writing short stories in ways that attract readers, draw them into what is happening through using literary elements and universal themes to make the story relatable to the readers. In this story the main literary elements were foreshadowing, situation and dramatic irony, imagery and symbolism which really drew me in and kept me attached to the story. Literary elements are what make a story powerful and attracts readers to continue reading in the story and in this story they highlight the universal theme of Revenge and Betrayal.

Read More
467 Words | 2 Pages

The story “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl takes place in and the time is around 5:00 pm. Mary Maloney is a devoted wife to her husband Patrick Maloney. But one day Patrick Maloney comes home and acts in an unusual way. He tells Mary Maloney he wants to leave her. Sp Mary Maloney hits Patrick Maloney on the head with a lamb and kills him.

Read More
1349 Words | 6 Pages

How does Henrik Ibsen use characterisation to criticise the patriarchal society of the time? How does Henrik Ibsen use the progressive characterisation of Nora to criticise the patriarchal society of the time? Intro Henrik Ibsen’s

Read More
450 Words | 2 Pages

In comparison, females were significantly limited in their ability to access political or patriarchal authority, as embodied by Lady Macbeth. During the Elizabethan era, it was customary for females to hold supportive and domestic roles as wives and hostesses. At first glance Lady Macbeth satisfies this norm. However, upon learning of the witches’ prophecies, Lady Macbeth ambitiously devises a plan in a lead to access the power she is denied her traditional gender role. Lady Macbeth desire is to wield influence as Queen of Scotland.

Read More
779 Words | 4 Pages

The novel Pride and Prejudice can easily be picked apart through a feminist lens. The farther into the book one goes, the more there is to critique and analyze through a feminist lens. The book is about Elizabeth Bennet and her relationship with her eventual fiance Mr. Darcy, the ups and the downs of their relationship. Elizabeth was never a woman who only craved the attention and approval of men, she was her own person with her own complex emotions.

Read More
878 Words | 4 Pages

Feminist Theory In Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”, they recognize the life of the Igbos which are a tribe in the village of Umuofia during European colonization. There are many topics brought up in this book like the effects of colonization, culture and tradition, religion, race, etc. It is relatively easy to read “Things Fall Apart” as an anti-feminist text due to the face that the Igbo clan’s customs and traditions seem to side towards masculine features, such as power and strength. The novel is told through a male protagonist’s point of view in nineteenth century Nigeria, while women there do not have much rights, they do wield heavy influence over the leaders of the clan.

Read More

More about The Silence Of The Lambs Feminist Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document