Symbolism In Silence Of The Lambs

Clarice Starling the Feminine Hero Female heroes are always becoming more prevalent in film. From Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz to Katniss in The Hunger Games the density of heroines has only increased. One of the most courageous and head strong of these heroes is Clarice Starling in Jonathan Demme’s Silence of the Lambs. Clarice’s story follows that of the classic hero’s journey without apology. She faces prejudice, her dark past, and two of the most terrifying villains ever created: Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill. Clarice, and FBI trainee, is instantly shown as a fish-out-of-water. All of her first interactions are with men, and one of the most defining shots of the opening of the film is Clarice getting into an elevator filled with men in red shirts. They loom over Clarice, who, by comparison, is small and in grey, showing her passivity compared to the large group of masculinity surrounding her. Throughout the film this fish-out-of-water symbolism is continually used, mostly in shots where Clarice is the only female in the room, the group of men she is surrounded by staring at her. This symbolism shows how she is being routed against and how much she has to prove. The call to adventure occurs early in the film when Clarice is

His prying into her past and personal life distracts her from the case, however, it helps her personal growth in the journey. Not only is Hannibal an important aspect of Clarice’s journey, but he is also having his own. Hannibal’s journey is partially represented by his clothing. We first meet him in blue; he’s subdued, sad, but also bold in words and actions. Then we see him in orange, when he is in between hospitals and trying to reach a compromise with the senator. Lastly we see him in white. He wears this during the killing of the security guards, and it represents his new beginning he is about to have as he