Evaluation of The Silence Of The Lambs

Evaluation of The Silence Of The Lambs

The film which I am evaluating is called "The Silence of the Lambs"

and is based on Thomas Harris' novel and is directed by Jonathan

Demme. The film was shot in Pittsburgh and is set in West Virginia. In

the making of this film careful research was carried out in bringing

each character to life especially Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb. This

included the actors being at crime scenes and viewing files about

previous serial killers in order to fit into their characters

properly. Jonathan Demme cleverly blended together different

characteristics from other mass murderers in order to make Buffalo

Bill realistic and fearsome. In the film "Psycho" Norman Bates uses

mirrors to see himself. A hallmark used in the film by Buffalo Bill.

Ted Bundy another well known serial killer who used charm and wit to

gain women's trust and sympathy before abducting them, another trait

which is used in the film when he claims to have a broken arm whilst

struggling to put his settee in his van and a woman passer-by helps

him then gets bundled in to the back of his van before being

slaughtered. Finally, Demme used Gary Michael Heidnik characteristics

of how he kidnapped women and tortured them in his basement. This is

also used in the film when Buffalo Bill puts a woman down a shaft in

his lair.

From the very moment when they started filming, this film had

realistic content and enough shocking and powerful images to make it a

highly controversial thriller. "Silence of the lambs" is about a

psychopath known as Buffalo Bill who was capturing and murdering young

women in a vicious scenario of this evil brute's mind games. Th...

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... The fact that you know he can't get

to Clarice but he is still frightening from behind the glass builds up

suspense and tension as it shows how scary and threatening he is. The

close up shot also made it look like he was looking straight at me

from the audience and as though he could get out of his cell.

I think overall the suspense and tension is built up very well

throughout the film and is cleverly put across in different ways

through their symbolic characters. I think this is the best thriller I

have ever seen as it has a sense of realism about it without being too

unbelievable and because the actors fit into their roles so well it

only adds to the story. Clarice Starling's character is a work of a

genius and how they risked using a woman as the more dominant

character in the film really makes it so much better.