Don’t try to hide it, you know you want to watch it
There are few movies in this world that will send a large amount of chills up your spine like Silence of the Lambs. Based on a novel by Thomas Harris, the story surrounds a young and upcoming FBI agent named Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), who has been assigned the Buffalo Bill murders case. She’ll need more than her wits to solve it though, she’ll need to turn to a mass murderer named Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to figure out what type of person Bill is and how to find him. Time is of the essence as well because the last woman supposedly kidnapped by Bill is still alive (or so the FBI think). Solving Hannibal’s riddles, while trying to develop her FBI skill is going to serve as quite a task for agent Starling.
This movie was released in 1991. I’m not completely sure people saw it coming, but it certainly did cause quite a stir. Hopkins, who was generally known for more prestigious roles at the time (especially in theater) took on the persona of a very crazy, very manipulative character in Dr. Hannibal Lecter and seemed to pull it off with great ease. He brought a new layer of terror to films, as his sincere english attitude was only has developed as his hunger for blood and human flesh. See the terrible balance here? That’s what made his character so interesting because as an audience you could really fall in love with his intelligence, but during the last scene we are quickly reminded visually how terrifying he truly is. Credit all of this to Anthony Hopkins style of acting as it can turn on a dime if he wants it to. Let’s not forget Jodie Foster’s Agent Clarice Starling. Really out of the lime-light of mainstream films prior to this Silence of the Lambs (Freaky Friday was her last film that really hit a homerun, I believe), she brings a very raw rookie personality to the situation. We as an audience grow with agent Starling as she continues to uncover the case of Buffalo Bill. She progresses from shy agent to determined agent, while ending the film on a very strong upswing. So, to say the least, the two strongest characters in the film really are well-developed.
As for the content, well if you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Silence of the Lambs it’s important to have two things already in place: 1. The lights on. 2. Someone in the room with you. If you don’t have those two things, you’re in for a very sleepless night. The movie itself really doesn’t pull any punches. You see a very violent, maniacal serial-killer in Buffalo Bill, who certainly has his own issues (wearing/sewing women’s skin together is a bit of an issue). You also get to see an extremely violent climax to Hopkins’ character, which is both terrifying and clever at the same time. Of course, the scene that most people really recall is the horrifying moment where Clarice is in the pitch black and Bill is wearing night vision goggles and is just screwing with her in a house basement. Enjoy those scenes.
It might be silent, but the Blu-ray says a lot
The transfer from film to HD was a complete upgrade for this film. Everything from the eery psycho ward to the rough, moldy, dirty basement of Bill, you will be hard-pressed to be anything less than impressed with the visuals. They are simply terrifyingly gorgeous. As for the audio, it’s just as good as the video. You get great moments of suspense in a remastered DTS-HD format (5.1). Sounds even better in 7.1. Everything you would expect from the Blu-ray is intact, which makes it worth your time and money.
Now as of the features, here’s what you’re looking at:
– Breaking the Silence (new documentary, which is quite insightful from the actors who participated)
– Understanding the Madne
– Inside the Labyrinth
– The Silence of the Lambs: From Page to Screen
– Scoring the Silence
– Original 1991 Making of Featurette
– Deleted Scenes
– Anthony Hopkins Phone Message
– Outtakes Reel
– TV Spots, Teaser and Theatrical Trailer
The set of features here are good, especially the new one. The outtakes are awkward, because it’s such a serious movie and it’s tough to get in that mindset of laughing at it. There are some good things here, but the new documentary is probably the strongest. Very interesting material and it’s overall good. You’ll find plenty here to balance your need for more, so you won’t be disappointed.