31 Days of Horror: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

For me, there are films that I hold to be the rule by which I measure other movies. Silence of the Lambs is one of those by which I measure. This movie fascinates me like no other.

Johnathan Demme picks the story up without creating a history for our characters. In essence, Demme is asking for trust--why do we do that--when the opening sequences reflect a newbie FBI agent played by Jodie Foster with a terrible accent?

'Buffalo Bill' is genuinely creepy with his serial killing ways. The guys is skinning woman--to make a suit!! It's a solid storyline, but Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling's chemistry is what is so riveting. Like predator and prey, cat and mouse, master and apprentice, Dr. Lecter (stunning Anthony Hopkins) and Agent Starling engage in a battle of the minds. Through the interviews, Demme allows us to know each character and their respective ticks.

Dr. Lecter, an insane genius, is evil but not in the Michael Myers way. He is smart evil--diabolical evil, a master manipulator. Sir Anthony Hopkins is stunning in his performance. From the gleam of his eye to the tone of his voice, Hopkins can make your skin crawl. Although is hardly in the film, it is his Hannibal Lecter that is most memorable.

Jodie Foster is a surprising fit as Starling. The vulnerability and inexperience of Starling is well-played.

Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill is equally as disturbing as Lecter. The warning lights go off as soon as he opens the door. His creepy dance in the basement is truly demented.

Demme heights the tension with focus on settings and details. The pacing is perfect as he builds to memorable scenes including the peeled off face, the dead policeman/angel and Starling's one-handed grope through darkness. Further adding to atmosphere is composer Howard Shore with his exquisite soundtrack. Also of note, Dr. Lecter would be nothing without brilliant source material from author Thomas Harris.

The Silence of the Lambs is absolutely brilliant in its delivery. Beautifully wrought characters that ooze evil, eloquent dialogue, unspeakable crimes and chemistry between our leads are reasons enough to revisit Dr. Lecter.