rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States; 1991
Directed by Jonathan Demme; produced by Edward Saxon, Kenneth Utt; screenplay by Ted Tally
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald
The introduction of Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter, once a brilliant psychiatrist, belongs to the creepiest moments in movie history. Standing there, as still as possible, behind glass, he almost seems like a perfect human being. Even his speech seems to imply that. The character is one of the most memorable from any movie; the film belongs to the best from the 1990s.
He is visited by Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). She, a young woman who is almost an FBI-agent, is send by her boss Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn). He thinks Lecter will know more about serial killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), who skins his young female victims. Lecter used to eat his (the "Cannibal" part kind of makes this a useless remark). Since Lecter is quite intelligent, Crawford uses Clarice without her knowledge so she can not give herself away to him. Of course Lecter finds out, but decides to help Clarice with the case anyway. She has to tell him personal things in return.
The film works on multiple levels, the suspense being the most obvious one. But this so much more than a thriller. What we see is a woman trapped in a world with men, manipulating and misleading her all the time. Not just the two serial killers toy with her, but her boss and the head of the institution where Lecter is held, Dr. Chilton (Anthony Heald), all try to use her for their own advantage. The psychological relationship between Clarice and most of the men (sometimes a room full of them) is at least as interesting as the more simple thriller elements. The strange relationship between Clarice and Lecter in particular, shown in their meetings on different locations, carries the film.
Over the years the thrillers with a little more depth have proven to be most effective and best remembered. Roman Polanski already proved this with 'Repulsion' and 'Rosemary's Baby', more recently David Fincher showed it with 'Seven'. The characters are not just pawns in a plot, but they have real emotions and act on them.