The Silence Of The Lambs [VHS] [1991]

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is a trainee at the FBI academy who is put on a the 'Buffalo Bill' (Ted Levine) case. Eager for a lead, she seeks the help of serial killer Dr Hanibal 'the cannibal' Lecter, but in return, he demands the right to penetrate her most horrific memories, creating a wierd kind of intermacy between them.

Although this film is supposed to be a horror, its not really that scary as such (apart from the bit at the end where 'Buffalo' Bill is chasing Clarice in the dark basement), but some parts of it are pretty intense and two of these intantly spring to mind. The part where the dead is brought in for an autopsy, and the part where Lecter manages to break out of jail. The latter is extreamly violent and bloodthirsty, and will leave you gripping the seat. There are parts in this movie, like the two i have just described, that really make you want to hide behind the sofa, but there is somthing about it which keeps you frozen in your seat, like an invisible force field. I can't really describe it that well but if you have watched this film then you will know what i mean.

Overall, the acting is pretty amazing really. Jodie Foster was probably the best we have ever seen her, and Anthony Hopkins was absolutely extraordinary as the evil Hanibal Lecter, and it was probably his performance which got the film its five academy awards. 'Buffalo' Bill was just plain disturbing, but Ted Levine managed to make him better than he could have been.

So, as you can see this is a spectacular film all round and when you watch it you will see exactly why it has won so many awards and has become so popular throughout the film world.

A serial killer known as Buffalo Bill has been killing young women and keeping pieces of their skin. To get a profile of the killer, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a bright and ambitious FBI agent-in-training, is sent to see Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) a former psychiatrist who is now locked-up and nicknamed Hannibal the Cannibal. Starling is told not to answer any personal questions, but when another woman disappears she is forced to please Lecter's weird desires because he knows exactly who the killer is and why he's done what he's done.

What's strange is that Lecter, as sick and evil as he is, becomes a partner to Starling. So, that means I had to root for him to a certain extent, but that's not difficult because he does have a lot of character. He could have made a great politician or a teacher had he not been such a psycho. This is one of the most complex characters in cinema. Hopkins is mesmerizing in the role and deserved his Academy Award.

The psyche of serial killers has been something we've wanted to understand for a long time, and here we catch a glimpse. Fictional or not, it's fascinating. It's also disturbing, but that's good because since there were times where I found Lechter likeable I needed to be reminded why he was so evil. Lecter and Buffalo Bill were both killers one just had more charm. Both create a tense-filled and sometimes scary movie that leaves an impact on all who see it. It's a mature thriller that delivers the goods and one of the best films of the year.