The Silence of the Lambs
1991
Director – Jonathan Demme
Writer – Thomas Harris
Cinematographer – Tak Fujimoto
Jodie Foster – Clarice Starling
Anthony Hopkins – Dr. Hannibal Lecter AKA Hannibal the Cannibal
Scott Glenn – Jack Crawford
Ted Levine – Jame Gumb AKA Buffalo Bill
Theme can be defined as “a central insight.” According to the authors of The Art of Watching Films, a theme in a literary work or film should be universal and should be one that challenges people (Boggs & Petric, 2008). The Silence of the Lambs shows that peoples’ search for peace is universal. We see characters from all walks of life searching for peace. There is Clarice Starling, an FBI agent in training, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant
…show more content…
You think if Catherine lives, you won't wake up in the dark ever again to that awful screaming of the lambs”(Demme, 1991). Clarice claims she doesn’t know and it is possible she truly doesn’t, but we can see in her face that wants it to be true. We see the pain in her face and her desire to be released from the screaming and find peace. Director Jonathan Demme lets us connect with the characters by shattering the fourth wall. He positions the camera so Clarice is essentially talking to the audience in extreme close up shots. This technique instills her anguish into the audience. Clarice then becomes more demanding, asking for the killer’s name but before Hannibal can answer Dr. Frederick Chilton informs her it’s time to go. She is nearly dragged out of the room, but breaks free to run back to Hannibal’s cage and retrieve her case files. The visual style up to this point in the scene has been dark, but when Clarice rushes to the cage, there is light illuminating Hannibal. Clarice running towards this light represents her search for peace. She is hoping the clues left by Dr. Lecter in the case files will enable her to catch the killer, save the kidnapped girl, and stop the lambs from screaming.
The Silence of the Lambs is traditionally considered a horror film. However, it is more than that. It is a great reference to sociology because it touches on so many topics important to people (Kim, 2010). Throughout the movie we
A theme is a unifying or dominant idea in a literary work. Steinbeck described the competition of good versus evil as the story of mankind itself. He believes that every generation to come since Adam and Eve will now be immersed with the struggle of good and evil due to Eve’s curiosity that led to sin, eventually banning both her and Adam from the Garden of Eden. In East of Eden, Steinbeck makes the contest of good versus evil apparent through his contrasting description of the setting, the characters’ opposing personalities, and society’s changing morals.
Theme is the message of the story that the author wants the reader to take away from the story. In the short story “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto. The theme is don’t pretend to be someone you are not. For example, Mr.Bueller remembers his story about how he tried to impress his girlfriend by renting different cars every time they had a date. This led to him to running out of money. He pretended to be someone he was not. Victor also tried to be someone he was not by pretending to know how to speak French fluently to impress his crush, Teresa. Luckily, no one pointed out that VIctor didn’t know French, so he wasn’t embarrassed in front of the whole class, including Teresa.
The theme is the subject of the essay and it helps the reader to get the full understanding about the message or a big idea. “School of Hate” by Sabrina Rubin Erdely and “18 Tigers, 17 Lions, 8 Bears, 3 Cougars, 2 Wolves, 1 Baboon, 1 Macaque, and 1 Man Dead in Ohio” by Chris Heath have one similar theme and it is isolation because they both experienced as the outcasts and it was hard for them to getting along with the society. Erdely developed the theme by showing the experiences of a girl in the middle school. The author made the
Theme is the subject of talk, a topic, or morals that the author is trying to get across to the readers. When reading an excerpt, the theme is not directly stated in the text, so you must dig deeper into the context to understand the morals the author is trying to portray. In both Angela's Ashes and The Street, we can detect a similar theme of struggling to get through life’s obstacles. When reading the two different stories, we can further pick out the theme by using character, events, and the setting.
Possible Themes: (Identify five possible themes for discussion). Theme is a central message or insight into life revealed by literary work.
A universal theme is an element or theme in which all souls and humanity can connect and relate to. This element is a basic truth of life, something that all humans have in common. In the science-fiction novel, Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, the universal theme is determination against all odds, sacrificing for the greater good, and battling internal conflict.
To find theme you first want to think of the plot and think about how characters treat each other. If they treat others with kindness (like in Wonder) you could have “ kindness maybe the answer
Theme is an essential part in any story and can help contribute to a better understanding of what the person is reading. Many books consist of more than one theme. Theme tends to capture the central idea of what the story is about. Usually a theme or a theme statement is condensed into a word or sentence. "The Inheritor”," The Possibility of Evil", and "Harrison Bergeron" all have a central idea or theme within them.
In the short story Roald Dahl composed, Lamb to the Slaughter, Dahl indulges readers with cynical yet enticing characters. Patrick Maloney returns home to his pregnant and loving wife Mary to announce his withdrawal from their relationship. This sudden epiphany transforms Mary from the loving and calm wife into a corrupt and immoral killer. This sudden and psychotic transformation is all expressed through Mary’s thoughts, words, and actions. The introduction of the story portrays a scene where Mary is sitting on her chair and sowing contently.
In “Silence of the Lambs”, Jonathan Demme States that Clarice working for the FBI’s and hunting for a serial killer. For example, Clarice basically confronting her deepest fear and that she should be supported condemned psychopathic serial killer Dr. Hannibal 'the Cannibal' Lechter, a horrific brilliant counselor, who can lead her to the murderer. Clarice was convincing Hannibal to make her questioning about undermine and being dull tried to see if he was trying to insult. When he was being question by this situation he looked through the problem and amused about the question he is getting ask. “You think you can dissect me with this blunt little tool” saying that her emotion was getting hurt that they he was manipulate her. For instance, my
Theme is “an idea, issue, or concept that a writer wants to express through a story; a message or meaning that the audience is meant to take away from a movie” (Goodykoontz 2014). In most movies, there is usually multiple themes used, but they are not always easy to notice, and deciding which one is used is up to the viewer. Depending on the person watching the movie, there may be many different ideas on what exactly the main theme is. Each person involved in the creation of a film, such as the screenwriter, director, editor, and actors all have personal thoughts on what the theme should be, but it is usually the director’s theme that is most important. He or she will create the film Based on his or her vision, including what he or she believes
Silence of the lambs is the second book of a trilogy of novels written by Thomas Harris primarily featuring the character Hannibal Lecter. All 3 novels have been adapted as movies, the silence of the lambs being the most famous and critic acclaimed adaptation of the series. His novels also influenced the creation of the TV show Hannibal. It is fascinating to see the multiple differences and similarities between the novels and their adaptations, primarily Silence of the lambs. We notice that the endings of both versions are very distinct, while some events take place only in their own versions and the story progression is different in each rendition.
The Movie The Silence of the Lambs is about a young FBI agent named Clarice Starling starring Jodie Foster, who is assigned to help find the missing daughter of a Tennessee Senator and save the daughter from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims. Starling tries to acquire a better perception into the depraved mind of the killer “Buffalo Bill” by talking to another psychopath named Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, who used to be a great psychiatrist. Sterling’s boss, FBI agent Jack Crawford thinks that Lecter, who is also a very powerful and intelligent mind manipulator, has the solutions to their questions and can help locate the killer “Buffalo Bill”. Initially, Clarice must first gain Lecter's confidence before he
“The theme of a story is the aspect of the ‘human dilemma’ that it will explore. Betrayal, loyalty, self-worth, ambition, jealousy, hypocrisy, obsession, alienation — these are all valid themes that could explore. Note that there are no verbs involved, no value judgements inherent in potential themes. Something like “love conquers all” or “jealousy destroys from the inside” is a value-charged thesis rather than a theme.” – David Howard, author of How to Build a Great Screenplay: A Master Class in Storytelling for Film.
Themes are found in stories, novels, books, and magazines around the world. The dictionary states that the definition of a theme can be the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person’s thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic. Sometimes, in order to find the topic of a specific writing, looking deeper into the story is necessary. However, other times, the theme is as clear as day.