The Silence Of The Lambs

Many horror films provide their audiences with scares and screams.  Not many viewers follow what kind of model the films follow to appease their viewers.  However, after reading film theorist Carol Clover’s essay, watching one of the films she associates in the novel “Halloween”, and also watching the movie “Nightmare on Elm Street” I say almost every “slasher” or horror film follows a model similar to Clover’s.  The model that is a female is featured as a primary character and that the female tends to always overcome a situation at some point throughout the film to become victorious.

Since it’s infancy at the beginning of the eighteenth century, horror has followed certain conventions that results in an awakening of the senses, evoking intense emotions of fear and terror in the audience. Horror feeds off triggering the primal fears embedded within all of humankind, creating a sense of menace that is the very substance of this genre. Furthermore, the central menace of a piece tends to enlighten the human mind to the world of the paranormal and the enigmatic, dark side of the unknown. The movie “Psycho” directed by Alfred Hitchcock is a perfect example. Infamous for its shower scene, but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre, “Psycho” was filmed with great tact, grace and art in regards to horror conventions.

In his 1988 novel, The Silence of the Lambs, author Thomas Harris had serial killer ‘Buffalo Bill’ place the pupae of a Black Witch moth in the mouths of his victims.

Everyone loves to watch a good horror film. Whether the effects in the movie are really gory or extremely unsettling, these nail-biting experiences are what give the audience a thrill as they try to peel their eyes away from the screen. The concept of these movies is to give the viewers a good scare, one that will have them glancing over their shoulders or double checking if their doors are locked at night for the next week. This genre has been around since the late nineteenth century, but horror movies did not gain much popularity until the 1930s. Modern day horror films have evolved from its beginnings, but the elements in a horror movie are consistent regardless of time.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is a film based on the novel by Thomas Harris, directed by Jonathan Demme. This film is a psychological crime-drama-thriller. Each of the main characters in this film share, in their own ways, a desire for change. The purpose of this paper is to analyze three main character’s roles in the film, and their wish for transformation. Clarice Starling is an FBI academy cadet; Dr. Hannibal Lecter, is a psychiatrist-cannibal serial killer; and Jame Gumb (a.k.a. “Buffalo Bill”) is a tailor-serial killer of women. One other symbol of change in

What do all horror movies include to make the movie terrifying and dark? How to movie producers know what to incorporate when creating a movie that is meant to frighten the audience? Why are some scary movies so horrifying that people turn away frightened of what is to come? In Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde gothic literature is well consolidated to turn the story into one that is eerie. This type of medieval literature is apparent through the conventions, settings, and the story line.

The appreciation for horror and thriller films goes a long way in order to scare their viewers. There is no denying the attraction of being frightened by the many forms that fear takes. This is no different in such movies like The Shining and The Amityville Horror. They carry a familiar presence about them. An alluring presence which makes these motion pictures classic to this day. Even though these films grow in age, they never cease to grab onto the darkest terrors of the human imagination. While, Director Stanley Kubick’s The Shining and Director Stuart Rosenberg's The Amityville Horror both contain themes of renewal , The Shining is superior

Horror movies allow us the experience of intense emotional excitement from the unacceptable actions and their consequences in the films.

Throughout the course of the past 100 years, there have been many horror films made. According to Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein, a professor of social and organizational psychology at the University of Utrecht "People go to horror films because they want to be frightened or they wouldn't do it twice.” What Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein meant by this is that people love horror films and they keep going back to watch them whenever a new horror film comes out is because people love to be frightened. For a film to be classified as a horror film it usually means that someone or multiple people in the film die. This would be an understandable reason why people would not enjoy watching this type of film. One population that would be understandably unwilling to

Scary movies are great because they push boundaries of the believable while sitting on the threshold of our most deep set fears. Where movies such as The Exorcist or The Blair Witch Project have shock value, they also lack depth. Where are the elements that bring these stories their credibility/believability? Some of the best horror movies of all time were science fiction stories that left the audience feeling this could actually happen in their daily lives. Who honestly believes that a ghost is going to come haunt you and your family? What about a widespread disease that is killing off everyone you know, in weeks, that is spread through touch? Schools shut down, the government tries to take over while rebellion among

Horror is designed to scare, cause alarm and dread, while also entertaining the audience at the same time in a cathartic experience (Dirk, 2016). Horror films are meant for a specific type of audience that enjoy scary films. Dirks (Tim, 2016) approach to genre horror, is that films went back as 100 years ago, from the earliest days our vivid imagination in seeing ghosts in the shadows to be connected emotionally of the unknown, and fear things that are improbable. You watch a horror film, it makes you aware of the scary surroundings, the essence of fear itself, without actually being in any sorts of danger. Dirks argues that there is a fun and thrill factor in being frightened, or watching something disturbing. It gives you that feeling of an adrenaline rush, as well as having that feeling someone is actually next to you lurking in the dark (Dirk, 2016).

In the film, young FBI agent in training Clarice Starling, played by actress Jodie Foster, is sent out to discover the identity of a serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill”. After graduating, she aspires to work in the behavioral science unit for Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn). Crawford asks her to interrogate imprisoned serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, commonly referred to as “Hannibal the Cannibal” for eating his victims. Crawford believes that it may take one psychopath to know another one. It is Dr. Lecter 's insight, manipulation, and mystery that leads Starling on the right path while discovering the identity of the killer along with her own identity as well. Crawford believed that Starling would be able to to achieve an emotional response from Dr. Lecter being that she was a female. She was reminded not to let Dr. Lecter in to her head but he would only give information at a cost. He wanted Starling to express herself emotionally and reveal her past through psychoanalysis. By doing this she reveals key motives and backstory within the

The Silence of the lambs (1991) is in doubt a film which demonstrates a well-constructed horror film. The film, ranging with scenes, shots, and frames that were well constructed to be identified as horrific. The films cinematography shifts the films narrative and impacts the film, especially the film’s frames. It seems reasonable to suppose that from the film’s frames and of those of the characters expressions, they shape the film’s genre to be horrifying, psychological, and thrilling and they guide viewers towards where the film’s narrative will lead to. Therefore, even a single or series of frames in the film such as Hannibal Lecter’s evil smile, Buffalo Bill opening the door, Hannibal Lecter standing in his cell, and the dialogue between Agent Starling and Hannibal Lecter, act collectively to represent and symbolize claims about the film.

The term ‘genius’ is associated with an array of diverse connotations. When reviewing the literature, it is vital to note that a specific definition and approach to measure whether or not a person is a genius, is rather complex. Garber, M. (2002) declares “genius” as a special inflation and over time has “become a commodity, an ambition, and even a lifestyle.” The underlying question is: how, and what makes an individual a prodigy? One may argue that completing an intelligence quotient (IQ) test will suffice and determine whether an individual exemplifies genius-like tendencies, as others argue otherwise. There are tendencies and certain behaviours that geniuses exhibit differing them from other individuals who are more or less considered “normal”. Therefore, relationships with geniuses tend to differ as their intelligence and typical demeanor is peculiar. In the film The Silence of the Lambs directed by Jonathan Demme, one of the main characters, Hannibal Lecter portrays unusual behaviour. Based on his questionable character, one may argue that genius-like behaviour is conspicuous; this is seen through his relationships, his intellect, and overall demeanor.

In 1991, Johnathan Demme’s movie, Silence of the Lambs, was the first thriller horror film to win Best Picture for best actor, best actress and numerous other awards The film does a fantastic job of keeping the viewer is a consistent state of fear and invested into the storyline. This film is about the woman advancing her career in a male dominated field because she loves and breathes her job. Characters in this film attempt to manipulate each other in order for their own agenda to succeed. This thriller involves terrifying and inhumane actions that characters such as “Hannibal the Cannibal” and “Buffalo Bill” while the legal officials are working to control and capture them. These characters force the audience to question what it really means