The Silence of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Ted Tally, adapted from Thomas Harris's 1988 novel of the same name. It stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee who is hunting a serial killer named "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine), who skins his female victims. To catch him, she seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. The film also features performances from Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, and Kasi Lemmons. The Silence of the Lambs was released on February 14, 1991, and grossed $272.7 million worldwide on a $19 million budget, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 1991 worldwide. It premiered at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Bear, while Demme received the Silver Bear for Best Director. It became the third and most recent film (the other two being 1934's It Happened One Night and 1975's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) to win Academy Awards in all the major five categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was the first (and to date only) horror film to win Best Picture. The Silence of the Lambs is regularly cited by critics, film directors, and audiences as one of the greatest and most influential films. In 2018, Empire ranked it 48th on their list of the 500 greatest movies of all time. The American Film Institute ranked it the sixty-fifth greatest film in American cinema, as well as the fifth-greatest and most influential thriller film, while Starling and Lecter were ranked among the greatest film heroines and villains. The film is considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant by the U.S. Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2011. A sequel, Hannibal, was released in 2001, followed by two prequel films, Red Dragon (2002) and Hannibal Rising (2007).
Did you nurse Catherine yourself? -What? -Did you breast-feed her? -Now, wait a minute! -Yes, I did. -Toughened your nipples, didn't it? -You son of a bitch! Amputate a man's leg, and he can still feel it tickling. Tell me, Mom, when your little girl is on the slab, where will it tickle you? Take this thing back to Baltimore.
The Silence of the Lambs
Five-foot-ten, strongly built, about 180 pounds. Hair, blond. Eyes, pale blue. He'd be about 35 now. He said he lived in Philadelphia, but may have lied. That's all I can remember, Mom. But if I think of any more, I will let you know. Oh, and, Senator, just one more thing. Love your suit.
The Silence of the Lambs
I tell you now that in a meeting earlier this evening with Senator Ruth Martin, Dr. Lecter agreed to assist in the investigation of trying to find the abductor of Catherine Martin, Buffalo Bill. How do you fit in, sir? Well, it's only through my own unique insight into Lecter's mind that this breakthrough was possible. And Buffalo Bill's real name... Buffalo Bill's real name is now a matter of record with the proper authorities. -Can you give us any more information? -My name is Dr. Frederick Chilton. -How do you spell that? -C-H...
The Silence of the Lambs