Similar Products (Task Two) - 'Why does Silence of the Lambs belong in the thriller genre?'

The Silence of the Lambs is based on the book written by Thomas Harris; it was then adapted into a screenplay by Ted Tally and directed by Jonathan Demme. The film is a hybrid genre of both crime and a psychological thriller. The story is about a young FBI cadet who is sent to study an incarcerated and manipulative killer. She uses his almost inhuman ability to read into people’s psychological layout as a former psychiatrist to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. Silence of the Lambs fits into the psychological thriller genre for the many conventions it has, for example: 

·         A complex storyline which has many twists in the plot

·         A troubled as well as professional protagonist who is often portrayed as lonely

·         A more realistic story than genres such as horror

·         A psychological issue (in this case the characters of Hannibal and Buffalo Bill- who force police to think like them in order to solve the case)

·         A story based on fiction.

Silence of the Lambs is complex in many ways; the audience is made to interpret what they see. For example who is the villain? Buffalo Bill is the one being hunted for yet Lecter seems most dangerous, however Lecter is helping solve the case. This is not what usual thriller films focus on or aims to do with characters. The plot is based around trying to find the serial killer ‘Buffalo Bill’, the reason why Hannibal became involved in the first place, however Buffalo Bill isn’t a major character in the film, the frustration that the FBI can’t find him is more key than his actual presence, this is shown by the fact that everything we have found out about Buffalo Bill is from Lecter.

In many ways Silence of the Lambs does not fit in to the thriller genre as it breaks many conventions. One convention of a thriller would be that the villain would be powerful, is Lecter powerful? He is in a maximum security asylum and is not allowed human contact, but it could be argued his psychological ability is extremely powerful, this shows unlike a conventional thriller where characters would fear what villains are doing (for example the Joker in the Dark Knight causing chaos), the characters fear what he is capable of.

Lighting is also naturalistic to the settings, low key lighting is usually conventional to the thriller genre but the reasonably light atmosphere of silence of the lambs again shows it is more realistic than perhaps other thrillers would aim at; it also makes it look more like a film in the crime or drama genres. The area in which the film is set is not in a built up area, not much is revealed about the setting, which is unusual for a thriller.

 A major convention in which the film has broken is the fact that the hero is female. This is extremely important for the story, Hannibal Lecter only speaks to her because she is a female- he wouldn’t talk to anyone else, it also calls into the story the sexual politics of Clarice being in a man’s world, for example at the autopsy of one of Buffalo Bill's victims she is stripped of her position and rank due to the macho police around and a comment make by Crawford.

Stereotypes are often used to conform to conventions of certain genres in films, however Lecter is an example of a villain with few conventional characteristics, for example he is gracious yet monstrous, this is what makes the film so ground breaking, not only the amazing acting of Antony Hopkins but the fact that as an audience we feel Hannibal Lecter getting into our minds at the same time. Clarice is the obvious hero and Hannibal Lecter is (arguably) a villain, however they are not enemies, in fact it could be suggested they created a very complex relationship. At the end of the film it is clear they have had a profound impact on one another’s lives.

Another convention Silence of the Lambs breaks is the lack of suspense, the film is constantly moving this is proven by the fact that not once do we see Clarice at home, she is always working, this shows that suspense has been replaced with a fast and lively pace- which again makes the film more realistic than most other thrillers. There are no sudden shocks in the film, this has been done using “deceptive cutting” by the director, meaning that things are hinted at and suggested rather than being suddenly shown. There are no stunts, no car crashes, no traditional chases etc. but it is still kept at a high pace due to how it was put together.

There is no overt romance in the film, which is extremely unusual for any thriller as the protagonist may have a lost love or encounter a new romance to spur the plot and motives, however there no suggestion of love from any of the characters, this keeps the film objective to its psychological objectives and doesn’t deter the story or the character profiles, it could be argued however that Clarice and Lecter have an ‘intimately psychological’ connection.

In conclusion, I feel Silence of the Lambs still has a firm place in the psychological thriller genre; it is unconventional in many areas and aspects and different in the way characters are presented and how action is carried out, but the story is most certainly that of a psychological thriller. Although there aren’t moments of shock there are moments of tension, for example when Clarice enters the derelict self-storage garage, when Hannibal escapes, and when Buffalo Bill is following Clarice with the night vision goggles and she is unaware he is there. The film suggests moments of danger, for example when Clarice gets closer than she is supposed to with Lecter. The Silence of the Lambs is a perfect example of a film that fits into a genre whilst expanding and breaking conventions.

The Silence of the Lambs is a materpiece of modern cinema and an iconic thriller, creating the kind of characters that have never been created before in any other film. The ending is ominous- a common characteristic of a thriller, however the protagonist usually catches the villain, in the end, Hannibal is free.