Rewind Back to 1991: A Look Back at the Still Chilling “The Silence of the Lambs” (35th anniversary)

If you are a fan of some classic films, then I highly suggest you check out the Dietrich Theater's website since the theater will be showing some films that are celebrating some big milestones. And, I plan on checking most of them (if not all) for my new Rewind Series. The first classic that will be showing at the Dietrich Theater coming up is the 1991 classic film “The Silence of the Lambs” - 35th anniversary.

Clarice Starling is one of the top students at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various actors of murder and cannibalism.

Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a current case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

Critics and audiences (and myself) widely consider the 1991 classic “The Silence of the Lambs” to be a masterpiece of suspense and is well known for its intense psychological horror, incredible acting and some unsettling moments. And, of course, Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of Lecter is truly iconic and still absolutely chilling. 

One aspect of the film that I thought is still really great is the film’s use of intense psychological terror over excessive gore, relying on masterful suspense, some really intense acting and a chilling atmosphere. Now, while there are moments that do feature some blood, it’s not nearly as much as you may think.

Viewers can easily still be captivated by the intense psychological sparring, intellectual

chemistry and immense tension in all of the Starling-Lecter moments. The key draws in these moments include Hopkins’ chilling, yet brilliant Oscar-winning performance as the menacing Lecter, and Foster’s portrayal of a vulnerable, yet determined Starling (who also received an Oscar).

Their scenes together aren’t just horror, but really psychological with Lecter going into Starling’s past trauma while she tries to use him to catch another killer, Buffalo Bill. Even though their performances helped make these scenes truly captivating, the camera work also helped out as well.

The filming of their meetings used conventional close ups. The camera often placed the audience exactly where Starling stood, receiving Lecter’s gaze, which creates a deeply intimate and terrifying viewing experience. Despite their roles as hunter and monster, the audience can still be hooked by the respectful, yet deeply dangerous, rapport that developed between them.

“The Silence of the Lambs” also features some iconic, memorable scenes that cinema lovers will always remember. Some of them include Lecter and Starling’s initial meeting, the film’s intense climax between Starling and Buffalo Bill, Starling finally telling Lecter a personal story from her past, and of course, “It rubs the lotion on its skin” and “fava beans and a nice chianti.”

Another iconic moment I want to talk about before wrapping this up is Lecter’s escape. His escape is a cinematic masterpiece of tension, where Lecter transforms his temporary Memphis holding cell into a brutal, calculated trap. In a chilling and iconic image in the aftermath is Lecter calmly listening to Bach’s “Aria da Capo,” completely composed and at peace - a truly chilling moment.

“The Silence of the Lambs” is overwhelmingly regarded as a masterpiece of psychological horror and a landmark in cinema history. Critics and audiences praise its masterful suspense, tight directing, and iconic performances by Hopkins and Foster. It was both a massive commercial success and the first horror film to win the “Big Five” at the Academy Awards.

MPA: Rated R   (runtime 2 hours)

Initial release date: February 14, 1991

Streaming services: Amazon Prime Video/AMC+/Philo/SlingTV/various PVOD services

“The Silence of the Lambs” will be showing at the Dietrich Theater Sunday April 26 at 4 pm and Wednesday April 29 at 7 pm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZIsoqmrBqw

• (at around 17 mins) Jodie Foster claims that during the first meeting between Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, Sir Anthony Hopkins' mocking of her southern accent was improvised on the spot. Foster's horrified reaction was genuine since she felt personally attacked. She later thanked Hopkins for generating such an honest reaction.

• After Lecter was moved from Baltimore, the plan was to dress him in a yellow or orange jumpsuit. Sir Anthony Hopkins convinced director Jonathan Demme and costume designer Colleen Atwood that the character would seem more clinical and unsettling if he was dressed in pure white. Hopkins has since said he got the idea from his fear of dentists.

• In preparation for his role, Sir Anthony Hopkins studied files of serial killers. Also, he visited prisons, and studied convicted murderers, and was present during some court hearings concerning gruesome murderers and serial killings.

• The real-life FBI's Behavioral Science Unit assisted in the making of this movie.

• Sir Anthony Hopkins viewed the film as a last ditch effort to really break out in Hollywood. Although he had acted in movies and on television since the 1960s, he had not reached A-list status, nor had he attained the prestige for which he had been hoping with his screen acting career. He went on to say that if the film hadn't garnered the career boost he was seeking, he would have then quit his acting career in Hollywood and focus all his efforts instead on the British stage. Ultimately, the film was a major critical and commercial success, instantly making him a household name. His performance in the film earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, which he won, immediately launching him into A-list status in Hollywood. As of 2025, he has received six Academy Award nominations, winning twice.

• Notoriously private and shy author Thomas Harris declined the opportunity to be involved in this movie in any way, though he did wish the cast and crew the best of luck with the adaptation.

• Gene Hackman bought the rights to the novel. He planned to direct this movie, and play either Dr. Hannibal Lecter or Jack Crawford. He withdrew after watching a clip of himself in Mississippi Burning (1988) at The 61st Annual Academy Awards (1989), which made him uneasy about taking more violent roles.

• When Sir Anthony Hopkins's agent called him in London, to tell him that he was sending him a script called "The Silence of the Lambs," Hopkins immediately thought he might be going up for a children's movie.

• Selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in December 2011, as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

• The portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter is rated as the number one villain on the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains list.

• Dino De Laurentiis, who had produced Manhunter (1986), passed on this movie because Manhunter (1986) had flopped. He gave the rights away to Orion Pictures for free . He then went on to co-produce Hannibal (2001) and Red Dragon (2002).