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The Silence of the Lambs

  • 19911991
  • RR
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
1.4M
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
258
15
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer1:49
7 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Thriller

A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.

IMDb RATING
8.6/10
1.4M
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
258
15
  • Director
    • Jonathan Demme
  • Writers
    • Thomas Harris(based on the novel by)
    • Ted Tally(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Jodie Foster
    • Anthony Hopkins
    • Lawrence A. Bonney
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jonathan Demme
  • Writers
    • Thomas Harris(based on the novel by)
    • Ted Tally(screenplay by)
  • Stars
    • Jodie Foster
    • Anthony Hopkins
    • Lawrence A. Bonney
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.5KUser reviews
    • 246Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #22
    • Won 5 Oscars
      • 69 wins & 51 nominations total

    Videos7

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:49
    Official Trailer
    The Silence of the Lambs
    Trailer 1:44
    The Silence of the Lambs
    'The Silence of the Lambs' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:35
    'The Silence of the Lambs' | Anniversary Mashup
    Watch Like a Pro: Giancarlo Esposito's Ultimate Villain Watchlist
    Clip 3:51
    Watch Like a Pro: Giancarlo Esposito's Ultimate Villain Watchlist
    Giancarlo Esposito's Ultimate Villain Watchlist
    Video 3:54
    Giancarlo Esposito's Ultimate Villain Watchlist
    Meet Hannibal
    Video 2:58
    Meet Hannibal
    'Blockers' Movie Emoji Game
    Video 2:05
    'Blockers' Movie Emoji Game

    Photos276

    Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Scott Glenn in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Scott Glenn in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Ted Levine in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jodie Foster
    Jodie Foster
    • Clarice Starlingas Clarice Starling
    Anthony Hopkins
    Anthony Hopkins
    • Dr. Hannibal Lecteras Dr. Hannibal Lecter
    Lawrence A. Bonney
    • FBI Instructoras FBI Instructor
    Kasi Lemmons
    Kasi Lemmons
    • Ardelia Mappas Ardelia Mapp
    Lawrence T. Wrentz
    • Agent Burroughsas Agent Burroughs
    Scott Glenn
    Scott Glenn
    • Jack Crawfordas Jack Crawford
    Anthony Heald
    Anthony Heald
    • Dr. Frederick Chiltonas Dr. Frederick Chilton
    Frankie Faison
    Frankie Faison
    • Barneyas Barney
    Don Brockett
    Don Brockett
    • Friendly Psychopathas Friendly Psychopath
    Frank Seals Jr.
    • Brooding Psychopathas Brooding Psychopath
    Stuart Rudin
    Stuart Rudin
    • Miggsas Miggs
    Maria Skorobogatov
    • Young Clariceas Young Clarice
    • (as Masha Skorobogatov)
    Jeffrie Lane
    • Clarice's Fatheras Clarice's Father
    Leib Lensky
    • Mr. Langas Mr. Lang
    George 'Red' Schwartz
    • Mr. Lang's Driveras Mr. Lang's Driver
    • (as Red Schwartz)
    Jim Roche
    • TV Evangelistas TV Evangelist
    Brooke Smith
    Brooke Smith
    • Catherine Martinas Catherine Martin
    Ted Levine
    Ted Levine
    • Jame Gumbas Jame Gumb
    • Director
      • Jonathan Demme
    • Writers
      • Thomas Harris(based on the novel by)
      • Ted Tally(screenplay by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    F.B.I. trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) works hard to advance her career, while trying to hide or put behind her West Virginia roots, of which if some knew, would automatically classify her as being backward or white trash. After graduation, she aspires to work in the agency's Behavioral Science Unit under the leadership of Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn). While she is still a trainee, Crawford asks her to question Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Sir Anthony Hopkins), a psychiatrist imprisoned, thus far, for eight years in maximum security isolation for being a serial killer who cannibalized his victims. Clarice is able to figure out the assignment is to pick Lecter's brains to help them solve another serial murder case, that of someone coined by the media as "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine), who has so far killed five victims, all located in the eastern U.S., all young women, who are slightly overweight (especially around the hips), all who were drowned in natural bodies of water, and all who were stripped of large swaths of skin. She also figures that Crawford chose her, as a woman, to be able to trigger some emotional response from Lecter. After speaking to Lecter for the first time, she realizes that everything with him will be a psychological game, with her often having to read between the very cryptic lines he provides. She has to decide how much she will play along, as his request in return for talking to him is to expose herself emotionally to him. The case takes a more dire turn when a sixth victim is discovered, this one from who they are able to retrieve a key piece of evidence, if Lecter is being forthright as to its meaning. A potential seventh victim is high profile Catherine Martin (Brooke Smith), the daughter of Senator Ruth Martin (Diane Baker), which places greater scrutiny on the case as they search for a hopefully still alive Catherine. Who may factor into what happens is Dr. Frederick Chilton (Anthony Heald), the warden at the prison, an opportunist who sees the higher profile with Catherine, meaning a higher profile for himself if he can insert himself successfully into the proceedings. —Huggo
    • serial killer
    • psycho thriller
    • stuck in a well
    • psychopath
    • bad guy wins
    • 313 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Brilliant. Cunning. Psychotic. In his mind lies the clue to a ruthless killer. - Clarice Starling, FBI. Brilliant. Vulnerable. Alone. She must trust him to stop the killer.
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      (at around 17 mins) Jodie Foster claims that during the first meeting between Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, Sir Anthony Hopkins's 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.
    • Goofs
      (at around 44 mins) As Forensics comes to take photos of the victim's body, the "corpse" visibly blinks as hands touch its face.
    • Quotes

      Hannibal Lecter: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

    • Crazy credits
      After the Copyright notice and MPAA logo, a logo appears with the text "A Luta Continua". This is not a production company credit; instead, it's Portuguese for "The Struggle Continues" ("To be continued").
    • Alternate versions
      The Finnish-dubbed VHS version removes:
      • Hannibal Lecter beating Pembry against the cell's bars, and spraying liquid to his eyes (along with the shots of the cuffed guard screaming "Jesus Christ!", and a shot of him trying to break loose).
      • Lecter beating a guard with a nightstick several times (reduced from 6 hits to 1!).
      • A outdrawn sequence that comes right after Lecter has whacked the guards (where he plays music and walks across the dead guard's body) is completely removed (along with Lecter's dialogue Ready when you are, sergeant Pembry).
      • Right after Buffalo Bill is shot by Clarice Starling there is a long-lasting (about 15 secs) shot of his bloody dead body, that in the cut version is not that long anymore.
    • Connections
      Edited into A-Z of Horror (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      American Girl
      Performed by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)

      Written by Tom Petty (as T. Petty)

      Courtesy of Gone Gator Records

    User reviews1.5K

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    A thrilling must see
    I just saw, for the second or third time, this cinematographic masterpiece, during an « UGC culte » evening, in Paris. The list of the Big Five Academy Award winners is short. There are currently three of them, in nine decades: It Happened One Night (1934), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and ... The Silence of the Lambs (1991). This is not really surprising, this film being excellent, endowed with a script skillfully elaborated by Thomas Harris, with an irreproachable casting including Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster and Scott Glenn. In addition, the director Jonathan Demme delivers a work obviously enjoying an admirable preparatory work.

    Without unduly spoiling the script, if you have not seen it yet, by the greatest fluke: a psychopath known as the Buffalo Bill sows terror in the Middle West by kidnapping and murdering young pulpy women, after partially or completely skinning them. Clarice Starling, a young FBI agent, is in charge of interviewing Hannibal Lecter, a well-known former psychiatrist who has also the characteristic of a truly intelligent psychopath focused on cannibalism. Hannibal Lecter is able to provide Clarice Starling with providential information about Buffalo Bill . But he agrees to help her only in exchange for information about the young woman's private life. Between them is established a link of fascination and repulsion.

    As a synthesis: a thrilling must see. 9/10 of 10
    helpful•31
    10
    • FrenchEddieFelson
    • Aug 10, 2019

    FAQ24

    • Why do Dr Chilton and Barney make a point of telling Clarice not to touch or approach the glass housing Dr Lecter? Wouldn't she be perfectly safe since he obviously can't reach her?
    • Why does Dr. Lecter think the guy ejaculating in his hand throwing the result in Clarice's face crosses a line while he would do much more awful things to people himself?
    • Can someone actually swallow their tongue like Miggs did?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 14, 1991 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Latin
    • Also known as
      • Silence of the Lambs
    • Filming locations
      • Bimini Airport, South Bimini Island, Bimini Islands, Bahamas
    • Production companies
      • Strong Heart/Demme Production
      • Orion Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $19,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $130,742,922
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $13,766,814
      • Feb 18, 1991
    • Gross worldwide
      • $272,742,922
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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