Sometimes Hollywood gets it very wrong when it comes to handing out awards at their biggest night of the year. For example Bill Murray-Lost in Translation, Pulp Fiction-Picture, Citizen Kane-Picture, Raging Bull-Director Kubrick never winning an Oscar for direction. Then there are the time where Oscar gets it so right. No Country for Old Men-Picture, Daniel Day Lewis-Actor, The Departed-Direction and of course the big reason we are here today 1991 Silence of the Lambs. Silence of the Lambs is the only movie to this day that swept the Oscars and was even close to the genre of horror. It won the major four categories of picture, director, actor, and actress.
This film is the perfect example of what happens when you follow the source material. When I was in 8th grade I wanted to rent Silence of the Lambs because i was at the beginning of my love for film and I had heard that if there was one movie that you needed to see it was Silence of the Lambs. My parents being the good people they were told me if I wanted to see the film I needed to read the book first. So I went down to my library and rented silence of the lambs. After about three weeks I finished and we put in the VHS and I came to the realization for the first time that you can take source material and do it justice to where almost nothing needs to be sacrificed. This film is a masterpiece which still holds up today as one of the best choices for best picture.
A young FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is tasked by her boss to interview an imprisoned serial killer to track another one. Starling is sent to a mental hospital where she comes face to face with Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The two strike up an uneasy alliance and eventally start to exchange information which leads Starling closer and closer to tracking down the man know as Buffalo Bill. At the same time we see Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) preparing and executing his next attack on a young lady in order to make a suit from her skin. Twists and turns happen as both killer and agent circle until finally clashing all the time with Lecter in the background slowly pulling strings.
It was 1991and foster had already been nominated twice and won once for acting, the first being at the age of 14 for Taxi Driver. She had won in 1989 for the accused but in 1991 she would walk away with her second statue for Silence of the Lambs. Foster is an amazing director who truly was a staple of her time. Even though she has taken time and not done as much the woman truly is missed and it is always a pleasure to see her on screen. She commits to the roles she takes and keeps you rooting for her character no matter what. You love to see her in any role and it keeps you coming back for more.
This was also the year that Hopkins would prove you only need to be on screen for 16 minutes in order to garner a nomination and a win for best actor. Hopkins portrayal of Lecter is nothing short of mesmerizing as the psychologist turned serial killer. Hopkins took home his first Oscar for the performance and it was well deserved. Hopkins has this uncanny ability to make you feel like he is in control anytime he is on screen even if he is in a cell or in a straight jacket. He makes you feel like all the actions are by his design and he is just biding his time till he can be free. Its all in the way he watches you with his eyes. His cold dead eyes which make you feel like he never blinks. The man is a genius in all that he does and it never feels like the menace is being forced on you rather more like you want to be around this madness.
The film was directed by Johnathan Demme who although this is his biggest film has done some other remarkable films including Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married and Neil Young Heart of Gold. Demme is perfect for this he knows how to blend drama and terror perfectly together without losing one or the other. I love the way this plays like a by the numbers cop drama and also a psychological thriller. He makes all characters shine in different ways. If we need to point to a better example of something cleanly sweeping the Oscars I don't think there is a better example of it then Silence of the Lambs.
Well tomorrow we take a look at another Oscar winner that showed us just how scary being on stage can be. For High Weirdness I'm Benjamin Kolton reminding you "It's Only a Movie" "It's Only a Movie"
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