Favorite Movies Countdown — No. 4

4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Ted Levine, and Scott Glenn

About: "You see a lot, Doctor. But are you strong enough to point that high-powered perception at yourself? What about it? Why don't you — why don't you look at yourself and write down what you see? Or maybe you're afraid to." — Clarice Starling, "The Silence of the Lambs"

From a cinematic standpoint, "The Silence of the Lambs" is a marvel. The film was released in January 1991, yet it captured the Best Picture prize. That is a rarity. For the most part, contending films are released in the latter part of the year (mostly in October, November, and December), lest they be forgotten. But, clearly, this film made a big impression.

"The Silence of the Lambs" also scored a rare cinematic achievement for excellence. It earned Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. Only two other films — "It Happened One Night" (1934) and "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" (1975) — can say that.

It also created one of the most iconic villain roles — with Hopkins earning an Academy Award for playing Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and showing his range. He is the rare actor who can play sympathetic and earnest as well and chillingly villainous in equal measure. (The same can't be said for poor Ted Levine, who does an excellent job in this film as the villain Buffalo Bill. But he's so good at that part, and his voice is so creepy, that I just can't see him as anything else).

I first saw this movie when I was a child, and it left an indelible impression. I spent a few weeks paranoid that Hannibal Lecter was free. That is the sign of an incredible screen performance. To this day, the film remains one of my favorites.

It is an interesting character study. The interaction between Lecter (who spends a bulk of the film imprisoned) and young agent Clarice Starling (Foster) is fascinating. The story is engrossing without being gross, and the tension remains strong throughout. This is also one of those movies that could have turned out very differently if it was made today — especially given the modern movement of featuring gore over genuine suspense.

I also think Lecter is a complex character on his own. When I discussed the movie "No Country For Old Men" for Faith in Film, I looked at Anton Chigurth as an interesting example of moral relativity. The same could be said of Lecter, who I used in that lesson as another example of the principal. It's not that he doesn't have a moral code — clearly he does. That's why Clarice notes that he won't come after her when he's free, saying he would consider it "rude." It's just that his moral code doesn't match with the conventional moral code upheld by society, and certainly doesn't align with the Biblical principals we follow. Still, I maintain this is the terminal end of the idea of relative truth. If truth is relative to every individual, as some in the humanist movement would like to suggest, then the concept of morality becomes relative as well. In a world of relative truth, can we really ever offer a concrete set of moral and social laws for all of society? That is a question humanists, and relativists, don't want to answer. I would point to Lecter and Chigurth as two reasons why we must answer that question.

This film was a sequel to Michael Man's "Manhunter" (1986), but features different performers in key roles (Hopkins and Glenn instead of Brian Cox and Dennis Farina). In fact, most people probably don't even know it's a sequel. (In fact, "Manhunter" was re-made in 2002 as "Red Dragon" with Hopkins as Lecter and Edward Norton.)

This movie is also rare in that it is so far above any of the other Hannibal Lecter films made before or after it. It marks the high water mark for director Jonathan Demme, too, who made one other award-winning film ("Philadelphia" 1993), but hasn't made anything truly memorable in more than a decade. (You could make an argument for "Rachel Getting Married" (2008), but I won't.)

"The Silence of the Lambs" certainly isn't for everyone, and it has some challenging content, but it is a fascinating piece of cinematic history. It's also really entertaining. When Dr. Lecter says, "Tell me Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming," it will send a chill down your spine.