September 14, 2017
'The Silence of the Lambs'
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan lead us deep into the inner recesses of 1991's Oscar-winning psychological thriller 'The Silence of the Lambs,' starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. They pay tribute to Ted Levine's iconic performance as Buffalo Bill, wonder what would have been with the movie's originally intended cast of Gene Hackman and Michelle Pfeiffer, and rehash their favorite and most haunting moments.
Cast
Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling
Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter
Ted Levine as Jame Gumb / Buffalo Bill
Scott Glenn as Jack Crawford
Anthony Heald as Dr. Frederick Chilton
Brooke Smith as Catherine Martin
Diane Baker as Senator Ruth Martin
Frankie Faison as Barney
Stuart Rudin as Multiple Miggs
Charles Napier as Lt. Boyle
Chris Isaak as SWAT Commander
Kasi Lemmons as Ardelia Mapp
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Written by: Ted Tally
Cinematography by: Tak Fujimoto
Music by: Howard Shore
Notes
- Only the third film to win all top 5 Oscars (Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, Screenplay) – after It Happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Has not happened since.
- Anthony Hopkins has less than 25 minutes of screen time, only 8 or 9 scenes total, and only 4 scenes with Jodie Foster. He beat De Niro, Bridges, Nolte, and Robin Williams for Best Actor.
- Gene Hackman originally bought the rights 50/50 with Orion's Mike Medavoy, was going to direct and possibly star. His daughter told him it was too violent, so he backed out.
- Orion Pictures was literally going out of business during the awards season push – 'it would kind of be like if the Oakland A's won the World Series during any of the 'Moneyball' years'.
- William Goldman saw a screening and told Demme to cut a 12-minute Crawford-Clarice third-act sequence. Demme resisted, but ultimately cut it, making the movie the 'tightest hour and 54 minutes' possible.
- Jonathan Demme's close-up camera technique where actors speak directly into the camera makes you feel like you're Clarice in the cell with Lecter. This technique also worked even better in 'Philadelphia'.
- Demme came up through Roger Corman's late '60s/'70s exploitation film factory, where you'd 'make three movies in a year about women in prison.' Made about 10 films before getting Silence of the Lambs.
- Ted Levine insisted the tuck dance be in the movie, needed two drinks before filming it, and visited transgender bars for research. The screenwriter Ted Tally didn't know it would be in the movie.
- Jame Gumb is a composite of three real serial killers: Ed Gein (skinned his victims), Ted Bundy (escaped custody and killed again), and Gary Heidnik (kidnapped women and kept them in his basement).
- The film was inspired by the real-life relationship between criminology professor Robert Keppel and Ted Bundy, which helped catch the Green River Killer.
Categories
Most re-watchable scene
- Lecter attacks the two guards with the opera playing in the background – and the entire sequence that follows: the dinner scene, the bleeding elevator, the ambulance escape with the face. 'It's one of the best 22-minute sequences of any movie. It's incredible.'
- Other nominees: Clarice meets Lecter for the first time (and we meet Miggs), the entire 'put the lotion in the basket' scene, Clarice drops in on Jame Gumb in the dark with the night goggles.
What aged the best?
- The music and score – Bill picks this as a tribute to Demme. 'It's got like a Bernard Herrmann Hitchcock score going throughout it.' The Tom Petty needle drop with Catherine Martin singing along to 'American Girl' tells you everything about her in 20 seconds.
- The concept of the two serial killers: a genius psychiatrist who also likes to kill and eat people, and Buffalo Bill. 'Two of the best ideas anyone's ever come up with.'
- The behavioral sciences investigation approach – you're learning alongside Clarice. Unlike the cop movies of the '70s and '80s, this one is really investigating the psychology of the murderer.
- Jonathan Demme's close-up camera technique where actors deliver lines staring into the camera. 'You immediately feel so close to the characters... you're in the cell with him.'
- The concept of your first murder victim being someone you covet – 'It made me rethink any murder investigation.'
- The night goggles scene – Bill expected it to feel dated after 26 years. 'They're just not. There's nothing dated about this movie.'
What aged the worst?
- The opening title graphics – very early '90s, almost X-Files-like. 'They didn't know how to do graphics yet.'
- The Crawford-Clarice relationship feels like it's missing a scene – there's a hotel bar scene where he's kind of hitting on her but it never gets that extra something.
- The trans stuff hasn't aged great because of increased awareness, though 'you're doing a movie about serial killers – whatever the serial killer's into, it's not going to be flattering'.
- The Hannibal sequel and subsequent franchise attempts – nobody wanted to do it except Hopkins for the paycheck. The character rights situation prevented a coherent franchise.
Half-assed (internet) research
- During the first Lecter-Clarice meeting, Hopkins improvised mocking Foster's southern accent. Threw her off completely – the horrified reaction is genuine. She felt personally attacked.
- Jame Gumb is a composite of three real serial killers: Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, and Gary Heidnik.
- Gene Siskel gave 'The Silence of the Lambs' a negative review.
- Brooke Smith gained 25 pounds for the role of Catherine Martin, her first major role.
- The tuck dance song 'Goodbye Horses' by Q Lazzarus was originally supposed to be Bob Seger's 'Her Strut.' Ted Levine insisted on the tuck dance, needed two drinks to film it.
- William Goldman saw a screening and told Demme to cut a 12-minute Crawford-Clarice sequence from the third act. 'Just take it out.' It made the movie infinitely tighter – same advice Goldman gave on Good Will Hunting's spy subplot.
Best "heat check" performance
- Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill / Jame Gumb – 'I don't think anyone's ever won the Dion Waiters award more convincingly. He takes eight shots from three, all 25 feet or more, makes all of them. His plus-minus is like plus 38 for 12 minutes.'
- Nominees: Anthony Heald as Dr. Chilton ('he's such a that guy'), Charles Napier as Lt. Boyle (great death scene), Chris Isaak's cameo ('a little too much Chris Isaak for about 3 seconds').
Apex Mountain
- Anthony Hopkins – absolutely yes. One of the great performances of the last 30 years. It was almost tough to watch him in other movies for a while after this.
- Ted Levine – yes. Pigeon-holed a bit by the role but it's the performance of a lifetime.
- Jonathan Demme – Bill says Stop Making Sense creatively, but winning 5 of 5 Oscars is hard to argue with. 'Creatively I'm going Stop Making Sense... but winning 5 of 5 in the Oscars, yes ma'am.'
- Jodie Foster – yes, her most iconic role and her second Best Actress Oscar. 'When you win the second one, it's a different level.'
- Chris Isaak – torn between this and the 'Wicked Game' video, 'one of the top 12 videos of all time'.
Casting what-ifs
- Gene Hackman was going to direct and possibly star – if he plays Hannibal Lecter, 'this movie is on cable at two in the morning on Encore West'.
- Sean Connery said absolutely not to Lecter. Jeremy Irons turned it down because he didn't want to play two bad guys in a row after Reversal of Fortune.
- Michelle Pfeiffer was the first choice for Clarice and turned it down – too violent. Bill thinks the movie is 'four times more scared' with Pfeiffer. Chris disagrees, saying Foster's diminutive stature and vulnerability growing into strength is essential.
- Meg Ryan turned down Clarice, which led to her being cast in 'The Doors' instead.
- Ed Harris turned down Jack Crawford because he wanted a bigger role – 'a little Dion Waiters of you'.
Picking nits
- Jack Crawford was a bad boss – risky plan, sends inexperienced Clarice into the dungeon with no protection. His big plan to catch Buffalo Bill leads them to storm an empty house.
- The two cops guarding Lecter had literally one job. 'Doc must be really hungry tonight, he ordered a second meal.' They let him get close enough to attack. 'I think they both deserve to die.'
- Clarice's training is questionable – she walks into Jame Gumb's basement alone instead of calling for help. 'This guy's killed like five people. Call for help.'
- Lecter wearing someone else's face in the ambulance – nobody gives him an extra look. 'They needed a tattoo or something.'
- You can't actually swallow your own tongue to death – you'd have to bite it off and choke on it. So what did Lecter really say to Miggs?
(Probably) unanswerable questions
- What did Lecter say to make Miggs kill himself? He talked to him for six hours and the guy decided death was preferable.
- Is it okay to root for Hannibal Lecter? 'You wind up cheering for someone who is basically one step removed from Satan.' When he attacks Charles Napier you're kind of like... yeah.
- Was the Miggs substance fake or real? Bill researched it. Search terms included 'Miggs fake sperm Silence of the Lambs.' Came up short.
- Would you watch a Buffalo Bill prequel with Ted Levine, circa 1997? 'Of course – wouldn't you be fascinated?'
Who won the movie?
- Chris says Jonathan Demme – 'He bridged the indie stuff of the '80s and showed you can make a blockbuster genre movie that was really subversive but also really entertaining. Every time you watch it, you notice something different, and that's down to the director.'
- Bill says Anthony Hopkins – 'If you're at a bar rattling off some of the memorable performances of all time, this is going to come up in the first eight or nine guesses.'