Studio: MGM/UA
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Director: Jonathon Demme
Rated: R
Time: 118 mins.
Back Cover
One of the most shocking, compelling and diabolical crime thrillers ever made is even more delectable on Blu-ray! Including in-depth documentaries about the film’s journey from page to screen, exclusive new interviews with Jodie Foster, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Scott Glenn in the feature-length Breaking the Silence, generous servings of deleted scenes, still photos and outtakes – and much more, this powerful, five-time Academy Award Winner will chill you to the bone.
When FBI Agent Clarice Starling(Jodie Foster) is assigned a case involving a monstrous serial killer, she seeks counsel from an imprisoned cannibalistic psychiatrist – Dr. Hannibal Lecter(Anthony Hopkins), whose fascination with the young woman is as great as his hunger for murder. As their relationship develops, Starling must confront her own demons – and an evil so powerful that she may not have the courage or strength to stop it!
Review
Released February 14, 1991 – Valentine’s Day
Winner of Five Academy Awards:
Best Picture
Best Actress- Jodie Foster
Best Actor – Anthony Hopkins
Best Director – Jonathon Demme
Best Screenplay Adaptation – Ted Tally
Genre: Crime/Thriller/Horror
Most film lovers probably have a handful of movies they treasure so much that every time a technological advance creates an improved version we snap it up. For me this is true for the original Star Wars movies, The Shawshank Redemption, and……..The Silence of the Lambs.
I have three versions of the film. The Criterion Edition, the 10th Anniversary DVD Special Edition, and now this recent Blu-Ray version. Each version has brought significant upgrades to the image and sound quality. The quality of the Criterion Edition is embarrassing now. The murkiness of that non-anamorphic release is cringingly bad by today’s standards but it is still of great value due to the wealth of extra material it contains. The image quality jump with the 10th Anniversary Edition on DVD is still the most significant. I had hoped the BluRay version would be the final version to be purchased but, alas, for reasons that will be covered in the Image section, an explanation as to why not will be provided.
There is little to be added about Silence of the Lambs in terms of reviewing the movie storyline. Anthony Hopkin’s literally chilling portrayal of the savagely brilliant Dr. Hannibal Lecter is the stuff of acting legends. Hannibal the Cannibal and his final line in the movie giving a new meaning about having a friend for dinner have become part of popular culture. So much so that over time Lecter has been reduced to a comedical stereotype stripping away the original simultaneous fascination and revulsion felt by first time viewers.
What is fascinating about The Silence of The Lambs is how this modestly budgeted picture – even by 1991 standards – made for nineteen million dollars, released very early in the calendar – making its chances of being remembered for Oscar consideration very slight – is how it overcame all of these obstacles – not to mention the stigma of being a film in the looked down upon thriller/horror genre – and went on to win the top five Oscar prizes.
While Hopkins received much of the spotlight for Lecter, Jodie Foster’s role as Clarice Starling is less flashier but so vital to the success of the story. The film shows repeatedly that a female agent in the FBI has a tough row to hoe. Be it at the Academy or in the field, Starling is constantly bumping up against reminders and barriers that she has to overcome because of her gender.
The Silence of the Lambs is one of those pictures where all the elements came together in synchronicity. Certainly for the people behind the camera this film turned out to be the pinnacle of success for them. The film remains compelling today even with the inevitable dilution of the main characters from sequels and remakes of the Red Dragon aka ManHunter.
This is a tightly scripted and exceptionally acted film that overcame its genre pedigree and midwinter release to secure a permanent place in movie history. The quid pro quo scenes between Starling and Lecter are wonders of movie making magic.
Crave Factor – 9
Video
Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen the image seems to be the same print used for the last DVD release. Dirt specks in that version show up in the BluRay one as well.
This is a less moody version of the print with less green in it than the previous versions. It looks the most natural which could be due to the added detail that HD brings. Some outdoor scenes still have noise in them but overall there is a noticeable increase in picture dimensionality. Further picture improvements will only come with a clean up and restoration of the master but I suspect the picture’s modest budget will prevent this from ever becoming a truly top notch presentation.
Crave Factor – 8
Audio
The Silence of the Lambs receives it’s first-ever high-res audio presentation. A DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround track (48kHz/24-bit). Once again the picture’s modest budget is revealed. There is very little difference to be heard over the last MGM DVD.
There is a wealth of subtitle options including Cantonese, Korean, Spanish, and Mandarin.
This is not an action heavy movie so most of the sound stage is front oriented. The score benefits the most from the DTS-HD soundtrack.
Crave Factor – 8
Extras
So many versions of The Silence of the Lambs have been released with different features that trying to pick a clear cut winner is tough. The Criterion release has that golden audio commentary (with Jonathan Demme, Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins) not found elsewhere.
Video material is presented in 480i/MPEG-2 only.
- Documentary: “Inside the Labyrinth” (SD, 57 minutes) – This is from the 2001 DVD. It gives a solid over view of the film’s gestation from book to screen. Plus it does not ignore the controversies that surrounded its release. The big downside is that Jonathon Demme and Jodie Foster are not part of the documentary.
- Featurette: “Scoring the Silence” (SD, 15 minutes) – an interesting piece with a pre-Lord of the Rings Composer, Howard Shore. The Silence Of The Lambs score is not the most catchy one but it is very identifiable.
- Featurette: “1991 Making-Of ” (SD, 8 minutes) – Ah EPKs. Here is one of the early ones. A real time capsule of fashion. Check out Jodie Foster’s ’90s stylings.
- TV Special: “Silence of the Lambs: Page to Screen” (SD, 42 minutes) – A Bravo network series, ‘Page to Screen’ spent a segment to look at the development of ‘Silence of the Lambs’ from novel to screenplay. It gives us a glimpse at the publicity shy author Thomas Harris. Harris was very driven to be authentic in terms of the FBI and technical methods used in the story. The special is broken into two parts: “A Wealth of Talent” and “Preparation and Authenticity.”
- Deleted Scenes/Outtakes (SD, 23 minutes) – Next up are about 20 minutes of deleted scenes, totalling about 22 segments. A mixed bag and there is no commentary or text to explain the deletions. Video and audio quality is pretty poor. Two minutes of outtakes are included plus an amusing 30-second phone message from Hopkins done Lecter style.
- Theatrical Trailers/TV Spots (SD) – the film’s original theatrical teaser and full trailer, plus six TV spots are included.
- Breaking the Silence – oddly buried in the submenus is a new picture-in-picture slash trivia track created for The Silence of the Lambs.
- Jonathan Demme is not present but there are new interviews here with Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, Anthony Hopkins, and screenwriter Ted Tally.
- Also included short production and FBI factoids which appear as on-screen graphic pop-ups.
It is great to hear fresh perspectives from Foster and Hopkins. On the minus side there is no behind-the-scenes footage and there is no option to view all the material at once. This requires watching the whole movie to see all the new material.
Crave Factor – 9
Menu & Packaging
A standard Amray case. No booklet is enclosed.
Crave Factor – 7
Conclusion & Final Thoughts
The Silence Of The Lambs is one of those movies that is difficult to stop watching as the story flows seamlessly from one scene to the next. The performances, camera shots – especially during the scenes between Starling and Lecter are inventively captivating, and the look of the movie, pull me in every time.
A classic.
The only thing remaining for this picture on the home theater front is a cleanup and striking of a new print to create the best HD master possible. Until then I would recommend those considering an upgrade from a previous DVD version to wait until that happens.
Overall Crave Factor – 9
