"The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #74

Synopsis (according to AFI):
"I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti," hisses Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant serial killer engaged by Foster's FBI agent in an effort to capture another killer on the loose.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
I've always been one who, for some reason, enjoys creepy movies.  I watched a lot of horror films that I probably shouldn't have when I was younger, and I was looking forward to watching "The Silence of the Lambs" again.

Maybe I'm getting older, or maybe my movie palate is changing, but I really didn't enjoy it this time.  The content is just too disturbing and uncomfortable because you're essentially spending two hours inside the mind of a serial killer.  And unlike Psycho, this film doesn't leave the horror to the imagination; all the gruesomeness is shown to the audience throughout.

There was really only one scene I enjoyed and wasn't uncomfortable watching, and that's where you find out why this movie is called "The Silence of the Lambs".  In my opinion, that's the best scene because of how it brings about a comparison between the mind of a madman and the mind of a good person with a traumatic past.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Despite the disturbing content, this film is very well done all around.  It won 5 Academy Awards in 1991, including Best Picture (Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster both won Lead Acting Oscars as well).  However, I'm not sure why it's considered one of the best films ever made.  From reading some of the review quotes on the cover, it seems like there may have been a lull in thrillers for several years before this movie, so maybe "The Silence of the Lambs" is credited with bringing the genre back into the American mainstream.

Complaints:
I already mentioned this, but the content was really uncomfortable and disturbing.

LET ME SUM UP...
While this is a well-done film with great acting (especially by Anthony Hopkins) the content is really disturbing and uncomfortable to watch.  I appreciated the talent that went into making "The Silence of the Lambs", but I did not enjoy it and have no desire to ever watch it again.

MY RATING: 4/10 (3 lower from my previous rating)