Silence of the Lambs – Blu Ray Review

The Film:

I have to say that I believe Silence of the Lambs is one of the best films in the decade of the 1990s. Incredibly iconic, a rare suspense/horror hybrid that has seeped into our popular culture with quotes, spoofs, and T-shirts, but it really transcends all of that with each repeated viewing. It is never hurt by its pop culture status, and is a gripping thriller through and through. In fact, Silence of the Lambs is a masterpiece in every sense of that term, from the dialogue, to the acting, to the camera work, to the psychological explorations of the mind, it’s amazing to revisit this film time and time again.

On the surface level, Hannibal Lecter is one of those characters that, even though the film isn’t about him, his limited screen time is effectively used, so he is quickly remembered. The cat-and-mouse verbal and mental battle between Clarice and Lecter is gripping in itself, and while the film plays up the theatricality of Lecter, it isn’t afraid to handle delicately the psychosis of a serial killer, not for one, but for two. The film works excellently as a case file on serial killers, even expert criminologists will get a kick out of the film. I imagine everyone has there favorite moments, either a scene or line of dialogue, a reason why it was a 5-time Oscar winner.

One of the elements I enjoy is its Alice in Wonderland-like dissolve into this bizarre world for Clarice. She’s at first a trainee for the FBI, and until Crawford calls her, she’s a young, naive little girl. But when she is called into Crawford’s office, she descends into this rabbit hole of sorts, through the corridors of the FBI offices, and what lurks at the end of the tunnel? Violent crime scene photos of the victims of Buffalo Bill. This immediately happens within the first 10 minutes of the film, establishing the grim nature of the story for us, the audience, but as well as for Clarice, who must quickly suck up any reaction to the grotesque nature of this world she’s coming into. It is for us too, this horror-induced rabbit hole isn’t for everyone, but as soon as this scene pops in, you’re trapped into this world, until Clarice escapes (but does she?).

I love Demme’s camera work in this film, as it’s always in Clarice’s point-of-view, a subtle trick we don’t immediately recognize. It goes a long way to show her arc, going from a naive girl, to a tainted woman. Silence of the Lambs is an incredible take on the serial killer genre, filled with an intelligent script, fine acting, and a wonderful score. Best film of 1991? The Academy said so, but I’ll go one step further: best film of the ’90s.

The Blu Ray:

Audio/Video: I’ve seen Silence of the Lambs many times on various home video releases, most notably the Criterion DVD version. Each version is slightly different, making comparisons a pain to include. For its first appearance on Blu Ray, I can say that this version accurately handles the murky color hues Demme chose for the film. Color reproduction and representation are the key to this release. The visuals of a film like this will quickly cause some less experienced to be disappointed in the transfer. Clarity and detail are there but with the color palette is tricky to see. I’d say this high def transfer does a decent, subtle job on what was a great DVD transfer. I wouldn’t call this definitive, as I believe a thorough remastering could improve it, but it’s solid if you know what to look for and appreciate.

The sound is a DTS track, and while the film isn’t action heavy, it handles the score and a few surround activity decently enough. The film is all about atmosphere and mood, and for that it handles it well. But it’s Shore’s score that get the nice upgrade with this track.

Breaking the Silence: The only new extra for this Blu Ray release is a pop-up trivia track, with pop-up videos featuring interviews from Foster, Hopkins, and others. I’d say if you seen the film a million times, please give this a check. It will, when a video pops up, cause the film’s volume to fade so audio in the video isn’t competing. It’s a good track, something like a mini featurette would give you, information-wise.

Understanding the Madness: In HD, this feature is a deep look, with criminologists on the nature of the killers. For true crime buffs, this is a solid 20 minute piece, filled with great insights.

Inside the Labyrinth: This is from the nice 2-disc Special Edition of a few years ago MGM did, and is ported over. Good, because it is a great documentary, even if Demme is M.I.A. While it is in standard def, we get plenty of good information of the making of this film for an hour.

Page to the Screen: This piece is an analytical look at the book’s translation. In standard def, but worth watching, especially if you’re a Thomas Harris fan.

Scoring the Silence: Here’s a look and conversation about Shore’s score for the film. As a neat tangent, we’re given a scene-by-scene commentary with Shore on his work.

Original 1991 Making of: It’s short, and I would recommend it just to see the real on-set footage of the filming, but it covers material already covered in a better degree.

Deleted Scenes, Hopkins Phone Message, Outtakes, and Trailers round out the extras.

Conclusion: A fantastic film, gets a decent Blu Ray release. Most of the extras have been seen prior, and a few extras are missing from the Criterion DVD release. The transfer is decent but could be better. Regardless, it’s a must own.

Rating: