Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26532 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-08-06
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Special Edition, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 113 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on Thomas Harris's novel, Jonathan Demme's terrifying adaptation of Silence of the Lambs contains only a couple of genuinely shocking moments (one involving an autopsy, the other a prison break). The rest of the film is a splatter-free visual and psychological descent into the hell of madness, redeemed astonishingly by an unlikely connection between a monster and a haunted young woman.

Anthony Hopkins is extraordinary as the cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter, virtually entombed in a subterranean prison for the criminally insane. At the behest of the FBI, agent-in-training Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) approaches Lecter, requesting his insights into the identity and methods of a serial killer named Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). In exchange, Lecter demands the right to penetrate Starling's most painful memories, creating a bizarre but palpable intimacy that liberates them both under separate but equally horrific circumstances.

Demme, a filmmaker with a uniquely populist vision (Melvin and Howard, Something Wild), also spent his early years making pulp for Roger Corman (Caged Heat) and he hasn't forgotten the significance of tone, atmosphere and the unsettling nature of a crudely effective close-up. Much of the film, in fact, consists of actors staring straight into the camera (usually from Clarice's point of view), making every bridge between one set of eyes to another seem terribly dangerous. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

On the DVD: On disc one, the film itself looks clinically sharp in a faultless widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic transfer, while the Dolby 5.1 soundtrack makes the most of the chilling sound effects and Howard Shore's masterfully understated score. Unlike the Region 1 Criterion Collection, however, there is no audio commentary at all. On the second disc, the all-new hour-long "making-of" documentary features contributions from the screenwriter, producer, composer, costume designer, make-up effects people and even the moth wrangler ("There were no moths harmed in the filming!") as well as Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill) and Anthony Hopkins, who talks at length about creating Lecter. Conspicuous by their absence are Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster. Aside from the usual trailers and stills gallery there are 21 deleted scenes, many of which are not whole scenes but deleted excerpts, a promotional featurette made in 1991 and an outtakes reel that proves the cast really did have fun making this scary picture. For those who want to scare all their friends, there's also an answerphone message from Anthony Hopkins "in character". --Mark Walker

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Inside the Labyrinth: The Making of Silence Of The Lambs
Original Featurette
Deleted Scenes
Anthony Hopkins Phone Message
Outtakes Reel
Stills Galleries
Teaser Trailer
Hannibal Trailer
Original Theatrical Trailer
TV Spots
Collectable Booklet
English Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Portuguese, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Hebrew, Turkish, Czech, Croatian, English hard of hearing.

Synopsis
Jonathan Demme directed this genre-bending thriller in which Jodie Foster portrays Clarice Starling, an ambitious FBI student who is on the verge of graduation when her superior enlists her help to track down a serial killer. When a senator's daughter turns up missing, the feds determine the most likely suspect is Buffalo Bill, who is murdering women and doing something terrible with their skin. But to find him, Starling is forced to enlist the aid of another notorious serial killer--the terminally incarcerated ex-psychiatrist known as Hannibal the Cannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). Hannibal is the only one who truly understands the killer's mind and motive. He agrees to help Clarice, but in exchange, she has to tell him her deepest secrets. Slowly she wins Hannibal over as he discovers that unlike most heroes, she is more moved by vulnerability than she is attracted to power. Clarice's relentless search for the killer and Hannibal's unorthodox analysis are chilling. The screenplay is based on the best-selling novel by Thomas Harris.

Customer Reviews

The First Film In The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy
Based on the bestselling novel by Thomas Harris and winner of five main academy awards, (Best Actor (Hopkins), Best Actress (Foster), Best Screenplay (Ted Tally), Best Director (Demme) and Best Picture), there can be no doubt that 'The Silence Of The Lambs' is an absolutely great movie that, by now, has secured its place in film history.

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is a trainee at the FBI academy who is put on a the 'Buffalo Bill' (Ted Levine) case. Eager for a lead, she seeks the help of serial killer Dr Hanibal 'the cannibal' Lecter, but in return, he demands the right to penetrate her most horrific memories, creating a wierd kind of intermacy between them.

Although this film is supposed to be a horror, its not really that scary as such (apart from the bit at the end where 'Buffalo' Bill is chasing Clarice in the dark basement), but some parts of it are pretty intense and two of these intantly spring to mind. The part where the dead is brought in for an autopsy, and the part where Lecter manages to break out of jail. The latter is extreamly violent and bloodthirsty, and will leave you gripping the seat. There are parts in this movie, like the two i have just described, that really make you want to hide behind the sofa, but there is somthing about it which keeps you frozen in your seat, like an invisible force field. I can't really describe it that well but if you have watched this film then you will know what i mean.

Overall, the acting is pretty amazing really. Jodie Foster was probably the best we have ever seen her, and Anthony Hopkins was absolutely extraordinary as the evil Hanibal Lecter, and it was probably his performance which got the film its five academy awards. 'Buffalo' Bill was just plain disturbing, but Ted Levine managed to make him better than he could have been.

So, as you can see this is a spectacular film all round and when you watch it you will see exactly why it has won so many awards and has become so popular throughout the film world.

Great Film
This award-winning 1991 film was adapted by Ted Tally from the 1988 novel by Thomas Harris. The film is a faithful adaptation of the novel, except for some minor changes. Personally, I prefer the film because of its dramatic scenes as well the characters, especially the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

I agree with the reviewers here. This film is one of the best thrillers of the 20th century.

Brilliant
Winner of the best film Academy Award "The Silence of the Lambs" is the kind of movie that makes you guess and get a fright. There are scenes that can be hard to watch, but it's so enthralling that you don't want to turn away.

A serial killer known as Buffalo Bill has been killing young women and keeping pieces of their skin. To get a profile of the killer, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a bright and ambitious FBI agent-in-training, is sent to see Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) a former psychiatrist who is now locked-up and nicknamed Hannibal the Cannibal. Starling is told not to answer any personal questions, but when another woman disappears she is forced to please Lecter's weird desires because he knows exactly who the killer is and why he's done what he's done.

What's strange is that Lecter, as sick and evil as he is, becomes a partner to Starling. So, that means I had to root for him to a certain extent, but that's not difficult because he does have a lot of character. He could have made a great politician or a teacher had he not been such a psycho. This is one of the most complex characters in cinema. Hopkins is mesmerizing in the role and deserved his Academy Award.

The psyche of serial killers has been something we've wanted to understand for a long time, and here we catch a glimpse. Fictional or not, it's fascinating. It's also disturbing, but that's good because since there were times where I found Lechter likeable I needed to be reminded why he was so evil. Lecter and Buffalo Bill were both killers one just had more charm. Both create a tense-filled and sometimes scary movie that leaves an impact on all who see it. It's a mature thriller that delivers the goods and one of the best films of the year.