Das Schweigen der Lämmer

Ich habe nur 21 Jahre gewartet und immer noch nicht das Gefühl, etwas Entscheidendes verpasst zu haben. Das Schweigen der Lämmer ist "nur" ein guter Film, natürlich sind Hopkins' Szenen mit Foster stark, aber es sind relativ wenige und als Krimi geht er völlig an mir vorbei. Aber als komplexe Reihe ist er durchaus tolerabel. (19.09.2012)

Anthony Hopkins wird für immer als das Gesicht von Hannibal Lecter in Erinnerung bleiben. Trotz der drei anderen Schauspieler, die ihn dargestellt haben, beginnend mit dem oft übersehenen Film "Manhunter" von 1986, wird es Hopkins sein, der mit seinen toten Augen, seiner glatten Sprache und seinem quecksilbrigen Charakter in den Augen von Millionen von Zuschauern wahrscheinlich für immer den Titel "Hannibal" behalten wird. (02.10.2024)

Looking back, maybe this wasn’t such a ground-breaking movie as it seemed when it was first released. The truth is that neither Buffalo Bill nor the screenplay are at all original - on the other hand, in technical terms this is excellent and has a brilliant and believably urgent atmosphere, excellent music by Howard Shore and a well-adapted screenplay. So this is a good above-average affair. But what gives The Silence of the Lambs its place in cinema history is the relationship, dialogs and quality of acting (or almost living the parts) of Agent Starling and Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Even today this is the absolute zenith of cinema, not just in this genre. (19.12.2005)

"And Grandma, why are your eyes so big?" – "I have just seen Silence of the Lambs, dear Little Red Riding Hood, and I'm still reeling from it.” I first saw this film in the cinema before it was famous, not many people knew about it and the Oscars were six months away. When I came out of the cinema I observed the other people, everyone looked puzzled, no one even spoke. I arrived home feeling I had seen something special. My mother asked “so, how was it?” And I answered, “mum, believe me, we are going to hear a lot about this movie,” and the following Oscar ceremony proved me right. This film is indeed something special. If possible, watch it in the original if only for the voice of Anthony Hopkins. (27.08.2002)

The flagship of the 90s psychothriller genre, which blended traditional crime thriller with a horror atmosphere and morbid details. The Silence of the Lambs managed to transcend genre limitations, winning five Oscars for its "depraved" genre and garnering enthusiastic reviews from film critics. Several fortunate moments converged during the film's production - a clever script that, despite the bizarre nature of its antiheroes, navigates within a realistic setting; a skillful director who crafted the film's allure not through frantic action or bloody, naturalistic violence, but through a carefully constructed atmosphere brimming with tension, uncertainty, and fear. Naturally, the excellent casting also contributed to its success, with the seemingly fragile Jodie Foster and the typographically precise Anthony Hopkins, who embodied the monstrous charm of Lecter and became the most captivating serial killer in film history. Overall impression: 95%. (14.06.2006)