I remember as a child hearing about the film, though since it came out around the time of my birth, watching it was out of the question, though it wasn't long (14/15) years later that I did. Watching it back then at an early stage in my life didn't exactly do the film great justice as i didn't quite understand the full meaning but as time went on, as did my age and curiosity it became more clear.
It begins with Clarice a top student at the FBI's training facility (Jodie Foster) who manages to land herself on a special assignment, investigating a vicious murderer nicknamed Buffalo Bill, who kills young women and then removes the skin from their bodies. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) sends to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, (Anthony Hopkins) a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into this case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out. Lecter does indeed know something of Buffalo Bill, but his information comes with a price: in exchange for telling what he knows, he wants to be housed in a more comfortable facility though what is more important, he wants to speak with Clarice about her past. He skillfully digs into her psyche, forcing her to reveal her innermost traumas and putting her in a position of vulnerability when she can least afford to be weak. The film mingles the horrors of criminal acts with the psychological horrors of Lecter's slow-motion interrogation of Clarice and of her memories that emerge from it.
I think for me in relation to this project I find that the way Hannibal makes Cannibalism seem elegant and rich rather profound, giving it an almost intelligent side. Even though the film wasn't entirely set around the thought of cannibalism, it still gave a different insight than the wide spread 'butcher the human and eat him'.
No comments:
Post a Comment