INTO THE ASYLUM
AN OBSESSIVE LOVE OF
"THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS"
On Valentine's Day, 1991, unbeknownst to all, a feature thriller of epic proportions was released. Moviegoers would not be the same. Society would not be the same. I would not be the same... I was 2 years old.
Now I know what you're thinking, and NO, my parents didn't take me to see an Rated-R film at that age. They weren't that insane. It would be many years later when I found the VHS and pressed play, that I discovered the masterpiece that is The Silence of the Lambs.
I'M SORRY, WHAT?
When the question arises, "What would you say is your favorite film of all time?" I can say without a doubt, without hesitation, The Silence of the Lambs. What usually follows is a string of stares, gaping mouths, and an empty silence in the air. It's as though I've spoken another language and they need a translator. Personally, I don't know how many people can even answer that question, let alone choose a thriller. But the question that always follows is one that is much more difficult to answer. "Why?"
I could say that I love the film because of the brilliant acting, the remarkable script, or even the riveting novel itself. I could say that Howard Shore's score moves the film and truly makes it ingenious. But I think deep down, the true reason it is my favorite, is my long standing fascination with serial killers and true crime. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a serious interest in serial killers; who they were, what they did, and why they did it. In The Silence of the Lambs we get to see two very different serial killer portrayals, one in Dr. Lecter and the other in "Buffalo Bill". We get to dive into their dark minds and see the carnage that unfolds. This story takes fantasy and reality and melds it into this poetic and disturbing labyrinth that you easily lose "yourself" into.
BY
ARABELLA FOX
MEMORY, AGENT STARLING, IS WHAT I HAVE INSTEAD OF A VIEW