THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL
From the beginning of the credits I am immediately mesmerized. With each step that Clarice takes during her training run, I already start to feel the anticipation that something different and possibly sinister is about to happen. She appears so innocent and fragile on the surface, but it is apparent that her mind is constantly spinning with that passionate need to prove that a woman can handle being in the FBI just as much as a man can.
When her simple meeting with Jack Crawford sends her to the asylum to interview Lecter, I'm already on the edge. I feel as though any wrong move she makes she's going to be devoured. And not just by Lecter himself! This has started a psychological descent, that when once completed, she, and I, will never be able to leave behind.
Jodi Foster's portrayal of Clarice Starling is absolutely magnificent. She brings the character to life in ways that one couldn't even begin to express or imagine. Her mental strength and confidence carries Clarice throughout the film. And when watching, I could almost believe that this is reality and not fiction. Suprisingly,
Jodi Foster was not the first choice for the character of Clarice. Although she
had been interested in the part from the beginning, and having just come off an Acadamy Award win, Director, Demme was still not convinced in her ability to
play Clarice. His choice was actually, Michelle Pfeiffer... Really? I'm sorry, but I couldn't ever, ever, ever, see that! Don't get me wrong, I like Michelle Pfeiffer as an actress, but never could she be Clarice. Obviously, she turned it down (thankfully) and Jodi was given the role. The role in which would bring her, her second
Acadamy Award for Best Actress.
Quid Pro Quo
Now, I'm not exactly sure where or why my obsession with serial killers began. They are frightening, yet oh so facsinating and unique. They are the monsters of our nightmares, but as a society we, in a strange way, embrace them in movies and literature. Hannibal and "Buffalo Bill" are not your typical serial killers, if there are such. Both characters are based off of monsters in real life. Hannibal is suave, refined, educated. He's someone I'd love to sit down and have an intellectual meal with, so long as I wasn't the one on the menu. Yes, he eats his victims. His charm is disarming but as the film progresses I never once feel that Clarice is in any danger from him. He's terrifying, oh yes. But I can't help to try and see past the monster.