What do you think?
Rate this book
BFI Film Classics
سکوت برهها
سکوت برهها بسیاری از بینندگاناش را به پیش و پس از خودش تقسیم کرد و دامنهی تأثیرش بر فرهنگ عمومی مردم سرتاسر جهان چنان بود که در واکنش به فشارهای روانی زندگی مدرن، این جمله را زیاد میشد شنید: «همین که با همهی اینها به هانیبال لکتر آدمخوار تبدیل نشدهایم، جای شکرش باقیست». فیلمی که جاناتان دمی با نبوغ و رادیکالیسم برآمده از رویکردهای روایی و فرمی خاص خودش که ریشههایش را میشد در آثار دههی هشتادش مثل «چیزی وحشی» و «شنا به کامبوج» دید، پس از اکراناش به شکل بیسابقهای نظر همگان را به خود جلب کرد و همهی طیفهای منتقدان و جمعیت بزرگی از مردم دوستش داشتند و ستایشاش میکردند. ایوون تاسکر در تکنگاری تحلیلی – پژوهشیاش بر سکوت برهها، طریقتی که دمی برگزیده را بررسی کرده و نشانه داده که او چهگونه توانسته اثری به شدت التقاطی با درهمآمیزی ژانرهای مختلف خلق کند و درنهایت فیلمی شخصی بسازد که به وضوح به پدید آمدن امر نو در کارگردانی، بازیگری و فیلمنامهنویسی منتهی شده است. سکوت برهها کتابیست برای گریز به اعماق تریلری روانشناختی که با وجود وجوه قدرتمند ژانر وحشت و ژانر جنایی، ابعادی بس عظیمتر یافته و پیچیدگیهایش در رویهی ابتدایی اثر و لایههای زیرینش شناور است و کتابی که تاسکر نوشته، در کشف و تلاش برای فهم این پیچیدگیها میتواند کمک کننده باشد.
123 pages, Paperback
First published March 29, 2002
26 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 1, 2017
This is one of those movies which have such an impact that it’s surprising when they just fall apart on you. (The Maltese Falcon would be another example). It falls apart when you take a minute to consider what the movie is about, what it does, and what reality it’s reflecting, rather than what great performances, what cool cinematography, and so forth. This is a movie which pretends to be from the gritty end of American reality but which is as absurd and fantastical as Me Before You or La La Land. That doesn’t make it bad, but it does make it disingenuous.
We’ll be right back after this short break.
Lambs : Baa! Baa! Poor white trashhhhh! Baa! Trashhhhh! Baa!
Daisy (a Quebecois cow with a slight French accent) : What are you all doing?
Arthur (a helpful lamb): We’re implanting a primal memory! Baa! Poor white trashhhh! It’s fun!
Daisy: Okay. Moo!
Lambs : No, you have to go baaa! It’s for Silence of the Lambs, not Silence of the Cows.
Daisy: Whose memory, anyway?
Arthur: Clarice Starling up there in that bedroom. She’ll always remember us now!
Daisy: Moo! Isn’t that rather mean? What did this Clarice ever do to you?
Lambs : Baa! Baa! Poor white trashhhhh! Baa! Trashhhhh! Baa!
Arthur: Well, she didn’t save us from being slaughtered and eaten so as far as we’re concerned she’s a token representative of the entire meat eating part of the human race and she shoulda tried harder. Baa! Baa! I mean, we were only little lambs and there they all were chewing on our corpses. We never got a chance to grow up, go to college and achieve something in life.
Daisy: I see - when you put it like that – baa! Baa! Poor white trash!! Moo! I mean, baa!
Clarice (wrapping a pillow round her tiny head) : Every night! Bloody hell, what a racket! I want to become an FBI agent!
There never was a serial killer like Hannibal Lecter (they’re never educated people) nor yet one like Buffalo Bill. What’s that I hear? What about Ed Gein? Poor old Ed, he gets dragged out to justify the lurid fantasies of so much serial killer stuff, from Psycho to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to Silence of the Lambs. Okay, he did kill one person, and he did have unwholesome hobbies mostly concerning recently deceased citizens of Plainfield, Wisconsin. But leaving Ed aside, the thing about Buffalo Bill is that he’s not interested in killing females, he’s only after them for their skin. If they could just hand over their skin, he’d let them all go. So why is he doing this?
Dr Hannibal Lecter : Hey Bill, don’t you think it’s rather amusing that no one ever minded me, the erudite cannibal, gourmet, aesthete, with a fridge stuffed with body parts and fava beans – in fact, frankly, they loved me, what a wow I would have been on the late night chat show circuit - whereas you got hung out to dry, so to speak. Do you think it’s because you’re vulgar and aren’t much of a conversationalist?
Bill : Naw, it wasn’t a class thing. People got confused because I was so hopelessly confused that people thought I was gay or transgender because I was trying to make a woman suit. Really I'm a victim of misogynism.
Dr Lecter : Well, that is a little confusing. Why didn’t you just get an operation? I know some people who would have chopped off and fried whatever you didn’t require anymore for free. I mean, you did kind of come across as a little bit transgender, you know. I mean, you look like you belong in a 1990s metal band. I don’t mean to offend.
Bill: Well, I tried to get the op but they turned me down due to having a lot of mental issues and also due to if I’d had the operation none of this skinning business would ever have happened so none of this whole story would have happened. So that’s probably why. Anyhow, all those critics were confused about my confusion which was pretty confused. Of course it may be that it was Thomas Harris who was confused to begin with which is understandable because most people are and why should best selling authors be exempt, they’re just people right? I’m not sure if this is germane, but you may have noticed that the whole modern smorgasbord of sexual identity is a study in progressive complication – First B and T were added to the original L and G, but now we have LGBTQQIA+ - it’s hard to keep up, there’s a new letter being added every other month.
Dr Lecter : Billy, where did you learn a word like smorgasbord?
Bill : Reader’s Digest.
Dr Lecter : Good digestion is essential.
Bottom line : Silence of the Baa-Lambs is a nasty jumble of prurient cultural fantasy expertly smoothed and honed and pleated into an excellent movie made unmissable by two indelible performances, and this little BFI guide is rather stiff and humorless but not bad at all for those who like reading about movies as well as watching them.
We’ll be right back after this short break.
Lambs : Baa! Baa! Poor white trashhhhh! Baa! Trashhhhh! Baa!
Daisy (a Quebecois cow with a slight French accent) : What are you all doing?
Arthur (a helpful lamb): We’re implanting a primal memory! Baa! Poor white trashhhh! It’s fun!
Daisy: Okay. Moo!
Lambs : No, you have to go baaa! It’s for Silence of the Lambs, not Silence of the Cows.
Daisy: Whose memory, anyway?
Arthur: Clarice Starling up there in that bedroom. She’ll always remember us now!
Daisy: Moo! Isn’t that rather mean? What did this Clarice ever do to you?
Lambs : Baa! Baa! Poor white trashhhhh! Baa! Trashhhhh! Baa!
Arthur: Well, she didn’t save us from being slaughtered and eaten so as far as we’re concerned she’s a token representative of the entire meat eating part of the human race and she shoulda tried harder. Baa! Baa! I mean, we were only little lambs and there they all were chewing on our corpses. We never got a chance to grow up, go to college and achieve something in life.
Daisy: I see - when you put it like that – baa! Baa! Poor white trash!! Moo! I mean, baa!
Clarice (wrapping a pillow round her tiny head) : Every night! Bloody hell, what a racket! I want to become an FBI agent!
There never was a serial killer like Hannibal Lecter (they’re never educated people) nor yet one like Buffalo Bill. What’s that I hear? What about Ed Gein? Poor old Ed, he gets dragged out to justify the lurid fantasies of so much serial killer stuff, from Psycho to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to Silence of the Lambs. Okay, he did kill one person, and he did have unwholesome hobbies mostly concerning recently deceased citizens of Plainfield, Wisconsin. But leaving Ed aside, the thing about Buffalo Bill is that he’s not interested in killing females, he’s only after them for their skin. If they could just hand over their skin, he’d let them all go. So why is he doing this?
Dr Hannibal Lecter : Hey Bill, don’t you think it’s rather amusing that no one ever minded me, the erudite cannibal, gourmet, aesthete, with a fridge stuffed with body parts and fava beans – in fact, frankly, they loved me, what a wow I would have been on the late night chat show circuit - whereas you got hung out to dry, so to speak. Do you think it’s because you’re vulgar and aren’t much of a conversationalist?
Bill : Naw, it wasn’t a class thing. People got confused because I was so hopelessly confused that people thought I was gay or transgender because I was trying to make a woman suit. Really I'm a victim of misogynism.
Dr Lecter : Well, that is a little confusing. Why didn’t you just get an operation? I know some people who would have chopped off and fried whatever you didn’t require anymore for free. I mean, you did kind of come across as a little bit transgender, you know. I mean, you look like you belong in a 1990s metal band. I don’t mean to offend.
Bill: Well, I tried to get the op but they turned me down due to having a lot of mental issues and also due to if I’d had the operation none of this skinning business would ever have happened so none of this whole story would have happened. So that’s probably why. Anyhow, all those critics were confused about my confusion which was pretty confused. Of course it may be that it was Thomas Harris who was confused to begin with which is understandable because most people are and why should best selling authors be exempt, they’re just people right? I’m not sure if this is germane, but you may have noticed that the whole modern smorgasbord of sexual identity is a study in progressive complication – First B and T were added to the original L and G, but now we have LGBTQQIA+ - it’s hard to keep up, there’s a new letter being added every other month.
Dr Lecter : Billy, where did you learn a word like smorgasbord?
Bill : Reader’s Digest.
Dr Lecter : Good digestion is essential.
Bottom line : Silence of the Baa-Lambs is a nasty jumble of prurient cultural fantasy expertly smoothed and honed and pleated into an excellent movie made unmissable by two indelible performances, and this little BFI guide is rather stiff and humorless but not bad at all for those who like reading about movies as well as watching them.
December 10, 2025
4,5 Sterne für Buch und Film
February 7, 2025
دهه 90 میلادی، بدون شک یکی از بهترین و درخشانترین دوران تاریخ سینماست. انقدر فیلم مهم، محبوب و مشهور در این دهه ساخته شده که اگه بخوایم در مورد اونا صحبت کنیم باید چندین روز وقت بذاریم.
فیلمای اسپیلبرگ یعنی فهرست شیندلر با اون موسیقی جاودان جان ویلیامز، نجات سرباز رایان و یکی از مهمترین فیلمای کارنامه اون یعنی پارک ژوراسیک.
کازینوی اسکورسیزی و البته گود فلاس که همواره به عنوان یکی از بهترین فیلمای گنگستری تاریخ سینما یاد میشه (اگه بخوایم اونو تو دهه 90 به حساب بیاریم)، مظنونین همیشگی برایان سینگر، نمایش ترومن پیتر ویر، فیلمای تماشاگر پسند دنی بویل از جمله رگیابی، زیبای آمریکایی هنجار شکن و پر سر و صدای سم مندس، شجاعدل مل گیبسون، مگنولیای اندرسون، نفوذی و هیت مایکل مان، شاهکار الیور استون یعنی جیافکی، تیغه فلاخن، ویل هانتیگ نابغه، محرمانه لسآنجلس، موفقیت لئون حرفهای لوک بسون، یکی از متفاوتترین فیلمای جنگی ساخته شده یعنی خط باریک قرمز ترنس مالیک، حس ششم شیامالان، آتش زدن مراسم اسکار توسط بیمار انگلیسی و با گرگها میرقصد و لیستی که تمومی نداره...
دههای که توش فرانک دارابونت، رستگاری در شائوشنکی رو ساخت که بعدها به عنوان رتبه اول آیامدیبی به عنوان بهترین فیلم تمام دوران از نگاه تماشاگران انتخاب شد و جالبه که دارابونت با ساخت مسیر سبز در همین دهه، نشون داد که در به دست آوردن دل مخاطب تبحر داره...
دههای که تارانتینو با پالپ فیکشن، انقلابی در فیلمنامهنویسی به وجود آورد. تارانتینویی که قبل اون با ساخت سگهای انباری نشون داده بود که حرفهای زیادی در سینما برای گفتن داره.
دوران درخشش فینچر و فتح قلبهای مخاطبان با هفت و باشگاه مشتزنی
دهه ماندگارترین انیمیشنها، شیر شاه و داستان اسباب بازی
بازگشت شکوهمند کلینت ایستوود به سینما نه در قالب بازیگر فیلمهای وسترن اسپاگتی، بلکه به عنوان بازیگر-کارگردانی مسلط به مدیوم سینما که با ساخت نابخشوده و یکی از بهترین عاشقانههای تمام دوران یعنی پلهای مدیسون کانتی، ثابت کرد که جایگاهش رو به عنوان یکی از ماندگارترین چهرههای تاریخ سینما الکی به دست نیاورده...
دهه 90 دهه درخشش برادران هم بود...
برادران واچفسکی که با ماتریکس نگاهها رو به خودشون دوختند و البته که شاید اون موقع کسی نمیدونست که با گذشت یکی دو دهه، باید اونا رو خواهران واچفسکی صدا کرد!
از برادران کوئن هم که اصلا نباید بگذریم، فارگو و لبوفسکی بزرگ که بعدها به عنوان یکی از بهترین فیلمهای کالت سینما شناخته شد و فرقهای برای خودش تشکیل داد.
دوران درخشش تام هنکس و کسب دو اسکار پیاپی برای فیلمای فارست گامپ و فیلادلفیا، خلق یکی از ماندگارترین بازیهای دهه توسط ادوارد نورتون در فیلم تاریخ مجهول آمریکا و همچنین یکی از بهترین بازیهای تاریخ سینما توسط آل پاچینو در فیلم بوی خوش زن و بعدها بازی مثال زدنی اون در وکیل مدافع شیطان و البته راه کارلیتوی دیپالما، کسب سومین اسکار توسط جک نیکلسون دوست داشتنی و هنرمند، در اوج ماندن رابرت دنیرو، دلبری دیکاپریو و برد پیت، محبوبیت روز افزون رابین ویلیامز...
فتح گیشهها توسط جیمز کمرون و آرنولدی که با قسمت دوم ترمیناتور سینماها رو تسخیر کرد و بعدها تایتانیکی که تمام پولها رو جارو کرد...
دههای که کارگردان افسانهای، استنلی کوبریک، چشمان تمام بستهای رو ساخت که به نظر خودش مهمترین و بهترین فیلمی بوده که ساخته و البته، کاپولا، یکی از مهمترین سهگانههای تاریخ سینما یعنی گادفادر رو به پایان رسوند.
آیا درخشش فقط مربوط به سینما آمریکا بود؟ خیر
دهه نود، دهه پادشاهی شاهرخ خان در سینمای بالیووده
در شرق دور ژانگ ییمو بهترین فیلمهای کارنامه خودش رو ساخته؛ هایائو میازاکی با انیمههای خودش از جمله پرنسس مونوکه غوغا کرده
در ایران هم کیارستمی، مجید مجیدی، مهرجویی و کلی کارگردان دیگه آثار خوبی منتشر کردن
از اروپا هم نباید غافل بشیم!
شاهکار بیبدیل نقاش یونانی سینما آنگلوپولوس، یعنی ابدیت و یکروز؛
فیلم دیوانه بلاتار مجاری، تانگوی شیطان؛
رقص کیشلوفسکی لهستانی بر مرزهای عشق و هنر با زندگی دوگانه ورونیکا و البته سه گانه رنگها.
و کلی فیلم خوب دیگه که الان خاطرم نیست که تو این لیست بیارمشون
در چنین دههای، با این همه فیلم مهم و ماندگار، اثری عجیب و غریب ساخته شد که برای همیشه نام خودش رو بر بدنه سینما حک کرد:
سکوت برهها
فیلمی خشن، جسور و مضظرب کننده که تونست تمامی جوایز اصلی رو مال خودش بکنه از جمله اسکار جودی فاستر؛ همون کسی که اسکورسیزی بزرگ دو دهه قبل در فیلم راننده تاکسی، اونو به عنوان یک دختر بچه شر و بیپروا به ما معرفی کرده بود و آنتونی هاپکینزی که با یکی از کوتاهترین نقش آفرینیها جایزه اسکار رو به دست آورد.
این کتاب نکات جالبی در مورد این فیلم بیان میکنه که حالا خوندنش برای طرفدارای این اثر میتونه جالب باشه
باید بقیه این مجموعه کتابا رو هم بخونم
فیلمای اسپیلبرگ یعنی فهرست شیندلر با اون موسیقی جاودان جان ویلیامز، نجات سرباز رایان و یکی از مهمترین فیلمای کارنامه اون یعنی پارک ژوراسیک.
کازینوی اسکورسیزی و البته گود فلاس که همواره به عنوان یکی از بهترین فیلمای گنگستری تاریخ سینما یاد میشه (اگه بخوایم اونو تو دهه 90 به حساب بیاریم)، مظنونین همیشگی برایان سینگر، نمایش ترومن پیتر ویر، فیلمای تماشاگر پسند دنی بویل از جمله رگیابی، زیبای آمریکایی هنجار شکن و پر سر و صدای سم مندس، شجاعدل مل گیبسون، مگنولیای اندرسون، نفوذی و هیت مایکل مان، شاهکار الیور استون یعنی جیافکی، تیغه فلاخن، ویل هانتیگ نابغه، محرمانه لسآنجلس، موفقیت لئون حرفهای لوک بسون، یکی از متفاوتترین فیلمای جنگی ساخته شده یعنی خط باریک قرمز ترنس مالیک، حس ششم شیامالان، آتش زدن مراسم اسکار توسط بیمار انگلیسی و با گرگها میرقصد و لیستی که تمومی نداره...
دههای که توش فرانک دارابونت، رستگاری در شائوشنکی رو ساخت که بعدها به عنوان رتبه اول آیامدیبی به عنوان بهترین فیلم تمام دوران از نگاه تماشاگران انتخاب شد و جالبه که دارابونت با ساخت مسیر سبز در همین دهه، نشون داد که در به دست آوردن دل مخاطب تبحر داره...
دههای که تارانتینو با پالپ فیکشن، انقلابی در فیلمنامهنویسی به وجود آورد. تارانتینویی که قبل اون با ساخت سگهای انباری نشون داده بود که حرفهای زیادی در سینما برای گفتن داره.
دوران درخشش فینچر و فتح قلبهای مخاطبان با هفت و باشگاه مشتزنی
دهه ماندگارترین انیمیشنها، شیر شاه و داستان اسباب بازی
بازگشت شکوهمند کلینت ایستوود به سینما نه در قالب بازیگر فیلمهای وسترن اسپاگتی، بلکه به عنوان بازیگر-کارگردانی مسلط به مدیوم سینما که با ساخت نابخشوده و یکی از بهترین عاشقانههای تمام دوران یعنی پلهای مدیسون کانتی، ثابت کرد که جایگاهش رو به عنوان یکی از ماندگارترین چهرههای تاریخ سینما الکی به دست نیاورده...
دهه 90 دهه درخشش برادران هم بود...
برادران واچفسکی که با ماتریکس نگاهها رو به خودشون دوختند و البته که شاید اون موقع کسی نمیدونست که با گذشت یکی دو دهه، باید اونا رو خواهران واچفسکی صدا کرد!
از برادران کوئن هم که اصلا نباید بگذریم، فارگو و لبوفسکی بزرگ که بعدها به عنوان یکی از بهترین فیلمهای کالت سینما شناخته شد و فرقهای برای خودش تشکیل داد.
دوران درخشش تام هنکس و کسب دو اسکار پیاپی برای فیلمای فارست گامپ و فیلادلفیا، خلق یکی از ماندگارترین بازیهای دهه توسط ادوارد نورتون در فیلم تاریخ مجهول آمریکا و همچنین یکی از بهترین بازیهای تاریخ سینما توسط آل پاچینو در فیلم بوی خوش زن و بعدها بازی مثال زدنی اون در وکیل مدافع شیطان و البته راه کارلیتوی دیپالما، کسب سومین اسکار توسط جک نیکلسون دوست داشتنی و هنرمند، در اوج ماندن رابرت دنیرو، دلبری دیکاپریو و برد پیت، محبوبیت روز افزون رابین ویلیامز...
فتح گیشهها توسط جیمز کمرون و آرنولدی که با قسمت دوم ترمیناتور سینماها رو تسخیر کرد و بعدها تایتانیکی که تمام پولها رو جارو کرد...
دههای که کارگردان افسانهای، استنلی کوبریک، چشمان تمام بستهای رو ساخت که به نظر خودش مهمترین و بهترین فیلمی بوده که ساخته و البته، کاپولا، یکی از مهمترین سهگانههای تاریخ سینما یعنی گادفادر رو به پایان رسوند.
آیا درخشش فقط مربوط به سینما آمریکا بود؟ خیر
دهه نود، دهه پادشاهی شاهرخ خان در سینمای بالیووده
در شرق دور ژانگ ییمو بهترین فیلمهای کارنامه خودش رو ساخته؛ هایائو میازاکی با انیمههای خودش از جمله پرنسس مونوکه غوغا کرده
در ایران هم کیارستمی، مجید مجیدی، مهرجویی و کلی کارگردان دیگه آثار خوبی منتشر کردن
از اروپا هم نباید غافل بشیم!
شاهکار بیبدیل نقاش یونانی سینما آنگلوپولوس، یعنی ابدیت و یکروز؛
فیلم دیوانه بلاتار مجاری، تانگوی شیطان؛
رقص کیشلوفسکی لهستانی بر مرزهای عشق و هنر با زندگی دوگانه ورونیکا و البته سه گانه رنگها.
و کلی فیلم خوب دیگه که الان خاطرم نیست که تو این لیست بیارمشون
در چنین دههای، با این همه فیلم مهم و ماندگار، اثری عجیب و غریب ساخته شد که برای همیشه نام خودش رو بر بدنه سینما حک کرد:
سکوت برهها
فیلمی خشن، جسور و مضظرب کننده که تونست تمامی جوایز اصلی رو مال خودش بکنه از جمله اسکار جودی فاستر؛ همون کسی که اسکورسیزی بزرگ دو دهه قبل در فیلم راننده تاکسی، اونو به عنوان یک دختر بچه شر و بیپروا به ما معرفی کرده بود و آنتونی هاپکینزی که با یکی از کوتاهترین نقش آفرینیها جایزه اسکار رو به دست آورد.
این کتاب نکات جالبی در مورد این فیلم بیان میکنه که حالا خوندنش برای طرفدارای این اثر میتونه جالب باشه
باید بقیه این مجموعه کتابا رو هم بخونم
August 10, 2025
I'm loving this series of BFI Film Classics.
Yvonne Tasker does an excellent job of looking at The Silence of the Lambs from a feminist female-centric perspective.
The discussion of this film is interesting, thought-provoking and engaging. I absolutely loved it.
Yvonne Tasker does an excellent job of looking at The Silence of the Lambs from a feminist female-centric perspective.
The discussion of this film is interesting, thought-provoking and engaging. I absolutely loved it.
July 28, 2025
This was the first BFI Modern Classics book I’ve read, and I decided to read Tasker’s Silence of the Lambs analysis after recently reading David M. Stewart’s excellent Demme biography There’s No Going Back. I haven’t watched Silence of the Lambs for some time, but I did read and watch Red Dragon and Manhunter about 2 summers ago, so it seemed like a good time to revisit this classic film and read up on some analysis of the film. In re-watching the film after reading Stewart’s book, I was struck by all of the amazing cinematography in the film, as well as the incredible editing that leads to a brisk and engaging pace towards the end of the film. This is truly one of the best films of the 90s and arguably one of the best horror/thriller films. Rewatching the film also made me appreciate Tasker’s analysis of the film’s themes, symbols, and groundbreaking story at the time. Furthermore, Tasker analyzes not just the film, but contrasts it with the book to show what elements were either left out, emphasized, or adjusted for the purpose of the film. Tasker walks through the film’s chronology, but also emphasizes certain elements in each chapter. Chapter 1 examines the symbolic nature of the film, looking at birds, lambs, and butterflies. I didn’t even think about Starling’s name, and how that represents the idea of a bird, something that is sometimes free to roam, but at other times hunted or in a cage. The lamb and butterfly symbolism are a little more apparent, but Tasker provides a useful and insightful analysis in understanding how these symbols function in the overall narrative and themes of the film, as well as how the visual imagery of the film helps to further highlight and emphasize the meaning.
Chapter 2 was particularly interesting as Tasker notes how this film helped to launch the female investigator films that often copied from Silence of the Lambs. While the book was written in the early 2000s, and includes films like Copycat and The Cell, I also thought about Longlegs, which not only takes place around the same time as Silence of the Lambs, but shared a similar visual aesthetic with the film. One of the other elements of Silence that stood out to me on this re-watch was how much Starling was scrutinized as a woman, not just as a cadet. There are several scenes in the film where Demme uses an eye-line match to have the audience experience men staring at her with questioning or skeptical eyes. I was amazed by how many close-up and eye-line match shots there are throughout the film, which enabled viewers to build a kind of empathy and understanding with Starling.
Chapter 4 was also interesting in that it presented the dichotomy between the settings for the film, shifting between the modernist settings like the FBI offices and the more gothic settings like Lecter’s cells and Gumb’s (Buffalo Bill) home. Tasker notes the idea of female gothic, and how gothic settings are often presented as places of disturbances and disorientation, but in both gothic settings, there are paths to understanding or further journeys. Tasker notes the stairs that lead to an undisclosed location in Lecter’s basement cell, as well as the labyrinth like arrangement of Bill’s basement. Both places push Starling to uncomfortable and even dangerous interactions, but enable her to “look deep within” to put clues together and solve the mystery. The last chapter focuses on touch and skin, which I was also glad to read since I noticed that both Lecter and Director Crawford touch Starling’s hand, while the camera focuses a closeup on these interactions. Tasker notes the psychoanalytic qualities of these interactions, and how they lead back to Starling’s memories of her father, and how Lecter and Crawford serve as different types of father figures for her.
In addition to the thoughtful and detailed analysis of the film, the book features amazing color photos from the film that highlight some of the shots, symbols and scenes that Tasker references in her analysis. This was also helpful in understanding her analysis and looking at some of the amazing images from the film. I really enjoyed reading this analysis, and I’m looking forward to reading a few other of these BFI Modern Classics from my library. This is a great, short selection to read if you are a fan of films, and especially if you want to explore some interesting and thoughtful interpretations of this amazing film.
Chapter 2 was particularly interesting as Tasker notes how this film helped to launch the female investigator films that often copied from Silence of the Lambs. While the book was written in the early 2000s, and includes films like Copycat and The Cell, I also thought about Longlegs, which not only takes place around the same time as Silence of the Lambs, but shared a similar visual aesthetic with the film. One of the other elements of Silence that stood out to me on this re-watch was how much Starling was scrutinized as a woman, not just as a cadet. There are several scenes in the film where Demme uses an eye-line match to have the audience experience men staring at her with questioning or skeptical eyes. I was amazed by how many close-up and eye-line match shots there are throughout the film, which enabled viewers to build a kind of empathy and understanding with Starling.
Chapter 4 was also interesting in that it presented the dichotomy between the settings for the film, shifting between the modernist settings like the FBI offices and the more gothic settings like Lecter’s cells and Gumb’s (Buffalo Bill) home. Tasker notes the idea of female gothic, and how gothic settings are often presented as places of disturbances and disorientation, but in both gothic settings, there are paths to understanding or further journeys. Tasker notes the stairs that lead to an undisclosed location in Lecter’s basement cell, as well as the labyrinth like arrangement of Bill’s basement. Both places push Starling to uncomfortable and even dangerous interactions, but enable her to “look deep within” to put clues together and solve the mystery. The last chapter focuses on touch and skin, which I was also glad to read since I noticed that both Lecter and Director Crawford touch Starling’s hand, while the camera focuses a closeup on these interactions. Tasker notes the psychoanalytic qualities of these interactions, and how they lead back to Starling’s memories of her father, and how Lecter and Crawford serve as different types of father figures for her.
In addition to the thoughtful and detailed analysis of the film, the book features amazing color photos from the film that highlight some of the shots, symbols and scenes that Tasker references in her analysis. This was also helpful in understanding her analysis and looking at some of the amazing images from the film. I really enjoyed reading this analysis, and I’m looking forward to reading a few other of these BFI Modern Classics from my library. This is a great, short selection to read if you are a fan of films, and especially if you want to explore some interesting and thoughtful interpretations of this amazing film.
August 17, 2024
4.5 stars.
March 30, 2013
This is a good exploration into one of the greatest psychological horror films ever made. Tasker provides a good discussion on the major feminist themes, as well as some discussion of serial killers and their mentality. This is definitely a good read for movie lovers.
August 20, 2023
I do love these books...
I've said before, that you never know what you're going to get with these, and this one lies purely in the 'film criticism' box. Not a technical detail of how the film was made, but a strong psychological analysis of what's going on, why it works and where it sits in the history of film. Arguments are well thought out, but one statement really struck home:
"...the uncertainties produced by social change, as ideas about what men and women are, and what we should or could be, constantly shift and evolve."
A book written in 2002 about a film made in 1990....could 'Lambs' have been made in this day and age? I believe the book is now in a new edition - I may track it down and see how the authors views have been affected by even further social movement and where they feel the film fits in the 2020's.
I've said before, that you never know what you're going to get with these, and this one lies purely in the 'film criticism' box. Not a technical detail of how the film was made, but a strong psychological analysis of what's going on, why it works and where it sits in the history of film. Arguments are well thought out, but one statement really struck home:
"...the uncertainties produced by social change, as ideas about what men and women are, and what we should or could be, constantly shift and evolve."
A book written in 2002 about a film made in 1990....could 'Lambs' have been made in this day and age? I believe the book is now in a new edition - I may track it down and see how the authors views have been affected by even further social movement and where they feel the film fits in the 2020's.
May 28, 2024
It’s really hard to trust any book that gets a basic fact wrong in its second page. If the movie won best picture in 1992 it would be kinda hard to be based on a 1998 novel. Fact checkers? Proof readers? BFI? The first forty pages do a lot of retelling without a lot on the idea front. The second stretch did offer good insight and concepts. But what should I believe?
Read
May 13, 2025It's a good essay. There are photographs in it... a lot are of Jodie Foster which I appreciate, but there's also one of Holly Hunter in the film "Copycat", which I understand is a "Copycat" of Silence of the Lambs. I should watch that film. Silence of the Lambs is the best movie ever, I think. Well, I like it, in any case.
April 29, 2024
super light read, kur tiek iztirzāta viena no manām mīļākajām filmām
February 19, 2025
Boring asf. I feel like it gave very surface level analysis of the movie. The only thing that I really got out of it was the connections to past investigative female leads in cinema.
February 23, 2008
I actually read this before I saw the film and I remember screaming at the screen when Crawford rings Buffalo Bill's doorbell, "That's not how it happens in the book!" Well put together book. The birth of Starling and well, she gave birth to Scully and Sydney Bristow, etc.
Movie connection: Still one of the best thrillers on celluloid.
Movie connection: Still one of the best thrillers on celluloid.
June 3, 2012
Many charateristics of several different personality disorders at work in this depiction of a very sick man who seems to be the perfect picture of a psychopath...and Clarice Starling, a culmination of childhood trauma, somehow overlooked by the FBI of course.
February 26, 2008
I don't have time to read mediocre books. Read this one if you haven't already!!
March 23, 2008
Awesome! I've come back to Dr. Lector several times over the years.
May 7, 2011
Great book... and as usual, the movie wasn't nearly as good.
July 22, 2012
Maybe not a masterpiece, but as close as a thriller/horror/suspense
novel may come.
Yup, a Five-Star read.
Read
March 30, 2014perfectly written, interesting details about the FBI!
July 24, 2014
Không đáng sợ mấy nhưng mang lại cảm giác là lạ và không muốn ăn cơm :v
Nhất là khi mình tưởng tượng ra mấy cái xác....
Nhất là khi mình tưởng tượng ra mấy cái xác....
July 7, 2015
Wayback Read.
Book so much better than the movie...
Book so much better than the movie...
March 20, 2016
Hard to review a book on a movie I haven't seen, but it was a great analysis! Now off to watch the movie.
February 25, 2008
Another one I've read twice...
October 3, 2013
As entertaining as the movie... Easy fast read.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews