The Silence Of The Lambs - Thomas Harris

My copy of SOTL

Anybody else have this annoying habit of watching a movie and then trying to find out whether it is based on a book and then obsessively reading said book and comparing minute details over how the movie deviated from the books? Or are you the original hipsters who have thoroughly read the book and go watch the movie just so that you can “tsk” “tsk” at every deviated plot-line and every omitted character?  Yes, I can hear you Harry Potter fans yelling from the corner! Yes, I agree with you, the books were better.

Silence of the lambs, I should call it a cult masterpiece as far as thrillers are concerned. Both the book and the movie take on the story in parallel paths, both amazing and totally justified but why do I praise the movie so much? Well, one does not simply watch “Silence of the Lambs” and not fall in love with Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of Hannibal Lecter aka Hannibal the Cannibal. Jodie Foster is brilliant as Clarice Starling, the rookie detective that cracks the case of “Buffalo Bill”

Some special notes on the movie poster:  The moth featured on the poster is a death's head moth, aptly named as the pattern on its thorax resembles a skull. The movie poster goes one step further and uses Salvador Dali's "In Voluptas Mors" as a superimposition on the moths body. Truly surrealism at it's finest.

1. The movie poster Source: iMDb

2. Los Voluptas Mors, Salvador Dali, Philippe Halsman Image Source: Pinterest 

3. The Death's Head Hawk Moth   - Source:BBC.uk credits: Les Hill

Below are a few things a movie reader will miss from the books. “Buffalo” Bill’s motivation behind skinning women. His struggles with his identity and the misunderstood conclusions that he draws as a result are all well described in the book. The movie chooses not to show the same as they are not exactly integral to the central plot, but nevertheless are like sprinkles on top of ice cream. The intricacies of Jame Gumb’s gender indecisiveness, the sewing prowess, his obsession with moths and symbolism behind his actions and the gay character (curiously left out of the movie) all are best described in the book. 

As a corollary, the movie viewer gets the best of Anthony Hopkins, the stare that can make you squirm in your seat. Say what you may, the visual medium with the right actors’ performance can far surpass anything literary no matter how vivid your imagination. If not surpass, let us just say that the visual medium really accentuates the literary commentary on the Hannibal character. One cannot help but feel the jump when Dr Lecter hisses at Starling. 

Closing notes: The Silence of the lambs is a cult movie and an equally delicious book to devour.  9.5/10 would recommend to anyone interested in a thriller. 10/10 would recommend to everyone who has watched the movie as the book will freaking blow your minds. Case in point “Billy Rubin”

Footnotes
1. iMDb - Movie poster
2. Pinterest - Los Voluptas Mors
3. deaths-head-hawkmoth-swoops-into-uk