The Silence of the Scenes?: The Silence of the Lambs Film vs. Book

by Raegan Densmore

Image By Joshua Dean: https://alternativemovieposters.com/amp/the-silence-of-the-lambs-by-joshua-dean/

Note: Despite this being a horror story, I do not discuss anything horrific or describe any graphic details. 

In the spirit of the Halloween season, I was compelled to read and watch Thomas Harris’ The Silence of the Lambs. I was inspired to write this by my nonstop blabbering of how I felt about the movie, which I watched almost immediately after finishing the book. I was eager to watch this movie for a long time, but held myself back until I forced myself to pick the book back up and complete it. Well, recently something in me enjoyed the idea of reading, and so, I picked the book back up, and once I did, I could hardly stop. The story engulfs you in suspense as you follow Clarice Starling in solving a murder case, with the help of another, more dangerous murder, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, before the current murderer, Buffalo Bill, kills another victim. After finishing this amazing story, I excitedly watched the movie that night, but was left feeling disappointed. The film was not bad at all overall, however, it felt very choppy, as certain events and details were left out and some were even mixed or changed. One of the biggest issues this caused was how these switches in the movie affected the characters and their dynamics. 

   One notable elimination that stuck out to me in the movie was Jack Crawford’s wife, Bella, who is sick and ultimately about to die. This gives us a different perspective on Crawford’s character; we see his emotion, his weakness, how this situation affects his ability to participate in the current crime case, how others interact with him as though he is more tender, and his connection with the main character, Clarice Starling. Without Bella, Crawford is not as humanized. His character is merely for the purpose of the case and nothing more. We end up not knowing much about him, but rather, his character’s sole purpose to be Clarice’s boss and a guide in the murder mystery. 

  Another key connection is Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter. The condensing of the film made Dr. Lecter does not seem as prominent in the movie, even though he is an important character. Overall, we did not get the fullest sense of their connection in the film compared to the book. Clarice’s visits with him were shorter, they did not discuss as much as they did in the book. There are certain characters that are left out of the story which also affected these conversations as well. Klaus, the lover of one of Lecter’s patients, and Hannah, the horse that Clarice runs away with as a child. These characters provided more discussion between Clarice and Lecter, and we also would have gotten more detail of their own character, as these characters provide insights into their own lives and stories which were discussed in the book, and therefore, we do not get to know about this part of them. I cannot explain much further without spoiling the story. These may seem insignificant, but I believe it makes us note details about the characters, getting a better sense of who they are, and during these discussions, we get a better sense of how they interact and react to each other as there is more to go off of. 

  Although I criticize the condensing of the film, I understand that there is only so much that you can fit in a two hour movie, and that these changed details were done because of this limited time. The movie is still well done in terms of the main story as well as suspense and horror as well as the feminist aspects of it. It still engages you with confusion and eager suspense, however with all the insight I had already gathered from reading the book, I was easily able to recognize what parts were left out, and how that affected the movie overall, but especially the characters in terms of their dynamics and self. However, I believe that the film The Silence of the Lambs would have been a better watch if I had not read the book first. I heard nothing but great things about this movie, and I was excited, yet ultimately left disappointed. The Silence of the Lambs film simply just summarized the book. Because of this, I think it may have been more enjoyable to watch the movie first, so I could enjoy the story itself rather than critique it about what it left out or changed. Then I could have read the book and enjoyed it more as I gained a better sense of the characters, instead of finding them more bland. 

References

Demme, Johnathan, dir. 1991. The Silence of the Lambs. USA: Orion Pictures.

Harris, Thomas. 1989. The Silence of the Lambs. N.p.: St. Martin's Press.