Silence of the Lambs Pt 2: Head in Jar, Moth in Throat, Girl in Pit
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 12:30PM 
Team Experience is revisiting 1991's Best Picture, Silence of the Lambs for its 25th anniversary. In Pt 1 we met our protagonist FBI student Clarice Starling, given an errand by her boss to question serial killer Hannibal the Cannibal in hopes of gaining insight into a new case, a killer named "Buffalo Bill". We begin where Kieran left us with our intrepid heroine, Clarice Starling, sliding herself narrowly into an ominous storage facility thanks to a lead (of sorts) from Hannibal Lecter.
Let’s see what she finds inside, shall we?
Pt 2 by Angelica Jade Bastién
00:24:43 A bloody cut from some rotten wood will be the least of Clarice’s problems
00:25:35 Creepiest storage facility ever, right? Thus far we’ve seen disparate parts from pale mannequins, a taxidermy owl suspended mid flight, and other odd oddities covered in dust.
00:26:05 The fear and curiosity on Clarice’s face is palpable. I think what makes her such a compelling lead are those qualities coupled with her bravery. I’ve been bothered recently by seeing many female characters who are either so strong they seem infallible or faux girl-power creations. Clarice is compelling because of her humanity and complications.
A headless mannequin. And a bodiless head.
00:26:13 The mannequin in the back of the car Clarice discovers provokes the greatest unease…
00:26:47 ...Until she discovers the rotting head in a jar. This head (and to a far greater extent, Buffalo Bill) brings up the troubling sexual and gender politics of Silence of the Lambs when watching it in 2016. The way we look at and discuss identity, gender, and sexuality have greatly changed since the film premiered in 1991.
00:27:38 Clarice goes straight to Hannibal after finding the head and she figures out that he rented the storage room. Before he addresses her line of questioning he gives her a towel through his cell’s metal slot to dry her hair still soaking because of being in the rain.
No act of kindness from Hannibal should be taken at face value though.
00:28:03 “Your bleeding has stopped,” is the first thing Hannibal says to Clarice. This disquieting statement coupled with the fact that he remains in the shadows lets us know who has the upper hand in this conversation.
00:28:21 Instead of answering Clarice’s question about whose head she found he wonders aloud why she hasn’t asked him about Buffalo Bill. He wants to see the case file which she isn’t giving up… at least not yet.
Hannibal does let her know that the head once belonged to a patient of his which he tucked away for safekeeping when he found it. Sure. Okay. That isn’t weird at all.
A familiar look
00:29:11 “Just think of him as a kind of experiment. A fledgling killers first effort at transformation,” is the most important thing Hannibal says about his decapitated former patient.
00:29:44 Clarice’s mocking, exasperated look in response to Hannibal trying to push her buttons by bringing up Jack Crawford (and his hypothetical sexual interest in her) is the same look I have when men lewdly try to approach me at bars.
Forced to watch televangelists at full blast? Even serial killers don't deserve that punishment
00:30:16 “The petty torments” of Dr. Chilton include taking away Hannibal’s drawings and putting a gospel program on television right in front of his cell whose volume will go full blast once Clarice leaves. This is all over what happened to Miggs. But Chilton is petty enough to need very little of a reason to pull a stunt like this.
00:30:33 Love the image of Hannibal’s face coming in and out of the shadows. The way his eyes are obscured here make him more terrifying, vaguely otherworldly. If sex and death are the most profound mores of being human Hannibal mixes them impeccably well.
all he wants is A Room With a View
00:30:57 Hannibal offers Clarice a psychological profile on Buffalo Bill if he gets the case file. But the look in his eyes as he describes the facility he would prefer to be in with a view speaks to less altruistic desires.
00:31:21 Clarice rightly figures that Hannibal knows who Buffalo Bill really is thanks to his decapitated former patient. Of course, he won’t give that up. It’s his leverage. Looking at this scene it’s easy to understand why Hannibal and Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of the character casts such a long shadow on pop culture. I’m not all that enamored with the character or his performance. But I think he’s an interesting figure to study when looking at pop culture’s obsession with serial killers. Sidenote: I would really like to see more female serial killer stories, especially those who treat their macabre work as an art form like Hannibal does.
00:32:05 “The next special lady” to quote Hannibal in Memphis unaware of the ordeal ahead of her with Buffalo Bill.
"I'll be right there," to her kitty. Oh, Special Lady. Don't make promises you can't keep.
Can I help you with that?
00:33:17 Catherine watches Buffalo Bill pretend to need help putting a small couch in his van. She asks if she can help. Girl, don’t do it!
Maybe it is a byproduct of paranoia or growing up as a woman reading a lot of true crime but there is no way in hell I would have helped him.
00:34:56 Who is going to take care of her cute kitty in the window?!
Ardelia is always there for Clarice
00:35:20 I know Kasi Lemmons plays a small role but I enjoy her presence nonetheless. I wish her friendship with Clarice figured more largely into the movie, though.
00:35:58 Another woman’s body found this time in West Virginia bringing Clarice back into the field. (I agree with Kieran about Jack Crawford, by the way. I wouldn’t say he’s a full blown creep but something feels off about him but I’m unsure if that’s on purpose.)
another 'special lady' found :(
00:36:15 Clarice is very affected looking at the photos of Buffalo Bill’s handiwork. As an adult I’ve realized I’ve long been drawn to stories like this because they operate as cautionary tales. Crime novelist Megan Abbott wrote about why women gravitate to this genre saying:
In this way, women read crime fiction because, in many cases, they’re reading themselves.”
00:38:15 In watching The X-Files recently I have been reminded about how much Clarice influenced Dana Scully, especially in the early years of the show. Both women are intelligent, brave in the face of danger, and often pushed around by patriarchal forces that wish to keep them in the dark.
00:40:57 The overwhelming experience Clarice is dealing with brings her back to the memory of her father’s funeral.
the male gaze keeps looking at the camera... Clarice... us.
00:41:41 The men from the local sheriff’s office look at Clarice with a sort of dismissive, casual misogyny that makes my blood boil. I’ve been in Clarice’s place to various degrees.
00:43:14 Letting us see everyone’s reactions to the body of the victim is a smart choice. We of course see the body in full a little later. I wonder how many dead women’s bodies have we seen in stories like this since Silence of the Lambs came out? Clarice being the lead character and our way into this story offsets the usual misogyny that crops up in similar stories to this.
Agent Starling, meet Mr. Acherontia Styx. Better known to his friends as the Death Head's Moth. Somebody grew this guy, fed him honey and nightshade. Kept him warm. Somebody loved him.
00:45:39 Clarice and the bug cocoon found in the victim’s throat. It was too deeply embedded to be an accident.
00:47:42 Clarice finds her answers about the bug cocoon found in the victim’s throat from two entomologists (Paul Lazar and Dan Butler).
00:48:27 Say hello to The Death’s-head Moth.
Buffalo Bill's lair. Another shout out to production designer Kristin Zea
00:49:24 We finally get a look at the place Buffalo Bill calls home, as he sews. The place is sickly, dank, crowded, and overwhelming. His desire for transformation and broken self greatly informs a lot of the design.
00:49:40 This chapter ends with a dog running through the lair to the source of offscreen screaming. It's Catherine’s voice coming from below in a dark, dank pit.
Precious!
PLEASE! WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME, PLEASE!
She’s alive but for how long?
Angelica Jade Bastién
Angelica Jade Bastién is a Southern born essayist and screenwriter. She's written for Bustle and Bright Wall/Dark Room. She primarily writes about noir, Old Hollywood, and female madness. 'The Feminine Grotesque' is the best way to describe her aesthetic. She is currently obsessed with the beauty of Cary Fukunaga, baking the perfect pie, and Bette Davis. You can find her musings and other writerly experiments on her site, Madwomen & Muses. [Follow Angelica on Twitter / previous Angelica articles]
Reader Comments (18)
I didn't realize everyone on Team Experience gets a running commentary from where we last left off. I think I need to stop reading these because when we get to Buffalo Bill applying makeup and tucking his penis the queer progressive diatribe will be unbearable.
/3rtful: It can't exactly be left unsaid, but a poison pill (The Danish Girl) is worse than open contempt (this.)
Love that you brought up Megan Abbott. And I do appreciate that the portrayal of misogyny is nuanced and not one-note in this film. The (very realistic) portrayal of how law enforcement in this small town interact with a female FBI agent is different from how the fumbling entomologist flirts with Clarice (and thereby devalues the fact that she's on assignment) as is her reaction to both. Great write-up, Angelica.
/3rftul...I often read your comments on this site and I can't for the life of me figure out exactly what your problem is, but I'm almost certain that the root of it has nothing to do with anything anyone on this site is writing. Stopping reading sounds like an excellent idea and maybe you can use your time off to go deal with whatever it is that's upsetting you so much.
3rftul I may not always agree with but at least he's no creep or virtue signaller,he has his voice and expresses it,we shouldn't ask people to stay quiet just because they have their own thoughts,i quite like he doesn't go with the grain,when he said that Mcdormand's win for Best Actress in 96 baffled him he spoke deep into my mind,i never got that either..
The exchanges between Clarice & Hannibal are so witty, fast, and creepy all at the same time. They lift this film up from the usual horror film.
As a woman, as soon as I see a lone male with a van on screen, I cringe, automatic paranoid reaction. After the Ted Bundy story, and this film - it's like watching a character in a film open the basement door and go down alone. Such a cultural trope - No don't help him I say to the screen. Don't ever help the lone Van-man.
(In real life the only men with vans I meet are Dads with kids and sports equipment or repairmen) thank God.
I like the addition of the moth in the mouth, it pays off so many times in the film - especially that Iconic film poster, one of the all time best film posters ever.
Great write-up - looking forward to tomorrow.
Another great write-up! That's an interesting insight into why women are attracted to these stories.
I guess I need to re-watch this movie. There's so much I don't remember.
Yes, rewatching Silence of the Lambs definitely made me question why, as a woman, I am so drawn to these stories. Megan Abbott definitely gets to heart of the matter so I knew I had to quote her essay.
Glad to hear you guys enjoyed the write-up. This is definitely a fun series and I'm excited to read everyone else's contributions.
Is no one going to comment on the rather interesting casting of Chuck Aber as Agent Terry? From Mr. Roger's Neighborhood to Silence of the Lambs. Wow.
Thank YOU Jonathan Demme!
Knave -- Demme always has such interesting casting in his films.
Angelica -- i wish you had said more about Abbot. I am not familiar with that essay and I guess I don't quite get what it is that's being said.
also i'm glad you brought up the kitty. That is so depressing that it's sitting there meowing at her and it even gets a closeup.
and about the misogyny. You're so right about the importance of showing their reaction to the dead body. For all its gruseomeness this movie is definitely horrified by the violence rather than revelling in it as so many lesser films do. It's not sensationalized here. It's not like "let's look at dead nude woman!" as so many crime dramas seem to do with abandon...
also that scene alone gives Jodie so much to act with. I love listening to her voice in that scene getting more and more assertive and professional after the initial shock. She's going to make a damn fine intellectual.
Lady -- totally agree on the moth.
Kieran -- i love that beat where Starling flirts back with the entomologist. It's so unlike her reactions in every other scene and I've always been trying to suss out why... maybe its his lack of direct power and that his flirtation is very innocent?.
Don't help the man with the broken arm! Don't get in his van! Too late... She does it every time.
Which is why this is such a good movie: it really makes us care, and even when we know what's going to happen, we hope it won't.
Nice write-up of this second section. I like the observation about the important thing Lecter says about his former patient. One of the most thrilling aspects of the scenes he shares with Clarice is the way that, slowly but surely, the clues emerge.
@mark I concur on /3rtful. I do find a lot of his comments almost irrational and purposefully contrarian but sometimes dissent is good especially when it's on something innocuous like film criticism.
I feel the undertones of fascist superiority in Kieran's comments to be far more dangerous (and less inclined to actually start a discussion) for any comment section (see: Nick Davis).
LOVING this!!!
The already unsettling poster is even more creepy when Hannibal's on it.
Cringe every time she hurts herself in that garage door scene, which is saying a lot about the level of emotional relatability to the audience.
And if I'm not mistaken, in the novel, Clarice ended up dating one of the entomologists!
I definitely think it's because Clarice perceives him to be harmless. And he almost adorably switches his flirting to Ardelia at the end of the movie when he asks for a photo with her.
Staging Clarice seated so glass to the glass on her second visit never fails to take me aback. It's such a simple way to inform how involved she's become and eager she is for information, but also keeps us on edge about the dangerous allure of Lecter.
What I also love about the autopsy scene is the humanity that Foster plays both the physical revulsion and the emotional response of seeing this girl's corpse. Clarice stifling back tears and upchuck is another interesting way we're show her steadfastness but also adds reverence for the human loss that so many crime procedurals never allow.
Oh and yay, Precious showed up! One of my favorite morbid cinema fascinations!
Chris -- and Catherine appears to be keeping Precious at the end. You'd think she'd be a PTSD trigger
Nathaniel - Precious changes her allegiance on a dime from Jame to Catherine, so maybe she's shacking with Senator Martin now anyway?
Foster is terrific in this; every brief moment tells us so much. There is a pervasive melancholy to the character that is heartbreaking.