Silence of the Lambs

Silence of the Lambs

Introduction

In this post-modern era of mass-produced high-definition cinema and portable video that can be downloaded into a portable device via a global, omnipresent network, acting as a commodity has seemingly become a dime a dozen. Yet still, every year, a handful of movies are released that prove to the film community once more, the true value of good acting. One of these released movie classics is The Silence of the Lambs, directed by Jonathon Demme. One of the most profound would be that of Jodie Foster who plays the role of FBI academy trainee, Clarice Starling (Creed, 1993).

The Gender Implication of Silence of the Lambs

In The Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling is a FBI academy trainee who longs to advance and get ahead in her career while being surrounded by older men who are constantly underestimating her ability. Jodie Foster reflects these traits through her strong-willed and slightly spunky, yet determined attitude she exhibits throughout the movie. For example, before she examines Dr. Hannibal Lecter for the first time, she speaks with Dr. Chilton who (not so) subtly flirts with her. Being the driven, career-oriented woman her character epitomizes, Ms. Foster quickly breaks Chilton's glance to look at her feet and dart her eyes about in stifled disgust. However, when she later wishes to speak with Lecter alone, she uses this to her advantage by telling Chilton that she would have missed the pleasure of his company if she had asked him in his office, this diffuses his flustered frustration and she is allowed to interview Lecter unattended. Afterwards, while she is walking down the hall of criminals to Lecter's cell, it is easy to see how Foster's character is trying to overcome her naïve, lingering fear of the ghastly prisoners while trying to ...