Upon its release, Silence of the Lambs made a deep, indelible impression on the moviegoing public. Rewarded with a clean sweep of the 1992 Academy Awards, the film succeeds largely on the synergy between innocent FBI rookie Clarice Starling and cannabalistic uber-villian Hannibal Lecter. Perhaps director Demme's greatest coup was employing a fairly straightforward visual style, allowing Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins to steal the show.

Harold Check