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September 1998

Silence of the Lambs: Special Edition (Criterion)
Reviewed by Karina Montgomery
DVD Format

Overall Enjoyment: ****1/2
Picture Quality: *****
Sound Quality: ****1/2
Packaged Extras: ****1/2

Karina-Scale Rating: Full-Price Feature

Starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins

Directed by Johnathon Demme

Theatrical Release: 1991
DVD Release: 1998
Dolby Digital 5.1
Widescreen


From Thomas Harris' chilling novel comes Jonathan Demme's incredible Oscar-winning thriller. I can't believe I just wrote that. If you’re not familiar with this movie or its multiple Oscar nominations and five wins (including Best Picture), then you need to see it regardless of format. It's one of my favorite movies, so of course I am utterly biased when it comes to reviewing it from a content standpoint. Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) enlists the aid of an incarcerated lunatic (Anthony Hopkins) in tracking down a deadly serial killer. But it's so much more than that -- it has incredibly nuanced characters and a sharp screenplay and it's brilliant and perfect and... OK, you know I love this movie. It's also very unnerving, and it ain't Driving Miss Daisy, OK?

The Criterion Collection DVD contains the same supplementary material that was available on the Criterion Laserdisc -- seven deleted scenes and a single audio commentary track with director Jonathan Demme, Foster and Hopkins, screenwriter Ted Tally, and, unusually, FBI agent John Douglas all taking turns talking in their respective milieus. For students of forensic investigation and serial killers, this edition is chock full of stuff, and for rabid fans of production design, there’s lots of educational material too. There are storyboards and a separate section with film-to-storyboard comparison -- fascinating for filmmakers. There is an FBI crime classification manual and a feature titled "Voices of Death: word for word statements of convicted serial killers." Much of this is text-only, but it is an amazing complement (and, as proof of authenticity, compliment) to the film. The deleted scenes are interesting, but not huge revelations of missing material, with the exception of the section with Jim Roche, the performance artist who limns the TV preacher on the television outside Lecter's cell. His rant about child abuse and how Jesus feels about it is all tied into the central theme of the film, but lost in the actual viewing of it.

Criterion is known for producing high-quality videophile editions and showing reverence for quality contemporary films. The sound on Lambs is surprisingly detailed, almost as if Criterion added foley to the DVD edition, but, of course, it's just a high-quality transfer. This edition is above and beyond even what a casual film buff would hope for in a personal copy of the movie, and all for under $40. In the theater, all the close-ups and looks into the lens were extremely intense -- and they translate well to letterboxed video. Heads are still larger than life, and everyone's eyes look right at the camera, past the camera, past you even. The Criterion DVD of The Silence of the Lambs an excellent cinematic experience and a great collector's edition.


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