a cop asks FBI agent Clarice Starling aroundThe Silence of the Lambs midpoint.
That hes some kind of vampire?
The scene where Graham visits Lektor, its in a ghost-white cell where the light chases away the shadows.
Its only the slight deadness around the eyes that hints at something dangerous in Lektors psyche.
The cells are shadowy, but Lecter stands in the light, almost to attention, as Starling approaches.
Its all part of Hopkins subtly aggressive interpretation of Lecter.
Youre not real FBI, are you?
But Hopkins also brings an immense and easily-overlooked physicality to Lecter.
He successfully captures both the murderous and the calculating sides of his character.
Its like comparing two Hamlets, or two Lears.
[Silence of the Lambs]is a different style of film, and it works.
It has immense theatricality, and its powerful.
Inmates faces contorted and jeering inside their cells.
Demmes filmmaking style dovetails with the themes of voyeurism and unfathomable desires.
