Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		5.0

The Silence of the Lambs 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 21, 2021

Winner of multiple Oscar Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on this release include new audio commentary by critic Tim Lucas; deleted scenes; multiple archival featurettes; archival documentaries; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The text below was initially used for our review of Criterion's Blu-ray release of The Silence of the Lambs from 2018, which can be accessed here.

The last time I viewed Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs in its entirety was probably sixteen, possibly seventeen years ago. I own a couple of older DVD releases of it, with the most recent one being the widescreen Special Edition that MGM released in 2001. (Those of you that were collecting films during the DVD era will probably remember that this particular release also had a PAN/SCAN-ed version in circulation, and that there were actually plenty of people that preferred it. Seems like such a long time ago now, doesn’t it?) I think there a couple of reasons I can cite that would explain my reluctance to revisit the film more recently. One is that after it was released I purchased Thomas Harris’ novel and since then have read it multiple times, so basically I have been content with the time that I have spent in Dr. Lecter’s company. Another reason -- and I think that a lot of people that read this article will agree with me -- is that this film really needed a serious makeover so that it looks as healthy and attractive as it should. Now let me clarify something else here. Over the last fifteen, or even twenty, years my standards have not evolved so much that I can no longer view less than optimal presentations of films that I am interested in. In fact, unlike a lot of other collectors that have switched entirely to collecting high-definition content, I continue to purchase DVD releases of ‘smaller’ and 'deep vault' films that are unlikely to be released on a high-definition disc any time soon. I do it because I understand that it takes time and sometimes substantial financial resources to do proper remasters, and that for some of these types of films it may very well be impossible to locate suitable elements to produce a quality high-definition release. This is simply the current market reality. Obviously, this leaves DVD as the ‘savior’ format for these films, which is why I continue to support it. With The Silence of the Lambs of course the situation was very different, as it wasn’t a question of whether it is possible but when the film will be redone and given a proper release. At least all along, and especially after taking a look at the first high-definition release of it a few years ago, this has been my take on the situation. It is why I was reluctant to revisit the film -- I wanted to do it when the time was right.

I viewed Criterion’s new 4K restoration of The Silence of the Lambs last night and I would like to mention a few of the things that made an impression on me after all these years. I don’t think that they will surprise folks that love the film, but I’d rather do this than try to ‘explain’ like so many other writers have done over the years why it is one of the definitive '90s films.

The quality of the script seems even more impressive now. The characterizations are so carefully done and so good that their evolutions actually become a lot more attractive than the events that are chronicled in the film. There are a lot of segments where particular responses and reactions, for instance, are far more effective than the following segment where the focus of attention is on the action which begins or ends with a surprising twist.

The manner in which the film builds its atmosphere is just as striking. The brilliant performances of course help tremendously, but the transitions from FBI’s training academy in Quantico to Dr. Lecter’s glass cage to Buffalo Bill’s lair are done so effortlessly that the tension never stops growing. Remember, the film goes back and forth between multiple locations and there are different developments with a lot of important information to digest.

One last thing that I think the upcoming release of the new 4K restoration will now make very obvious -- the sound design is exceptional. Great psychological thrillers often times rely on the creative use of sound to enhance their atmosphere and in this film there is just an endless string of very well-thought of and crafted ‘random’ effects. The simple flick of a switch or the random sound of a crushed pebble can instantly give you goosebumps. A true classic, indeed.

The Silence of the Lambs 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 4K Blu-ray release of The Silence of the Lambs is sourced from the same beautiful 4K master that was used by the folks at Criterion when they prepared their Blu-ray release of this classic film in 2018. You can see our review of this release here.

We have included two sets of screencaptures with this article. Screencaptures 1-11 are from the Blu-ray disc and are displayed in native 1080p. Screencaptures 14-26 are from the 4K Blu-ray disc, but are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, when you view them, you should keep in mind that they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

I viewed the 4K presentation of the film with HDR enabled and thought that it was terrific. However, I also found it quite difficult to pinpoint specific areas with dramatic improvements. To be perfectly clear, I think that in some darker areas finer nuances become better defined, but I spent quite a bit of time switching between the 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray to determine how big the upgrade is and I still think that the latter looks astonishingly good. Also, I noticed expanded ranges of blacks and grays, but the dynamic range of the visuals in darker areas looked awfully similar on my system. During daylight footage depth and delineation are clearly superior in native 4K, and you won't have to have a very large screen to appreciate the difference. However, I must point out again that the quality you will get from the 1080p visuals is still excellent. The final area where I think the 4K Blu-ray is the clear winner is fluidity. When the camera moves in fast sequences everything, and I mean absolutely everything, looks tighter and better balanced as it should, which means that the larger your screen is, the more pleased you will be with the strength of the visuals. The improvement is easily noticeable even during conventional close-ups where the camera moves very slowly. All in all, I think that the 4K Blu-ray release simply confirms what we already knew about the 4K restoration of The Silence of the Lambs -- it was done right with the invaluable input of cinematographer Tak Fujimoto.

The Silence of the Lambs 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The exact same audio options were made available on Criterion's Blu-ray release of The Silence of the Lambs, so obviously I do not have any new comments about their quality to add here. I prefer the original 2.0 track, but I think that the 5.1 track is very effective as well. Naturally, my advice to you is to experiment with both and see which one you prefer.

The Silence of the Lambs 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critic Tim Lucas.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critic Tim Lucas.

• Inside the Labyrinth - this documentary, which was produced for the 10th anniversary of the theatrical release of The Silence of the Lambs, focuses on the film's lasting appeal and image as a genre classic. Included in it are clips from various archival interviews with Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, producer Ron Bozman, Ted Levine, screenwriter Ted Tally, designer Colleen Atwood, editor Craig McKay, studio executive Mike Medavoy (Orion Pictures). and Roger Corman, among others. The documentary was directed by Jeffrey Schwartz in 2001. In English, not subtitled. (67 min).

• Page to Screen - presented here is an archival episode of the Bravo television show Page to Screen which takes a closer look at the novel by Thomas Harris that inspired The Silence of the Lambs and the film's treatment of the original material. Included in it are clips from archival interviews with screenwriter Ted Tally, book editor Richard Marek, actress Kasi Lemmons, and former FBI agent John Douglas, among others. The episode was broadcast in 2002. In English, not subtitled. (42 min).

• Understanding the Madness - presented here is an archival program that features interviews with retired FBI agents Richard L. Ault Jr., Roger L. Depue, James R. Fitzgerald, Robert R. "Roy" Hazelwood, R. Stephen Mardigian, and Michael R. Napier. The interviewees address the different profiling practices technique utilized by FBI crime specialists. The program was produced in 2008. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Scoring "The Silence" - in this archival interview, award-winning composer Howard Shore recalls how he approached the scoring of The Silence of the Lambs and discusses how the music and the character developments are actually closely intertwined. The interview was conducted in 2004. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Behind the Scenes Featurette - this is a standard promotional promotional featurette with raw footage from the shooting of The Silence of the Lambs and excerpts from cast and crew interviews. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster - this documentary focuses on the history of The Silence of the Lambs, from its conception through its evolution and ultimately critical and commercial success. Included in it are excerpts from interviews with Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster, as well as plenty of archival production content. The documentary was directed by Laurent Bouzereau 2005. In English, not subtitled. (53 min).

• Deleted Scenes - presented here is a large collection of deleted scenes that were cut from The Silence of the Lambs. The footage is sourced from the best available materials. In English, not subtitled. (36 min).

• Outtakes - in English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Anthony Hopkins Phone Message - in English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. Original trailer
  2. Teaser trailer
  3. TV Spots

The Silence of the Lambs 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you like The Silence of the Lambs, you already knew that it was beautifully restored in 4K because the 4K restoration was made available on Blu-ray a few years ago. This 4K Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber offers you the opportunity to own the same 4K restoration in native 4K. It is really this simple, folks. What a time to be a film collector! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.