Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Silence of the Lambs Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 18, 2018

Winner of multiple Oscar Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on this release include remastered original trailer; new video program with critic Maitland McDonagh; deleted scenes; multiple archival featurettes; archival documentaries; audio commentary by director Jonathan Demme, actors Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, screenwriter Ted Tally, and former FBI agent John Douglas; and more. The release also arrives with a book featuring an introduction by Jodie Foster, an essay by critic Amy Taubin, archival writings by author Thomas Harris on the origins of the character Hannibal Lecter, and a 1991 interview with Jonathan Demme. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

"You spook easily, Starling?"

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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new digital transfer was created in 16-bit 4K resolution on a DFT Scanity film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative. The original 2.0 surround soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX.

Transfer supervisor: Tak Fujimoto.
Colorist: Kevin O'Connor/EFILM."

The release is sourced from a brand new 4K restoration that was approved by director of photography Tak Fujimoto and the end result truly is the type of revelation that fans of The Silence of the Lambs have been hoping to see materialize. Indeed, the film looks so healthy and so vibrant that it can very easily fool someone to believe that it was shot less than a year or so ago. I actually upscaled the release to 4K and was quite overwhelmed by how great it looked. (I don't know if Jonathan Demme was able to see enough, or any at all, of the work that was done during the restoration, but my guess is that he probably did not see the final product, and if this is indeed the case, it is a terrible shame). The improvements in terms of depth and delineation are staggering, and since there is plenty of darker footage with specific nuances there are also entire segments with ranges of details that are basically missing on previous DVD releases. Fluidity is also very impressive, and especially if you upscale on a bigger screen you are going to see some very substantial improvements. Furthermore, it is very easy to tell that the entire film has been very carefully color-graded because there are solid ranges of excellent organic primaries and even better ranges of beautiful nuances. Predictably, image stability is great. There are no traces of any compromising digital tinkering -- grain exposure is stable and very consistent. Lastly, there are absolutely no traces of conventional age-related imperfections. Great presentation. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

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

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

I usually prefer to view older films with the track that retains the identity of the original audio mix, but I would be among the first to admit that the alternate 5.1 mix that was created for The Silence of the Lambs is very effective. Of course the original sound design of the film has a lot to do with the great potency of the 5.1 mix, but there are also very successful additional enhancements, so this is certainly a track you want to experiment with when you get a copy of this release and sit down to view the film. The quality of the 2.0 track is still hugely impressive. The dialog is crystal clear and the overall dynamic movement is as good as it can possibly be.

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

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Trailer - fully restored original trailer for The Silence of the Lambs. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• 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. (38 min, 1080i).

• Maitland McDonagh - in this brand new video program, film critic Maitland McDonagh discusses the significant presence of real serial killers in American cinema, with some specific comments about major classics such as Fritz Lang's M and While the City Sleeps and Terrence Malick's Badlands, as well as the fictional character of Dr. Lecter and the unique identity he was given by Thomas Harris, and Anthony Hopkins and Mads Mikkelsen's take on the character in The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal: The Complete Series. The program was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - this vintage audio commentary features director Jonathan Demme, actors Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, screenwriter Ted Tally, and former FBI agent John Douglas. It was recorded in 1994, and initially appeared on Criterion's LD/DVD release of The Silence of the Lambs.
  
  1. Mythology of the female hero
  2. Filters and submarines
  3. Anxiety from nothing
  4. Bundy, Heidnik, and Gein
  5. Good-old-boy syndrome
  6. Does Clarice have a boyfriend?
  7. Hopkins' journey to Lecter
  8. Cuddly, camp figure
  9. Seduction scenes
  10. Victimology and execution
  11. Learned behavior
  12. Levine as Gumb
  13. Editing the confrontation
  14. Protected by women's armor
  15. A screening for the FBI

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• 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, 1080i).

• 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, 1080i).

• 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, 1080i).

• 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, 1080i).

• 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, 1080p).

• 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, 1080i).

• Storyboards - presented here is a large collection of storyboards from The Silence of the Lambs illustrated by artist Kalina Ivanov. With music. (5 min, 1080p).

• Book - a book featuring an introduction by Jodie Foster, an essay by critic Amy Taubin, pieces from 2000 and 2013 by author Thomas Harris on the origins of the character Hannibal Lecter, and a 1991 interview with Jonathan Demme.

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

You can comfortably add Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs to Criterion's ever-growing list of 'saved' films. A few years ago, I decided to revisit it with the early Blu-ray release that MGM produced and to be honest the presentation was such that it instantly killed off my enthusiasm. Right there I knew that it won't be too long before the film is redone, and that there is also a good chance that it may actually return to the Collection. This upcoming release, which is sourced from a brand new 4K restoration approved by cinematographer Tak Fujimoto, is exactly the type of revelation that I know fans of the film wanted to materialize. It is just too bad that director Demme is no longer with us to see it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.