This is another one of those films that was released briefly and then went out of print in Criterion's Catalog. Of course, it's probably one of the most famous ones that had been released up till that time.
What can we say here? Anthony Hopkins was voted #1 greatest villain by AFI's 100 years of Heroes and Villains - (Jodie Foster was hero #6) - Anthony created a character here that is a cultural reference today. Dark, intelligent, infused with as much culture as barbarism, Hannibal Lecter haunts this movie and created an incredible portrayal. Over the years other actors have picked up the mantle in prequels, but no one could do what Anthony Hopkins did with this character.
Jodie Foster shouldn't be overlooked either - She does an excellent job as Clarice Sterling, the rookie FBI trainee from West Virginia. I would have liked to have seen her in the sequel, although by this time she was directing on her own and doing great things. The two make a twisted odd couple, trying to hunt down a serial killer dubbed "Buffalo Bill". The pace and tension keep you engaged even on a second or third viewing, although I guess Gene Siskel didn't like it very much.
What I didn't notice or remember from previous viewings was Demme's use of closeups tight on the face during conversations. Anthony, Jodie, Scott Glenn, and others all get a turn on that tight closeup where the head virtually fills the top/bottom of the screen. - it's an interesting way to film that is probably going for something I'm not smart enough to determine, but suffice it to say, Anthony Hopkins gets the best closeups, including one where he just made a snack out of someone's face and is beating someone else to a freaking pulp
And it was the third (and last, up to now) movie to win the big 5 Academy Awards - (as per Wikipedia, The Big Five Academy Awards are those for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay (either Best Adapted Screenplay or Best Original Screenplay).)
This is a movie that absolutely deserves a place in the collection, but now is out of print and is distributed by someone else, so I won't get into the special features except I'm sure the commentary by Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Jonathan Demme is something to listen to.
On a side note, I've enjoyed these last two movies, but I'm looking forward to going back to the more historical and obscure stuff. It's nice sometimes though to revisit these classics - (which, shoot, is 25 years old now but it doesn't feel 25 years old to me :D)
RB
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