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Silence Of The Lambs Film Techniques

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Jonathan Demme’s extraordinary film, The Silence of the Lambs, was released in 1991. Buffalo Bill is a serial killer, killing women and partially skinning them. FBI Jack Crawford recruits trainee Clarice Starling to get information about Buffalo Bill. She is a top student at the FBI’s training academy and Crawford wants her to interview and use Dr. Hannibal Lector as a mentor to help catch the serial killer. Lector is a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a powerful psychopath who is serving life in the penitentiary for murder and cannibalism. Over time Lector guides her closer and closer in the direction of catching Buffalo Bill. I will be examining the opening sequence of this film, which contains eighteen different shots.
1. The opening, …show more content…
A close-up tracking shot of her feet running through the woods at a fast pace. The tracking shot helps the viewers feel more involved within the character. There is no speech in the film until roughly three minutes in. The silence, adds uneasiness to the scene.
6. A close-up of Clarice’s profiles view, showing her determination on finishing her obstacle course and also how hard she is trying.
7. A medium shot panning along as Clarice approaches a rope obstacle that she climbs. When she reaches the top of the obstacle there is a low camera angle. After she overcomes the obstacle you here a voice call her name “Starling!” and then almost out of nowhere a man runs up behind her. Clarice turns around and runs towards him. The man say’s "Crawford needs to see you in is office." she say’s "thank you sir" and the man just remains in the frame in a medium shot. The man wears an FBI hat that shows the audience that she works for the FBI.
8. A high to low shot of a tree with the words, “Hurt, Agony, Pain and Love it” indicates these people are aware of the danger they put themselves in. Then shows long shot of Clarice running past the tree. As she runs toward and into the concrete FBI Academy building it becomes a long shot, where other trainees which are all males working

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