The psychological thriller Silence of the Lambs, which won the Academy Award for best picture in 1991, transports viewers inside the depraved thoughts of a serial killer. Despite being a work of fiction, Silence of the Lambs has many realistically based psychological themes (Fuss). The movie offers a fascinating insight into human behavior using numerous psychological concepts like psychopath, obsession, and compulsion. This work was written with the aim of analyzing the psychological principles that are found in the film Silence of the Lambs.
Scene Description: The scene maps onto the principle of obsession by first introducing the idea of it to the audience. The set clarifies that preoccupation can be dangerous, as Hannibal is not in control of his actions (Mohanan).
Principle Description: Obsessions are persistent and frequent thoughts, urges, or pictures that bring on unpleasant feelings like dread, revulsion, or worry. It is believed that catastrophic misunderstandings of the meaning of one’s unwelcome intrusive thoughts are what lead to obsessions.
Connection: The psychological principle of obsession appears in the character of Hannibal Lecter. He is obsessed with causing harm to the people around him, which drives him to kill. For instance, he is passionate about the FBI agent Clarice Starling leading him to help her catch Buffalo Bill, the serial killer.
Scene Description: Starling is in a dark room with a lamp on a table in front of her. She is looking at a slide projector where images of dead women are projected. She is visibly shaken and looks like she is about to be sick. Lecter is standing behind her, watching her reaction.
Principle Description: A person who has compulsions as a result of an obsession engages in repetitive behavioral or mental activities. A person’s addiction-related discomfort is often prevented or temporarily reduced by the activities, and they are more likely to continue doing so in the future.
Connection: The psychological principle of compulsion appears in the scene where Lecter helps Starling catch the Buffalo Bill, but only after he has forced her to face her demons. The psychological principle of compulsion is forcing someone to do something against their will. In this case, Lecter forces Starling to face her demons to help him catch the Buffalo Bill.
Scene Description: The scene portrays various traits that can be referred to describe its connection to the principle of the sociopath. For instance, from the scene, one can depict Hannibal as calm and collected, but there is a hint of menace in his voice and eyes. In the background, he is shown to be very intelligent (Sitompul). In addition, the scene shows that he can remain calm and detached in even the most complex and dangerous situations, which allows him to be a very successful killer as he can gain the trust of his victims before killing them.
Principle Description: A person who continuously disregards right and wrong and the interests and sentiments of others is said to have an antisocial personality disorder, often known as sociopathy.
Connection: The scene where Hannibal Lecter is introduced reveals the focus of the sociopath. The psychological principle of the sociopath is the most relevant as it appears in the character of Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal is shown in his cell, where he is kept because he is considered a danger to society.
In general, the assessment of the 1991 film Silence of the Lambs sheds light on the psychological concepts of compulsion, obsession, and sociopaths. Problematic episodes involving Buffalo Bill highlight the psychological idea of compulsion. Buffalo Bill has little respect for human life and is fixated on murdering and skinning his prey. Additionally, the Hannibal Lecter sequences illustrate the sociopathy psychological concept. Hannibal Lecter is a cold-blooded, cunning murderer who relishes torturing his victims. The film’s overall impression is solid and lasting, and there is an apparent relationship between the events and philosophical ideas.
Works Cited
Fuss, Diana. “Monsters of perversion: Jeffrey Dahmer and the silence of the lambs. Media spectacles.” Routledge, 2018.
Mohanan, Haritha. “Overcoming trauma: an analysis of the silence of the lambs and thank you for your service.” Mahatma Gandhi University Kottayam, 2020.
Sitompul, Debora Keren Hapukh. The Interpretive Controversy of LGBTQ Defamation in The Silence of The Lambs. Inescapable Nature of Heteroglossia, 1991.