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By now, you all probably know the story. Jodie Foster plays FBI
trainee Clarice Starling, an extremely bright and talented prospect
for the FBI. Though still in training, she is enlisted by Scott
Glenn to interview a serial killer; in fact, one of the most notorious,
none other than Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. Lecter is a
formal psychologist who finds that satisfying his oral needs can
be done through language...or cannibalism. Why does Glenn set up
Starling's interview with Lecter? Hoping her innocence and naivete
will attract Lector, perhaps she can gain information to help catch
"Buffalo Bill," a serial killer on the loose whose victims all fit
into a very curious if set pattern.
However, as Clarice Starling attempts to gain Lecter's favor, he
works his way into her mind (and out of prison). It becomes a thrilling,
truly scary race against time for Clarice to save Buffalo Bill's
latest victim, especially with Lector, who - as one FBI agent puts
it - "you don't want inside your head." A vast majority
of the film keeps the viewer guessing, trying to determine what
Lecter is really up to. Is he trying to help himself, or if he is
genuinely trying to aid Starling in her case? Unlike the generally
dreadful sequel Hannibal, what the filmmakers behind The Silence
Of The Lambs understand is that Lector is far more terrifying for
the threat of what he can do, even locked in his cage, than prowling
the streets like some middle-aged Jack the Ripper. Thankfully, the
true terror and suspense in Lambs comes from our anticipation, not
graphic unpleasantness, and the big "the screaming of the lambs"
confrontation between Starling and Lector is absolutely terrific.
 Overall,
the movie is very engaging, eve if at its core it really is just
a high-profile, well-acted slasher film. Even though the film is
very predictable at times, it is so well made it is somewhat easy
to see why it won the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as
Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
And you'd be hard pressed to find a better serial killer than Hopkin's
Lecter!
With a movie so highly acclaimed and popular, I suppose it is not
surprising that not one but two DVD editions (with a third on the
way) have been issued thus far. The first edition to hit the video
store shelves was the Image Entertainment release, which came sans
features except for chapter stops and a non-anamorphic widescreen
presentation. Overall pressing was not up to par with most decent
DVDs, but it was hardly a disappointment for an early release (back
in 1997). The second DVD was the Criterion Collection version, which
is nearly identical to its laserdisc counterpart with lots of extra
goodies, with slightly improved image and sound. Let's take a look
at both versions, though both are now out of print (and MGM serving
up their own loaded version due out in late 2001.)
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Both DVDs have decent, though hardly spectacular, transfers. However,
both are a marked improvement over the laserdisc and VHS versions.
It can be argued by some that one is better than the other, but
for the sake of my review, I'm going with the Criterion disc as
the better bet. Overall, the Image disc is at times sharper and
through the entire movie, brighter, while the Criterion disc is
softer and lacks clarity. But I have found that the Image disc's
sharpness comes at a price, namely more pronounced film grain, while
the Criterion edition seems a bit more smooth.
The opening scene where Foster is running through the woods is
a clear example of the differences between the two transfers. The
Image disc seems to have very poor coloring at times. In the opening
scene, there is a noticeable haze in the woods, and the Image disc
tends to lean towards being overly green. Colors seem a bit better
balanced on the Criterion disc, but only slightly. Blacks are decent
on both discs, though shadow detail is never impressive on either
disc. I have been told that the Criterion transfer was supervised
by cinematographer Tak Fujimoto, so it should be closer to the original
intent of the filmmakers than the Image disc. Even though both are
soft transfers, I'd give this contest to Criterion (which is also
spread over two layers.)
 Audio:
How Does The Disc Sound?
Both discs feature what appears to be similar 2.0 surround mixes,
though the sound does seem just a tad bit cleaner and fuller on
the Criterion disc. The bass is notably better on the Criterion
disc as well. Surround use, however, is weak on both releases, and
imaging is flat and the overall sense of ambiance is weak. I would
have preferred a full Dolby Digital 5.1 remix, but the 2.0 track
is decent enough.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
This is where you really can tell the two editions apart. It is
hard to give this movie anything less than 5 stars in terms of entertainment
value; it is simply a must-have movie for a collector. But in today's
world, we want the perks, and the Criterion delivers on that count.
The Criterion disc contains most of the features from the $99.95
laserdisc version, except for some of the production stills and
some filmographies (yawn.) An added bonus are some creepy Voices
Of Death segments from actual serial killers on topic such as
life, sex, murder and death, and a film-to-storyboard comparison.
This is a fairly well-laid out look at two segments from the film
(the scary parts), and easy to navigate.
As for the screen-specific audio commentary with director
Jonathan Demme, stars Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, screenwriter
Ted Tally, and FBI agent John Douglas, it is simply one of the best
commentaries have ever heard. Obviously, this is a great filmmaking
team, and to hear them all discuss a modern classic is like going
to film school. What a luxury! And they are very talkative, insightful
and thoroughly entertaining. This is quite simply what an audio
commentary should be, and though it might have been nice to hear
each participants comments unedited, Criterion has done such a terrific
job, who's complaining? Also included on the disc are some deleted
scenes with optional commentary, which quite frankly didn't
add up to much for me. But, they are there for completists.
 While
the Image release features nothing aside from the theatrical trailer,
the Criterion edition has some tasty goodies, especially the commentary.
It is a shame that when this title goes out of print, due to Criterion's
continued refusal to work with the owners of the copyright, the
consumer will miss out the commentary. While I understand this is
a business, it is unfortunate that Criterion and the studios can't
find some way to work it all out. With a price tag of $39.95, the
Criterion DVD is a fair value, but for $29.95, it does not seem
logical to purchase the Image disc. However, if you are on a tight
budget and are a fan of the movie, the Image disc is better than
VHS!
Parting Thoughts
This is a pretty easy choice. Unless you are strapped for cash,
go with the Criterion version. Since they have a limited license
on the title (watch for an MGM special edition in the future), pick
this one up before it is gone, if only for the terrific commentary.
While $39.95 is a bit steep, you can probably still find it online
for a good discount.
(Note: The following ratings only apply to the Criterion version.)
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