The document summarizes key scenes and editing techniques used in the film The Silence of the Lambs. It discusses how: 1) Low-key lighting is used when Clarice confronts Jame Gumb to build suspense from Gumb's point of view. 2) The film uses close-ups and shot-reverse shot patterns in dialogue scenes to maintain suspense through brief establishing shots. 3) There are two flashback edits that cross time and space to show Clarice's childhood memories. 4) A three-way crosscut builds suspense by showing simultaneous action in Ohio, Illinois, and Lecter's phone call. 5) The ending staging is more

1. The Silence of the
Lambs
Directed by John Demme
The elements of film art, in a
skillful adaptation of Ted Tally’s
original screenplay for The Silence
of the Lambs, combine to turn a
sleeper movie, with only a
moderate budget, into one of this
era’s most successful suspense
films. The film is a dark fairy tale
with a twist; the hero who recues
the maiden is female.
Humberto Roberto Bravo Zambrano

2. Clarice Starling and Jame Gumb in the Basement
Unlike throughout most of the film, the lighting employs low-key illumination when Clarice makes
her huge approach to her supreme enemy, Jame Gumb, in his basement. Her face is half-
shadowed throughout all the scenes before the lights go out. At that point, only a key light using a
green jell illuminates the scene. The audience now views the scene through Gumb’s point of view
as he looks through his night goggles.
The low-key illumination creates The key light casts a shadow of the gun in Clarice’s
suspense as Clarice hunts down Gumb. hand. The shape of the goggles is apparent.
Eerie top lighting illuminates Gumb’s goggles A strong key light from above and a fill light from the
as he approaches Clarice. side show assure the audience that Gumb is dead.

3. Because The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological thriller, most of the dialogue takes place with
the actors in close up shots. The editing often reveals to the audience only very brief establishing
shots and then the close-ups in shot/reverse shot pattern with eyeline match.
This method of establishing relationships shortens the scenes to maintain suspense.
In the scene between Clarice Starling and Jack Crawford in his office, the only establishing shots
show merely the back of Clarice on the right with close up frontal shots of Crawford on the left or
the back of Crawford on the left and close up frontal shots of Clarice on the right. There is strong
eyeline match throughout the scene.
This scene contains a cheat cut. When Clarice enters Crawford’s office, the crime board with
Buffalo Bill’s victims is across from the desk and the map is behind it. When Crawford
moves to his desk, the crime board and the map change places. This cheat cut keeps the
audience focused on the violent crimes of the serial killer.

4. At times, the establishing shot does not take place until the scene is over. When Clarice
meets Dr. Chilton in his office, there is no establishing shot. Chilton’s glance up and to the
right, a replica of Crawford’s eyeline match in the previous scene with Clarice, establishes
the basis for the close up shot/reverse shot editing of the entire scene in Chilton’s office.
The audience does not see Clarice and Chilton together until they leave his office to go to
Lecter’s cell.
Crawford, seated looks up to Clarice, standing, looks down Chilton, seated looks up to the
the right at Clarice. to the left at Crawford. right while talking to Clarice.
The lack of eyeline match between Clarice and Chilton in
Chilton’s office makes the viewer uncomfortable. This
alternative editing reinforces Clarice’s feelings of
discomfort at being treated as a potential date by Chilton
rather than a real FBI agent.
Clarice, standing, looks up to the
right while talking to Chilton.

5. The Silence of the Lambs contains two edits that cross time and space. They are flashbacks to Clarice’s
childhood showing adult Clarice as well. The first occurs as a distraught Clarice leaves the Baltimore
Asylum, where she has been psychologically dissected by Lecter.
Clarice, in the center of the The audience and Clarice see Clarice, in the center of the Clarice, in the center of the
screen, is walking toward a house with a police car. screen, is still walking to screen, is walking toward her
her car. her car. father’s car.
The second flashback occurs at the funeral home in West Virginia where a new victim of Buffalo Bill has just
been found. Clarice looks into a room where a funeral is being held. The coffin reverses position, in
another cheat cut, to keep the attention on Clarice.
Clarice sees a funeral in Clarice, centered in The audience and Clarice, centered in the
progress with a coffin the frame, walks Clarice see the man in frame, arrives at her
centered in the frame. toward the coffin. the coffin. father’s coffin.

6. McKay made this crosscut with simultaneous action in three different spaces. The crosscut’s
purpose is to create suspense and to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. Clarice is in
Ohio following up ideas generated by Lecter’s cryptic messages. She intends to interview Mrs.
Lipmann, the dressmaker who employed Buffalo Bill’s first victim. Jack Crawford has identified
Buffalo Bill as Jame Gumb and has his address in Calumet City, Illinois. He and his team intend to
enter the house to rescue Catherine. Shots in chronological order from a few scenes follow.
Clarice ,in Ohio, gets Mrs. The SWAT team starts surrounding Jame, in his basement, gets the More Illinois SWAT and FBI arrive
Lipmann's address. the house in Calumet City, Illinois. moth ready for Catherine. at the house in Calumet City.
Crawford gives the signal to knock. The FBI knocks on the door of Jame, in his basement, hears the Jame opens the door to Clarice.
the house in Calumet City. doorbell ring.
All images in the Film Editing section are screenshots from The Silence of the Lambs.

7. The Final Scene
The original screenplay calls for Hannibal Lecter to close his phone after talking to Clarice, step
over a dead security guard, walk into a house through French doors, and confront a gagged and
bound Dr. Chilton. The staging in the film’s ending is much more intriguing.
As Lecter concludes his phone conversation ,the audience The low=key illumination that casts Lecter partially in
sees, from Lector’s point of view, Dr. Chilton, dressed for a shadows creates an air of mystery.
vacation, emerging from a small airplane.
Chilton walks down the street with his colleague. Lecter , in his disguise, walks down the same street.