Here, I will be analysis the silence of the lambs opening sequence from the perspective of an A-level media student.

1. Silence of the Lambs
Saif Al Naqbi

2. Editing techniques
This is used to stimulate the audiences emotions during the film through the use
of various font and color.
- The 12 opening titles are presented in a rather
deranged tone. These include the ‘black sans-serif’
font which is outlined in white, consequently making
the words pop out. The writing is surrounded by a
background of the woods, further enhancing the
eeriness set at the beginning of the film.
- The words are written in black. The color black
typically connotates to death, and uncertainty. This
initiates an immediate engagement of the audience
to the film during the opening scene. The boldness of
the text creates anticipation for the viewer, as it fits
the thriller genre. The text paired with the sinister
woods make for an unnerving atmosphere.

3. Expositional dialogue and props
This is when a piece of dialogue is said or a prop used in order to expose certain
information to the audience.
- This first happens when a man calls the protagonist’s
name “Starling!” through a closeup. We are immediately
introduced to the protagonist by her second name – Starling.
This makes the scene more realistic.
- An expositional prop is used to show the occupation of
these characters. The man with Starling is seen wearing a hat
with the letters “FBI” printed onto it. At this point, the
audience now know what organization they work for. This
information was made known without the need to be
verbalized, therefore moving the narrative along quickly and
easily. The “FBI” in movies connotates to murder, mystery
and danger, which are typical conventions of a drama film.

4. Enigma and action codes
These are the question asked by the audience when watching the film
- At the start of the sequence, our protagonist is in a
mysterious setting. The trees that surround her look dull and
very dead, which may hint the genre of the film. The viewer
is wondering why she is running, and why the sinister looking
woods? Afterwards, we find out that she was doing
additional police training. This is also why she wasn’t
wearing her uniform. This scene tells the viewer that she is a
motivated, hard worker. Her courage is further reinforced
later on in the sequence.
- We see the antagonist through a high angle while she is exercising. The use of the high angle makes her
seem weak. The antagonist herself is short in stature compared to the trees that tower above her. The trees
are always seen throughout the shot, and tell the audience that she is constantly surrounded by something
greater than her. She is presented as vulnerable, and this is conveyed through the rest of the scene.

5. Clarice Starling
- Clarice is always placed in the center of the shot when
standing in large crowds. This tells the audience to divert
their attention to Clarice, as she is the main character. She
can also be seen wearing clothes different to what the
majority is wearing. This can be seen in the elevator shot
and in the murder scene shot. In the room, all the police are
wearing hats, and the detectives wearing dull colors while
she is wearing Analogous colors and a scarf, therefore
making her significantly stand out from the rest of the
group. She is also the shortest in the room.
- At the end of the scene, there is a medium shot of the
antagonist surrounded by other men. This scene suggests that
she doesn’t fit the success criteria due to herself being
significantly shorter than the other characters. This conveys
the idea that she is disadvantaged compared to the others.
The proximity of the characters during this shot suggests that
while they stand close to each other, they are very different in
ability. The facial expressions of the men show worry, and she
is wearing different clothes. Their red shirts, which Clarice
isn’t wearing, connotate to strength. She is being shown as
the ‘black sheep’.

6. Non-diegetic music
This is music that the characters in the film can’t hear, but the audience can. It is
used to add emotion to a scene.
- The first time the audience hears music in the film is a non
diegetic orchestral soundtrack. This music is in minor key which
creates a mysterious, creepy atmosphere. Minor key music is very
common in drama/thriller films. The music builds up tension,
conveying an idea that something bad is about to happen to Clarice.
When she is running, the soundtrack starts to increase in tempo as
more strings join into the orchestra.
- The increase in in tempo and instruments significantly
builds onto the already existing tension. It almost seems as if
Clairice is running from something. She isn’t. Towards the end of
the scene, the same music begins to play again. This happens
when Clarice see’s the investigation board containing multiple
murders linked to ‘Buffalo Bill’. This increase in the tension sparks
a sense of drama and gives the audience an idea of the
significance and important of this investigation.

7. Mental state
This establishes that as we pass each cell, the mental state of each inmate seems to worsen:
- The first inmate is quite creepy, and gives an unsettling vibe as he smiles and tries to grab Clarice.
- The second inmate seems even more dysfunctional, as he sits and stares blankly at nothing, barely
reacting to her presence.
- The third inmate is the most insane, as he leaps around his cell. Almost like an animal.
- We are told that Dr. Lecter is the paragon of insanity – the absolute worst human to exist. Judging by the inmate before,
who is ape like, and mumbles obscene phrases, the audience would except the next room (Dr. Lecter) to be some sort of
subhuman, feral monster.
- With all of these expectation set in mind, the audience is instead introduced to a man standing up straight inside some sort
of reinforced glass container with holes, almost like something out of ‘Jurassic Park’. Unlike the prior inmates, he is showing
no obvious signs of insanity. This terrifies the audience as it completely shatters their expectations.