GITS Script Reading & Analysis: “The Silence of the Lambs” — Dialogue

We wrap up our week long analysis of the script The Silence of the Lambs by considering its use of dialogue. There are the standard set of questions:

* What do you consider to be the most memorable lines, either good or… not so good? Why did they work — or not — for you?

* Any notable callbacks (a line used once, then used again later in a different context)?

* How about set-up & payoffs?

* Any exposition that caught your eye for being handled exceptionally well?

* There’s that old adage in Hollywood: “Show it, don’t say it.” Were there instances in the script where you felt the filmmakers could have done better to visualize what was being said rather than have it communicated via dialogue.

* And as an example of the drama genre, what lines did you find especially moving and particularly dramatic?

More thoughts regarding the project from screenwriter Ted Tally excerpted from the book “Screenwriters’ Masterclass”:

In the case of Lecter’s escape, which is the big action sequence in the movie, I thought that we’d really got to get off that. We’re well into the third act and you’ve got to move on. Enough noodling around with the clues, the characters and the audience need a breakthrough. So we were trying to jump forward to the breakthrough.

I’m very anxious because I know as a screenwriter here I’m adrift in the ocean! I’ve just had this great thing with Lecter [his escape] and I know if I can just get Clarice to Gumb’s house, then that’s going to save me. But in between it’s hard. I know it’s going to work, even though it’s kind of very familiar: madman in the basement chasing somebody in the dark, I know it’s going to work.

When I wrote the first draft I was borrowing an office from Robert Benton, the film director and writer, and he knew the book and once in a while I would try to talk to him, thinking that he’d have better ideas than me. He never wanted to talk about it that way. But I did one time sit there moaning about how hard it was, and I said, “You know what? All this work, this whole thing, it just adds up to a madman in a basement chasing a girl, and you’ve seen that a million times–is that going to be enough?” And he said, “That’s what you’ve promised the audience, that’s what it sets up for two hours so you’ve got to deliver that whether it’s been a million movies or not, that’s what you’ve promised.” The two characters have been coming to this collisions for the entire movie. And yeah, it’s a madman in a basement but the night-vision goggles will help.”

Jonathan was told once by Roger Corman, “The scariest shot in all of movies is the camera approaching a closed door, that you know somebody’s got to open it. The anticipation is much scarier than anything, it’s the most terrifying shot in the movie, it’s not expensive, it’s not special effects.” So that scene uses this theory with a vengeance. I like how chaotic it is, it’s just neither Clarice nor Catherine [Buffalo Bill’s kidnap victim] is in control, they’re just upset and they’re angry, neither one of them has a clue, they don’t know what they’re doing. It’s a long way from an Arnold Schwarzenegger action sequence.”

And how about the doors. At one point, I actually counted the number of doors Clarice has to go through as she works her way through Buffalo Bill’s basement. I believe it was something like 9 of them.

See you in comments!

For Day 1 of our analysis of The Silence of the Lambs, go here.

For Day 2 of our analysis, focusing on structure, go here.

For Day 3 of our analysis, focusing on characters, go here.

For Day 4 of our analysis, focusing on theme, go here.

[Remember next week (10/2–10/6), we will be reading Toy Story 3. You may access the script here.]

NOTE: THIS SERIES AND THE USE OF SCRIPTS IS STRICTLY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!

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