The theme that most speaks to me in SOTL is that of a woman in a man’s world, and hence outsider trying to succeed in an uninviting world. We are constantly reminded of Clarice’s outsider/objectified status as a woman-- the prisoners taunt her sexually, Lecter discusses her clothes and scent, the “tedious sticky fumblings in backseats,” asks if Crawford wants her sexually, and so on, law enforcement talks down to/scrutinizers her (love the scene p35-36 where she kicks out the officers so she can examine the body). And it goes on and on. Her outsider status as a woman is compounded by being an orphan, poor white trash trying to act sophisticated, and a girl trying to emulate her father (not mother). While it is a burden in many ways, you can also see how her outsider status makes her stronger, and perhaps even better able to identify with the criminals she’ll be dealing with as part of her job. I especially like how this theme works in the thriller genre, as opposed to a straight drama-- throughout the story, Clarice remains focused on her goal, bravely marching through the misogynist crap lain at her feet, which ultimately says much more about her past (this is nothing new) and her strength than any of the long-winded female-empowerment speeches you might find in another type of film. Ultimately, Clarice simply wants to get the bad guys and silence the lambs. I didn’t read the novel, so I’m not sure how prominent this was originally, but I think Tally addresses the burden Clarice’s womanhood places on her in a such a smart way throughout the script, using it to add conflict to the story, dimension to the story world and depth of character. Imagine how much depth this movie would lose if Clarice were a man!

Forgot to mention how well Buffalo Bill ties into the woman theme-- in addition to reaching for his own nightmarish vision of womanhood, he literally butters up women and rips them apart to use their flesh--can't get much more exploitative/objectifying than that. It's also a funny exercise to see how few of the scenes would work if *Clarice* were *Clarence* -- DR. LECTER: Is that Old Spice I smell, Clarence?

For theme, I keep coming back to public/private, internal/external, inside/out, what we see and don't see, jailed/free, that kind of thing. How that translates to theme, not sure. Maybe, she who confronts all aspects of self with open eyes succeeds as integrated human being? That's clunky. How about, open eyes and fearless heart get you kick-ass faster? Eh. So I'm not sure about theme, but I think it has to do with becoming integrated, with Buffalo Bill's example of hidden life and fractured self showing us how not to do it. Transformation (defn: change, esp radical) as theme does work, and it's certainly what's driving Buffalo Bill, but does Clarice really change, outside of coming into her own (growing in her job, learning to live with her demons). I'm quite certain she would have graduated and been academy success without getting called out by Crawford for Lecter duty, we know that of the character. Sure she got kick-ass faster, having to battle Buffalo Bill, but I think that too would have just been a matter of time.

I definitely think Transformation is at the heart of SOTL. It's the moth. It's Buffalo Bill changing into a woman. It's more than just change though. It's embodying and becoming something else. Hannibal's role is to help Starling think like Buffalo Bill (in essence become him) to help her capture him.

Thanks for these observations. I think they all have merit. I promise to get back with some thoughts, but once again I'm slammed today.

Hola!!! The thematic element i have enjoyed the most over the years is the one related to the romantic-sexual attraction between patient and psychiatrist, between Clarice and Lecter (way before the Sopranos). Used as bait by Crawford, this innocent woman has to get "involved" with one murderer in order to catch another. The sexual and romantic climax of the relatioship between Lecter and Clarice takes place as their fingers touch, as they touch for the first and last time, just after she has surrendered her soul to him, allowing him to know her deepest emotions and fears. This "therapy" helps Clarice to know, and feel, her own self even more... And, after her sessions with Lecter, she probably ends up more powerful a woman than she already was before. A kind of "psychotherapeutic theme" permeating the wants and needs of all major characters in Silence of the Lambs. (Some "trivia": In Latin-America SOTL was called "The Silence of the Innocents"). Best from Colombia, Carlos