C. and I have this funny little thing where he asks me, "have you seen this movie?" And I just laugh, which means, "No, I did not see that classic movie, either." After watching "A Few Good Men" a few good weeks ago, I mentioned to my mom that I was mystified about all these missing movies. Was I in a movie-coma in the early 90's? Or was I just so entrenched in my fast-tracked degree in elementary education that I'd ignored everything while I struggled to learn to play the recorder? She suggested making a list of the classic films from that era that I'd missed, a task which C. took to his computer, to do the research that he does so well.
Last night, we curled up on his couch with blanket, fireplace, and coffee (one of my most favorite places to be with him) and watched "Silence of the Lambs." I had no idea it was such a powerful film. I'd never wanted to see it because it looked so scary and gruesome. But much of the thrill of the movie was in the unbloody interactions between Clarice and Hannibal, and the bizarre but oddly mesmerizing connection they shared with each other. He touches her once in the movie, for maybe two seconds, but it was the way that she let him into her mind and the way that she gets into his...and the verbal interplay between the two of them that bonded them together in a strangely gruesome and yet unforgettable way.
I am still shaking my head over the fact that the cannibal who thought nothing about gnawing off people's faces and other horrible things was a more likeable character than his prison psychiatrist. There were so many reasons to despise Hannibal's character and yet, there was still something fascinating about him, both to her character and to the audience (well, at least to me and to C.) Of course he was having an old friend for dinner at the end of the movie.
BTW, I do not like violent films or anything with blood and gore. But the psychological thrill part of this movie pulled me in. It's a good movie for a writer to study--the dialogues between Hannibal and Clarice and the many layers of his twisted and violent personality make for a brilliant study in engaging the reader.
Love, Rachel
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