Since its release, The Silence of The Lambs has been one of the most popular psychological horror movies in America. But is it better than the book written by Thomas Harris? Does it portray the intensity of each meeting between Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling the way Harris had intended? Or is the book better in explaining just how Dr. Lecter was able to manipulate every person he was in contact with in order to get his way.
The Silence of The Lambs follows Clarice Starling, who is currently training to be an Agent in the FBI. Jack Crawford, head of the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI, wants Starling to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who is behind bars at the BSHCI for several acts of murder and cannibalism, so the FBI can get a better understanding of how his mind works. However, after their first few meetings when Dr. Lecter starts giving Starling unreleased details about a serial killer the FBI is currently after, her task quickly changes from getting to know him to getting him to give her as much information as possible about this killer. The killer, nicknamed Buffalo Bill by the public, has been kidnapping young women and skinning them, then dumping their bodies in a river.
The story ends with Buffalo Bill being caught and Hannibal Lecter escaping police custody and flying off the FBI’s radar.
On August 29, 1988, The Silence of The Lambs, written by Thomas Harris, was released to the public as a sequel to his hit novel The Red Dragon, published in 1981. Much like The Red Dragon, The Silence of The Lambs was considered a New York Times bestseller at the time of its release. As of now, the book has sold over 10 million copies worldwide and has made about $100 million worldwide. However, on February 14, 1991, the movie adaptation of The Silence of The Lambs, directed by Jonathan Demme, was released and had grossed almost $14 million over the 4-day Presidents’ Day weeke
nd, scoring a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.6/10 on IMDb. Today, the movie has made about $273 million worldwide.
Judging by how much each version made in USD, it is clear that the movie adaptation is the fan favorite. Making about $173 million more than the original version, there are many people who only know of The Silence of The Lambs because of the movie. “I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t even know there was a book version.” Said Kayden Zimmerman when asked which one they preferred.
