Thrillers are one of the most popular genres for movies and series. Crime cases and villains have always fascinated audiences. But how realistic is it all? An expert has looked at various scenes in a video, including the Silence of the Lambs.
Editor’s note: The following article discusses The Silence of the Lambs and the realism of the depicted scenes. Those who have difficulty with such scenes should avoid watching the article or the mentioned YouTube video.
What kind of video is it? The YouTube channel Insider regularly has experts evaluate different scenes from movies and series based on their area of expertise. Usually, it focuses on realism. In one video, for example, it discussed the science in Marvel movies.
In a more recent YouTube video, it addresses movies and series about serial killers. The expert in this video is Pat Postiglione. He was an investigator at the Nashville Police Department for over 30 years and worked on 75 cold cases. He also investigated 6 cases of serial murders.
The video also discusses The Silence of the Lambs. The expert evaluates several scenes from the film.
A trailer for The Silence of the Lambs can be seen here:
Much of the investigation seems realistic
What does the investigator say about The Silence of the Lambs? The first scene the investigator looks at is the examination of a dead body by investigator Clarice, played by Jodie Foster. At the beginning, the expert speaks about the described wound, which shows how close the perpetrator must have been.
The classic aspect with dirt under the nails
shows that the victim must have fought back. The cream that the detectives in the film apply under their noses seems to be used in real life according to the expert as well. This is supposed to help them ignore the smell of the corpse.
He himself says, however, that it was not used in his environment; his colleagues could apparently breathe out of their mouths without having to smell.
During the examination of the corpse, something is found in the victim’s mouth. According to the expert, this could either be a form of business card
to indicate that it was not the first time or it refers to copycats
who replicate another act.
Such aspects are actually beneficial for investigators in real life, because the more the perpetrators leave behind at the crime scene, the more evidence there can be.
Hannibal Lecter doesn’t convince him
What does he say about Hannibal Lecter’s assistance? In the next section of the analysis of The Silence of the Lambs, the expert talks about Hannibal Lecter and how Clarice seeks his help. He says that one cannot know how accurate the serial killer’s information is.
He states that he would also question such individuals extensively, simply to get information. In his experience, serial killers are often even trustworthy, as long as it helps them.
However, the expert does not find Hannibal Lecter’s analysis of other perpetrators very convincing. He states that it is not so easy to say why a perpetrator kills. There is not one reason that leads to it. He says about such perpetrators:
I think it’s really not that simple to say, well, he killed for this or that reason […] They have […] no fear, no guilt, no remorse. The only regret they have is getting caught.
Pat Postiglione on serial killers (via YouTube)
Despite the realistic approach, he gives the film only a 7 out of 10 regarding realism in his evaluation.
How was The Silence of the Lambs rated as a film? Aside from realism, The Silence of the Lambs is considered one of the best films of all time. The film even won the 5 most important Oscars in 1992:
- Best Picture
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Director
- Best Adapted Screenplay
For movies, realism is not the most important aspect in every situation as long as everything that happens is credible. John Wick is a series that seems quite absurd. How realistic the John Wick films are can be found out here: Elite soldier explains how realistic the John Wick films are
