N.24 | "The Silence of the Lambs" (Clarice meets Lecter: a masterclass in film storytelling), asking your actors to perform the physical task plus more

JOURNAL ENTRY

Jan 26, 2025: nothing much to report this week. Flat week. I keep working on small things to keep moving ahead as a filmmaker. I want to develop the habit of working on nano, micro and short stories simultaneously.

What’s the difference? I can do a nano film by myself, to keep flexing those muscles. I can do a micro film with fellow filmmakers and actors, to learn how to work in a team. Finally, I can also work on a short story, which would be quite a jump from a nano or a micro film.

FILM STORYTELLING

The Silence of the Lambs (Clarice meets Lecter: a masterclass in film storytelling)

In The Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is about to meet Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) for the first time.

There’s a lot to learn here.

Let’s deconstruct and analyze this scene: watch 7 min 47 sec clip here.

We, the audience, are as curious as Clarice

We start with Clarice walking down the hallway towards Lecter’s cell. The point of view (POV) is Clarice’s, but it’s also ours.

Why? Until now, the film has been nothing but hearsay characterization of Lecter. Clarice has not met “Hannibal the Cannibal” yet.

Jonathan Demme, the director, knows that we are as curious as Clarice to see who this Lecter character is. Hence, Clarice’s POV, which is ours as well.

OTS shots to make them equal

When Clarice reaches Lecter’s cell, we have a series of over-the-shoulder (OTS) shots.

These shots place the characters at the same level. They’re equal. And this is the only moment in which that happens. Going forward, Lecter will always look taller and bigger.

Also, Lecter is jailed, but there are no bars. It’s all glass. This is a clever production design choice. Metal bars might have put Lecter at a disadvantage in the mind of the audience.

Again, the two characters are equal.

First blow and power shift

Lecter asks to see Clarice’s credentials. At this point we move to a direct POV of each character.

From Lecter’s POV, notice how the lens focuses on Clarice’s eyes — not the ID. Lecter is looking Clarice straight in the eye. Clarice does the same. They walk towards each other. The final closeups emphasize the moment.

Lecter throws his first blow.

He points out that Clarice is not yet an FBI agent. She is actually just a trainee.

We move to an OTS shot.

Lecter tells her to sit down. She sits. She’s now lower than Lecter. She looks smaller and at a disadvantage. Lecter is in command.

From now on, we’re always looking down on her and up on him. Also, it’s always a closeup for him (Clarice’s POV) making it look bigger, and it’s a medium shot for her, making her look smaller.

Looking into camera vs POV

The two start talking.

Lecter looks right into the camera. He’s center-framed. He is looking straight at us — which is Clarice’s POV.

Clarice looks off camera. She’s not center-framed.

Director Jonathan Demme reinforces this by having the camera look where Clarice is looking. He then brings us back to Lecter, who is still looking right into the lens. We’re in Clarice’s head.

Looking into camera vs POV (reversed)

Lecter keeps humiliating Clarice, maintaining power.

But as soon as Lecter starts asking about Buffalo Bill, the reverse happens. Lecter is not center-framed anymore. Now Clarice is center-framed. She’s looking straight into the camera. We’re now into Lecter’s head.

Why? My guess is that’s because he’s interested. But it’ also because the audience needs to focus and hear this. That’s why we briefly move into Lecter’s head.

Second blow and power regained

Clarice wins a round when she remarks about Lecter eating his victims. We’re back to Clarice’s POV looking at Lecter, because Demme wants us to see and feel Lecter’s reaction.

This forces Lecter to stop, think, award her the victory by agreeing to see the questionnaire — something that he refused to do earlier.

Clarice finally passes the questionnaire.

Just when we think she’s winning, Lecter lands a second blow.

He looks at the questionnaire, then humiliates Clarice again. As he talks, the camera dollies towards him pointing upward, ending up in a centered closeup. The camera simultaneously dollies towards Clarice looking down, ending up in an off-centered closeup. She’s uncomfortable and scared.

The conversation ends. Clarice walks away from the camera, humiliated.

Final two-shot creates relationship

The scene ends with Lecter and Clarice in the first and only two-shot of the entire scene. They’re together in the same frame. This is the start of a relationship.

Lecter stands slightly above Clarice. He still has all the power, but he gives away a lot. In the end, Clarice walks out with way more than expected.

Special thanks: The Silence of the Lambs - Who Wins the Scene? on YouTube. Clarice, Meet Dr. Lecter: How to Craft a Masterful Intro Scene by Derek Jacobs.

TIDBIT I’M PONDERING

The physical task: what you should be asking your actors

In Directing Actors, Judith Weston lists a number of alternatives to result direction when working with actors.

Result direction involves describing the mood you want from the actors. Examples are: “can you do it angrier?”, “can you take it down?”, “can you give it more energy?” etc.

Result direction is very often problematic for actors.

One of the alternatives listed in the book is titled “Physical Tasks” — where Weston explains that the simplest thing you can ask of an actor is the physical task.

A great example comes from the film Edward Scissorhands.

Director Tim Burton made sure that Johnny Depp was given the scissorhands prop a whole year before shooting began.

It would have been easy for Burton and Depp to only talk and intellectualize the character psychology, feelings and state of mind — like describing Edward as vulnerable and violent.

Instead, Depp had the unique chance to do it physically. He wore the scissorhands and felt what it was like to have complex needs, the longing for human connection, to have feelings of hatred.

Source: From Directing Actors by Judith Weston (paraphrased and/or quoted).

FILM STORYTELLING

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (dirty single shot example)

A single shot features one character alone in the frame. A single can be any shot size. It can be a full shot, a medium closeup, a medium shot, an extreme closeup or anything else.

There are two ways to frame a single. A dirty single — like in this example here — which includes a limited presence from another character in the frame. The main character is the primary focus, but the other character has some importance in the scene as well.

The opposite is the clean single, which is when no part of any other character is visible in the frame. The individual character is the primary focus. It's best used when you want the audience to focus on the action of the character. A clean single can also convey a character's isolation.