Silence of The Lambs

In the film Silence of The Lambs directed by Jonathan Demme there are many elements of narratology present in the story line. Some of these elements include narrative traditions such as the cause and effect logic as well as a clear display of the Three Act Story Structure and the film also uses an alternative narrative that undermines the centrality of the main character.

The first act of Silence of The Lambs introduces viewers to a few of the main characters, Clarice Starling, an FBI agent and Hannibal Lecter, a deeply disturbed serial killer. Act one also introduces viewers to the potential conflict of the film, which in this film is the mystery of who and where the serial killer who goes by the nickname of Buffalo Bill, is. Clarice has been assigned to question Hannibal about the newly discovered serial killer and his whereabouts. Unfortunately Clarice does not quite seem to be ready or equipped to pick through the terrifying mind of Hannibal. This character behavior will later result in progressive character development. Act two introduces viewers to a confrontation and disruption in the plot which in the film, Silence of The Lambs, was the confrontation between Clarice and Hannibal when Hannibal admits to knowing who Buffalo Bill is and where he is. From that disruption the mystery of the film becomes captivating for the audience and draws viewers into the search for Buffalo Bill.

This film does an outstanding job in following the Three Act Story Structure using the Alternative Narrative structure throughout the film. One example of the usage of Alternative Narrative in Silence of The Lambs occurs in Act Three. The film undermines the centrality of one of the main characters and events which is the intense escape of Hannibal and then directs the focus of the film to Clarice finding and killing Buffalo Bill. The dramatic and theatrical escape of Hannibal is also the start of the major crisis that results in the peak or highest point in the plot which usually occurs in the shortest act which is Act Three. This use of story telling forces the audience to become captivated in Clarice’s action filled discovery while simultaneously directing the audiences attention away from the fact that Hannibal is still missing. This allows the audience to really become more apart of the film itself since the characters inside the film were busy celebrating Clarice’s achievements instead of worrying about and dealing with the obsessive cannibal serial killer that was still on the loose. In Act Three it is also clear to see how Clarice’s character developed progressively throughout the film. As the viewer can see in act one she is tense and timid when approaching Hannibal and later becomes bold and determined which eventually leads to the death of Buffalo Bill and victory of Clarice’s F.B.I career. Overall this film used incredible examples of the Three- Act- Story Structure which helped the viewers understand the theme of the film and become apart of the story itself.