The Silence of the Lambs Trailer Analysis

The Silence of the Lambs trailer sets the genre of the film as a horror straight away through the establishment of the main character being a police officer and a voice over explaining the murders that have been occurring. This character is introduced as being brave as she says she doesn’t scare easily, and this makes the audience believe she will be able to solve this murder. This could also be an early hint at the genre which develops as the trailer goes on. The crime aspect of this film is particularly developed during this part of the trailer. Nearer the end of the trailer, someone driving implies she is scared, which tells the reader that something horrible must have happened and that it must be very scary, which builds on the genre. The setting is also established in the opening as we see Anthony Hopkins character behind prison bars and the audience knows he is a ‘bad’ character as he has been arrested. The whole trailer focuses on this character, building him up as strange and someone to fear through both the way he speaks and what others say about him, which reinforces the horror genre and creates fear for the viewer. Even more fear is created because although this character is a ‘psychopath’, we don’t know who the murderer they are looking for is, creating tension and also adding elements of a crime genre to the film. The structure of the trailer is key in creating this sense as wider event within the films re hinted at in the trailer.

The build up in this film is when the audience gets to know Hannibal Lector, and also explains the relationship between the detective and the murderer through a voiceover, which gives the audience a basic idea of the plot that will be followed in the film.  During this section of the trailer, there are quick cuts to other parts of the film so the trailer does not follow the chronology of the film. These flashes are conventionally used in horror trailers so again it reminds the viewer this is a horror film, but it also adds confusion for the reader as they are unexplained and make the audience wonder what they mean. 

The ‘problem’ is also explained by the voiceover, which tells the viewer that the detective will have to team up with Hannibal Lector in order to catch the new murderer.  This introduces the base relationship for the film, and also causes the viewer to start thinking about what could go wrong. There is also the problem of there being a murderer, which is almost another storyline, and the fact that this trailer focuses more on Hannibal Lector implies that he may be more important to the film, but also adds a sense of mystery around the new killer which sparks the fear of the unknown in the audience. Dialogue is key in creating the sense of Hannibal Lector being a scary character, particularly others comments about him. The voice over does however also focus on explaining the other murders character to an extent, telling the viewer the gruesome way he kills. This use of dialogue creates much more fear for the viewer as they know the horrible things this man is capable of but not who he is, furthering the sense of mystery and the fear the viewer has.

By the end of the trailer there are much quicker cuts and short parts of scenes from throughout the film are shown, which build excitement and tension. Nothing is given away about the ending or any real events that happen within the film however it creates a sense that things will go wrong and that the film will be packed with action and scary parts. You see the female character with a gun, which shows her fear and panic and that she is in danger in some way as she needs to defend herself, while this hints at the fact things will go wrong, it does not tell the audience what and therefore encourages them to see the whole film. The fact it is a female lead character will also appeal to a female audience, as often in horror films male characters are the brave ones and stereotypically females play victims.

The title of the film appears at the end of the trailer, so the audience is intrigued by the events of the film and then the title appears and will therefore stick in their mind. The word ‘silence’ appears in red before a quick cut to Hannibal Lector before the whole title appears. This again implies his character will be key to the plot and is someone to fear, and the close up to his face makes him appear sinister and unhinged. The fact the color red is used also connotes fear as red is often linked to blood and anger, both negative connotations.  

After this, the names of the actors in the film appear and the director (Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn and then Jonathan Demme).  This is because they’re well known people, and will further encourage people to go and see the films as they have a reputation as good actors and have a fanbase, which to a certain extent shows use of Dyer's star theory. Jodie Foster is known for appearing in The Blood of Others and The Accused, both of which will have attracted people who will be interested in this film and give her background in appearing in horror and crime films. Anthony Hopkins has gone on to star in other Hannibal films, which means this film is still appealing today as people are fans of his work in more modern films.  Scott Glenn also gives this film modern appeal as he has starred in The Bourne franchise, which is very popular, as well as working many films prior to The Silence of the Lambs.