Original artwork, not a still
Good evening, Clarice.
— The Silence of the Lambs • 1991
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the most polite sentence in horror: a cannibal's greeting, delivered as if to a dinner guest. The first name and the courteous hour show he has been expecting her and is fond of her, which is more frightening than a threat. Anthony Hopkins's soft, precise delivery made it the first thing everyone reaches for when doing a Lecter impression, and it now stands for any smooth, over-friendly hello with menace behind it.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Silence of the LambsShow the scene
In Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Dr. Hannibal Lecter has been flown from Baltimore to a temporary cell in a Memphis courthouse after trading information to Senator Martin for a better deal. Clarice Starling, the FBI trainee, comes to see him again, now that she has worked out that his "Louis Friend" clue is an anagram of iron sulfide, or fool's gold. Lecter is sitting in his cage reading and greets her without looking up. She hands back his drawings. He needles her about Jack Crawford and the case, and then, at last, starts to give her the clues that lead to Buffalo Bill.
Sources (3)
- Wikiquote: The Silence of the Lambs (film)Lecter and Starling exchange beginning with the greetingReference checked
- Wikipedia: The Silence of the Lambs (film)Plot section, Memphis courthouse paragraphsReference checked
- Wikipedia: Hannibal LecterLeadReference checked
Context reviewed
