“Meeting the Cannibal”

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS – Dir. Jonathan Demme, 1991

(Drama / Thriller)

In order to catch an elusive serial killer (and save Catherine, the last victim he has kidnapped),
new FBI recruit Clarice Starling seeks help from Dr. Hannibal Lecter – a brilliant psychiatrist, who is
serving a life sentence in a mental institution for killing and cannibalizing dozens of people. Lecter
agrees to work with Clarice, on the condition that she tells him about her own private life.

In this scene, Clarice meets Dr Lecter for the first time.

Starring: Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins

WATCH HERE
HANNIBAL
Good morning.

CLARICE
Dr Lecter, my name is Clarice Starling.
May I speak with you?

You're one of Jack Crawford's, aren't you?

I am, yes.

May I see your credentials?

Certainly.

Closer, please.
Closer.
That expires in one week. You're not real FBI, are you?

I'm still in training at the academy.

Jack Crawford sent a trainee to me?

Yes, I'm a student.

I'm here to learn from you.
Maybe you can decide for yourself
whether or not I'm qualified enough to do that.

That is rather slippery of you, Agent Starling.

Sit, please.
Now then, tell me. What did Miggs say to you?
Multiple Miggs in the next cell.
He hissed at you. What did he say?

He said "I can smell your cunt."

I see.
I myself cannot.
You use Evian skin cream.
And sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps.
But not today.

Did you do all these drawings, Doctor?

Ah! That is the Duomo, seen from the Belvedere.

Do you know Florence?

All that detail just from memory, sir?

Memory, Agent Starling, is what I have instead of a view.