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Antisocial Personality Disorder in "Silence of the Lambs" (1991) Film

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Antisocial Personality Disorder in "Silence of the Lambs" (1991) Film

Introduction

The paper will focus on Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) in "THE SILENCE OF

THE LAMB." ASPD is seen through the protagonist of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a genius

psychiatrist and killer. The accuracy of this portrayal will be critically analyzed, with evidence

from scientific articles and the health institutions' website supporting its portrayal in the film.

Summary of the Film

The film "Silience of the lambs" focuses on Clarice Starling, the best FBI student who

was sent to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter and help her find out what she needs about a second

serial murderer, Buffalo Bill. The movie concentrates on how Clarice was psychologically

playing a cat-and-mouse game with Lecter throughout.

Portrayal of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Some characteristic manifestations of ASPD are demonstrated by Dr. Hannibal Lector in

the movie. Individuals suffering from ASPD are known to violate the rights of others, lack

empathy, and are manipulative and prone to violent activities such as crime. The movie shows

that Lecter has no empathy. This proves that he does not even care about other people's welfare,

using them for his amusement. His inability to feel can be observed in his conversations with

Clarice Starling as he explores her background and private moments. Lecter's ability to

manipulate and exploit others for his gain is an assurance characteristic of ASPD. Secondly,

Lecter displays self-importance and superiority in the film. He views himself as intellectually

superior to those around him and disregards others with his superior knowledge and insight.

Lecter's arrogance and confidence are evident in his conversations with Clarice and other

characters in the film, where he displays entitlement and superiority. Lecter's tendency toward
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impulsive and potentially violent behavior is displayed in various scenes (Black, 2015). Despite

being imprisoned, he demonstrates a desire for change and freedom, yet he engages in

manipulation and violence to attain his desires.

The first scene that illustrates ASPD in this movie is when Clarice Starling first meets Dr.

Lecter, who demonstrates a complete absence of empathy, one of the major attributes of ASPD.

According to work done by Kilicbasan et al. (2022), those with ASPD are prone to cruelty or

manipulations towards other individuals’ feelings. Upon their first meeting, Dr. Lecter starts

disassembling Clarice’s character, childhood life, and family background without any delay.

Such a conduct of Lecter of being manipulative is one of the vital characteristics of ASPD with

two dimensions, namely, manipulation and sociopathy. The power struggle is most evident in

Clarice’s confidence in fighting Lecter’s psychological games.

The second scene of integrating ASPD into the film is depicted by Lecter’s drawings,

which keep re-occurring inside a cell. Cleveland Clinic (2021) states that those who have been

diagnosed with ASPD act egocentrically by considering them better than other human beings or

superiors. The film portrayed Lecter’s desire for change and freedom in different surroundings,

which was shown in the repeated drawings. This longing for a different setting reflects the

boredom, intolerance, and impulsivity often associated with ASPD. Lecter's longing for a view

of trees or water reveals his narcissism and disregard for societal constraints (Cleveland Clinic,

2021).

The third scene that supports the portrayal of ASP in the film is during Lecter's

conversation with Senator Martin; he cruelly taunts her by discussing her breastfeeding

experience and then mocking her when her daughter's life is at stake. He further asked her if she

touched her nipple. The National Health Service (NHS) (2021), outlines various symptoms of
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ASPD, one being a lack of remorse. This scene highlights Lecter's lack of remorse and sadistic

behavior, which are among the symptoms of ASPD. It also brings attention to the womanhood

and misogyny themes integrated into the film.

Accuracy of the ASPD's Portrayal

The film generally captures many elements of Antisocial Personality Disorder accurately.

The Lecter's manipulative behavior, lack of empathy, and sadistic inclinations align with

diagnostic criteria for ASPD. Notwithstanding, it needs to be mentioned that antisocial

personality disorder (ASPD) is a complicated disorder whose depiction in the movie could have

been exaggerated for the sake of dramatization; however, most of the symptoms of ASPD are

portrayed with the character behavior of Lecter.

Conclusion

In sum, "The Silience of the Lamb" movie depicts a meaningful picture of Hannibal

Lecter. Although the movie portrays many features of the disorder truthfully, one must keep in

mind that ASPD is a complicated illness that cannot be comprehensively represented within the

film. Students, professionals, or any person interested in studying psychological orders should

watch the view to have a good understanding of Antisocial Personality Disorder, which is one of

the psychological disorders.

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References

Black, D. W. (2015). The Natural History of Antisocial Personality Disorder. The Canadian Journal of

Psychiatry, 60(7), 309–314. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371506000703

Cleveland Clinic. (2021, May 12). Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Cleveland Clinic.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9657-antisocial-personality-disorder

Kılıçaslan, A. K., Yıldız, S., Emir, B. S., & Kılıç, F. (2022). Alexithymia, reading the mind in the eyes

and empathy in patients with antisocial personality disorder. La Presse Médicale Open, 3,

100034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lpmope.2022.100034

NHS. (2021, February 12). Antisocial Personality Disorder. NHS.

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/