The Silence of the Lambs Opening

The Silence of the Lambs, an oscar winning movie, starts off with a long shot of naked winter trees in the middle of a forest. Bare trees have long symbolised the presence of evil and immediately establishes not only the setting but the atmosphere for the rest of the movie; tense and eerie. The lack of movement in the establishing shot also contributes to the lifeless ambience of the forest. The camera eventually pans down revealing the vast size of the desolate forest. Eventually a woman is revealed during the panning shot, and is shown climbing up a hill which is part of an FBI course. Although it is deliberately ambiguous initially, we are given subtle almost subliminal clues that suggest to us the woman (Jodie Foster) is our hero. Firstly, when she climbs the hill and we get a mid-close up of her we are able to see she is wearing an FBI standard tracksuit. More importantly at exactly 1:26 when she reaches the top, we don't see but we hear a bunch of crows flying away. This symbolises the expulsion of evil in the presence of Jodie Foster. This implies she is a hero and not a villain.

        The orchestral music accompanying the action helps build up the tension and creates a sense of expectation, hooking the audience. It also foreshadows a sophisticated type of villain and not your average street brawler. The tracking shot that follows her jogging through the woods is effective for two reasons. It hints to us how she may be victimised later on but also demonstrates her physical prowess as the camera literally can't keep up with her. The tracking shot through the trees and the backward tracking create the impression she is being followed or chased firmly placing the film as a Thriller. The combination of mid-shots and long-shots that follow placing her in FBI headquarters confirms the idea that she is our hero. One shot that is particularly interesting is Jodie Foster in the lift surrounded by men. It draws on the stereotype of the era that all FBI agents were male, but also suggest to us that she is isolated, that she lacks friends or close relatives.