The Devil’s Backbone (Guillermo del Toro, 2001)

The Devil’s Backbone (Guillermo del Toro, 2001) is a Spanish horror/drama starring Federico Luppi, Eduardo Noriega and Marisa Paredes. The film details the life of Carlos who is forced to take refuge at the Santa Lucia School for orphans. Over time, Carlos begins to discover the supernatural elements of the orphanage, including a young ghost that strolls the area.

Throughout the film, del Toro utilises a number of filmic techniques in order to tell an extremely visceral and enthralling tale. Firstly, del Toro implements a flashback sequence to create an initial enigma and an interesting narrative structure. This, alongside a multitude of aesthetically pleasing shots intrigues the viewer. In addition to this, del Toro creates a number of tense and terrifying horror sequences throughout.

Horror within The Devil’s Backbone

The film holds a significant place within Guillermo del Toro’s filmography due to the fact that it is an extremely personal passion project. After recently directing the critically condemned big budget blockbuster Mimic (1997), del Toro used the funds from this to produce and direct The Devil’s Backbone. This alternation between a studio project followed by a passion project became typical for del Toro, and this is the film that cemented it.

I personally had mixed reactions towards the film. Although I definitely enjoyed it overall, I found that the film suffered from some pacing issues in the first act. In addition to this, I personally did not connect to any of the characters and found many of their actions to be questionable. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed certain set-pieces throughout the film – predominantly the fire scene and the proceeding aftermath.

Orphanage enveloped in flames

The film astutely tackles themes such as the supernatural, betrayal as well as loneliness throughout. The message presented over the course of the film emphasises the fact that the true ‘devil’ is the frightening evil that lives within the depths of the human psyche.

Overall, I would rate The Devil’s Backbone ★★★½.

The Silence of the Lambs ★★★★½

The Silence of the Lambs (Demme, 1991) is a psychological horror/thriller starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. The film, based on a 1988 novel of the same name, revolves around Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee who must acquire information from Dr Hannibal Lecter, a psychopathic criminal and former psychiatrist to locate and apprehend another serial killer known only as Buffalo Bill.

Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins)

Clarice works in a male-dominated field of occupation and director Jonathan Demme makes this evident from the very start. Use of diligent cinematography emphasises the patriarchal society of the FBI and the theme of gender reoccurs throughout the duration of the film.

Use of colour, mise-en-scène and framing to differentiate Clarice

The film’s plot remains engaging and enthralling throughout, with intelligent use of tension and terror to illustrate a looming, hopeless atmosphere at the forefront of it all. Hannibal within the confines of his cell remains an extremely iconic image of cinema and is the most likely the first image you picture when discussing The Silence of the Lambs.

Hannibal within the confines of his cell

The performances throughout the film are magnificent – specifically Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal. It’s no wonder that his mere sixteen minutes of screen time awarded him the prestigious Best Actor award at the Oscars. Hopkins’ cold, psychopathic demeanour can be perceived throughout the entire film, despite not featuring in the majority of scenes.

Additionally, Foster’s ruthless and fearless attitude instills courage within the audience, and the question of whether the killer will finally be caught keeps you engaged throughout.

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster)

The incredible cinematography of The Silence of the Lambs was shot by Tak Fujimoto. The film never feels the need to use cheap tricks such as jump-scares to terrify the audience, but instead, relies on much more nuanced and effective means to do so.

For example, the film uses a multitude of POV shots as well as close-ups to emphasise Lecter’s dominating presence. Fujimoto’s cinematography primarily accentuates characters’ eyes; this is done to induce fear within the audience, as well as show how fear has been induced within other characters. Furthermore, multiple shots use an interesting choice of lighting to illustrate an unsettling atmosphere.

Lighting and cinematography within The Silence of the Lambs