THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) appears on both of AFI’s lists of the greatest American films of all time – the original list as well as the 10th Anniversary Edition. It ranks #5 among the most heart-pounding screen thrills and both Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins’ Dr. Hannibal Lecter were counted among AFI’s ranking of the art form’s greatest heroes and villains – with Lecter appearing at #1, as cinema’s most iconic villain of all time, also immortalized on AFI’s greatest film quotes with “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” Beyond the film, Foster was recognized with an AFI Honorary Degree in 2018.
Learn more about THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS in the AFI Catalog.