Is a film about an investigater interviewing with an imprisoned former serial killer in order to capture an active one. I believe that Silence of the Lambs falls is best classified as a thriller specifically of the Women in Jeopardy and Law Enforcement subgeneres because of its plot and the suspense that’s built throughout the film.

The protagonist of the film is Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee, the film centers around her and the FBIs investigation of Buffalo Bill, an active serial killer. For those reasons I think this film is definitely a law enforcement thriller. Starling, being a female protagonist, makes her eligible for being a woman in jeopardy. Throughout her investigation in the film she is in many jeopardizing and vulnerable situations. Early in the film when she enters the commissioners office she stares at graphic images of Buffalo Bills victims, all which are female. The viewer becomes subconsciously worried for her because of this killer’s proclivities. She is assigned to interview Hannibal Lecter, an imprisoned Serial Killer and former psychiatrist, however before she even meets him the viewer feels suspense for their meeting, the commissioner tells her a story of a nurse whose face was eaten off by Lector even while he was in custody. To extract Lecter’s analysis on Buffalo Bill, Starling must reveal information about her own psyche, putting her in compromising confrontations with Lector. Even when starling is not dealing with these killers her own colleagues often seem more interested in hitting on her rather than assisting her investigation, such as with the commissioner at the beginning or with one of the men who analyzed the moth evidence. All of the suspense built around Hannibal’s character however doesn’t ultimately climax against Clarice. The film subverts what the viewer may have expected and instead when Hannibal finally does strike out it’s in this thrilling sequence against the cops that we’re guarding him. A few scenes later we see another suspenseful subversion where the events in Buffalo BIll’s house are posed with the cops gathering outside, but they are really two separate houses. This sets up the climax to be between Detective Starling and Buffalo BIll. Suspense is built in that scene when it’s revealed in shots they are both armed.

In summary the film’s use of suspenseful and thrilling moments indicates that it is a thriller, the plot around an FBI investigation indicates a law enforcement film, and having a female protagonist who faces adverse problems indicates a female in jeopardy.