When it comes to psychological horror films, few have achieved the chilling impact and critical acclaim of Anthony Hopkins‘ The Silence of the Lambs. With its gripping narrative and spine-tingling atmosphere, the film has rightfully earned its place among the greatest in cinematic history, earning five Oscars and widespread acclaim.
Yet, amidst the crowd of horror classics, there exists a film that goes beyond mere scares, into the realm of controversy and legal turmoil that few filmmakers dare to tread. Released in 1980, Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust seemed too realistic and authentic when it came to the gory scenes that the filmmaker would end up being arrested and charged with murder.
The Controversial Legacy of Cannibal Holocaust
The 1980 Italian film Cannibal Holocaust follows an anthropologist Harold Monroe, who comes across a lost film as he leads a rescue team into the Amazon rainforest to locate a crew of filmmakers who have gone missing while documenting local cannibal tribes.
And the graphic realism of its scenes prompted allegations against filmmaker Ruggero Deodato, who found himself facing murder charges due to the authenticity of the on-screen carnage. As per IMDb, the movie was seized by Italian authorities soon after its premiere.
And director Deodato was arrested under suspicion of murdering several actors depicted in the movie. Speculations were also fueled by the absence of these actors from public view following the film’s release. However, it was later revealed that the actors had signed contracts obligating them to remain out of the public eye after filming to uphold the illusion of their demise.
The filmmaker had to extensively detail the filmmaking process, including the creation of special effects, to refute the charges against him. He also reached out to Luca Barbareschi, who later contacted the other three actors who were depicted to be killed in the movie and appeared on an Italian TV show to prove that they were actually alive.
He was reportedly facing life in prison for the charges made against him. And the murder charges were dropped after Deodato was able to prove that no one was killed in the making. The movie, however, remains banned in multiple countries for depicting real animal deaths, and its disturbing nature.
Anthony Hopkins Reflected on Working on The Silence of the Lambs
Hollywood star Anthony Hopkins opened up about portraying the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs in an interview with People. The actor shared that his role in the film is still “one of the best parts” he has ever read.
Hopkins also recalled assuming that the movie was a children’s story due to its name. “[My agent] said, ‘I want you to read this,” he shared before adding, “I said, ‘Is it an offer?’ He said, ‘It’s a film with Jodie Foster called The Silence of the Lambs.'”
Anthony Hopkins even shared that he was nervous and unsure if he could do justice to the role. However, he later found out that the filmmaker Jonathan Demme wanted him for the role of Hannibal Lecter and even flew to London from New York to see the play he was doing at the time.
After The Silence of the Lambs, which earned him his first Oscar for Best Actor, Hopkins reprised his role in a sequel, Hannibal, and a prequel Red Dragon. The franchise expanded further with another prequel, Hannibal Rising (2007), along with the TV series Hannibal and Clarice.
The Silence of the Lambs is available to rent/buy on Prime Video.
