Silence, Suffering, Savagery: Psychoanalysis on the Serial Killers of Hannibal Lecter Selected Movies
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Serial killers pose a mystery about their observable motive for the murder. This study aims at the psychoanalysis of three serial killers of the psychological horror thriller movies Red Dragon (2002) directed by Brett Ratner, The Silence of the Lambs (1991) directed by Jonathan Demme, and Hannibal Rising (2007) directed by Peter Webber. These movies are adaptations of Thomas Harris’s psychological horror thriller novels Red Dragon (1981), The Silence of the Lambs (1988), and Hannibal Rising (2006). The character Hannibal Lecter—performed by Anthony Hopkins, the protagonist of the movie series, is a cannibalistic serial killer and famous former forensic psychiatrist, Francis DolarHyde or the ‘Tooth Fairy’ from the movie Red Dragon and Jame Gumb or ‘Buffalo Bill’ from the movie The Silence of the Lambs are analyzed through the lens of the Psychological theories of Sigmund Freud’s Freudian psychoanalysis and Eric Fromme’s personality theory to explain their monstrosity exhibited and trailing down to its initial cause. This research explores the psychological aspects behind the evolution of these characters from having challenging childhoods to becoming monstrous serial killers.
Authors: Afshan S., Geeta R. Pai
Institution: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4410048252