Silence of the Lambs dates back to 1991, whereas Alien was released in 1979, but I think that the age of the film actually works in Alien's favour. Silence of the Lambs is also not a sci-fi movie, so there's no question of special effects being a deciding factor in this comparison. Let's get started!
We began with a viewing of the first contestant, Silence of the Lambs, and the initial scene with Clarice (Jodie Foster) running the FBI obstacle course alone on an early morning sets a great tone of isolation for the movie. This theme comes up a number of times throughout the movie, as we see a variety of lonely kidnapping victims, mental hospital patients, and our protagonist in up-close-and-personal camera shots. This movie is all about individual terror and confusion, and it delivers through incredible acting, a solid storyline and well-chosen sets.
It's obvious why this movie garnered such acclaim -- it has a great cast, the pacing of the movie is just right, and the story delivers an ending that is both reassuring (ah, the terror is over) and chilling (is something else going to happen? RUH-ROH!). Silence of the Lambs is a great thriller that has aged very well, as great performances are still great years later, and there are no dated special effects that would go out of style. Terrific film.
Rating: 10.0/10.0
On to contestant two: Alien. This movie came out two years after the first Star Wars (A New Hope), which contained lightsabers and laser guns galore. Rather than presenting a sci-fi thriller with a lot of computer-generated special effects, however, Alien presents the near future (2037) as a gritty, dirty future with technology that has a car repair shop feel. The captain of the mining vessel, Dallas (Tom Skeritt), has a pretty scraggly-looking beard, and while the medical facility on the ship is white and spartan like the inside of an Apple store, the rest of the ship is dark, dank, and wet. It's this "dirty tech" feel that makes this film age well, as if seeing it on an old VHS cassette would improve the experience by adding a grainy texture to the picture.
I chose this movie because it contained what I think is the most terrifying scene in any thriller movie I've seen, and that is the classic alien-popping-out-of-a-guy's-chest scene. It's not scary because it's gross, although the idea is a bit stomach-turning. It's scary because it takes place at a dinner table where everyone is eating and joking around. The small crew of this ship has camaraderie, and the jovial banter slowly grinds to a halt as they are first confused, then alarmed, and finally shocked and terrified by what has happened to their friend. This scene occurs fairly early in the movie, and for me was the real highlight, as that scene and an earlier scene with a million alien eggs mark the real start of the Alien franchise. The rest of the movie is appropriate for the film, but it is hard to beat the amazing leadup to the lunchroom fiasco.
Rating: 9.0/10.0
You'll note that both of these films feature a woman in a strong leading role: Jodie Foster does a great job of playing an independent and intelligent Clarice in Silence of the Lambs, and Sigourney Weaver turns in an excellent performance as the hard-nosed Ripley in Alien. The casting of this pair was very well done, and both of their performances are characterized by an intensity that helps draw the audience into the story.
What's the verdict? Well, I am definitely biased in favour of Alien in terms of scariest scene, but I think that Silence of the Lambs delivered in terms of the overall film. I loved Alien, but the winner of this contest is definitely Silence of the Lambs.
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