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“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”
There have been many villains to grace the big screen. Villains that bring chills to you and causes nightmares. AFI’s top villain ever is the one and only Hannibal Lecter by the legendary performance of Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins was so freakin good and scary in this role that he won the Academy Award for Best Actor and was only in the movie for around 15 minutes.
Going only off the Silence of the Lambs film, Lecter has been captured and locked away. When a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill begins kidnapping, killing, and skinning women, the FBI send trainee Clarice Starling to interview him. Lecter is fascinated with Starling and helps her along with also psychoanalyzing her. The whole first scene with his teeth will truly give you goosebumps.
What makes a villain truly terrifying? The ability to blend in and make it seem like nothing is wrong. Dr. Lecter is a man who is a genius but also a freakin doctor. I think a psychologist at that. Lecter is a pure and 100% “sociopath.” He is a man that has zero conscience and feels no remorse for his crimes. What makes him a scary person is that he is not shallow or exploitative, does not commit petty crimes and hardly ever raises his voice. He is in complete control of everything he does and around him. He is fearsome because he knows exactly who he is. He believes that he is evil.
Lecter main advantages is that he is highly intelligent immaculately cultured and sophisticated. He is almost the perfect gentleman. He doesn’t kill for just fun. He kills those who have awful taste or very poor manners. You better make sure you are pleasant. He also kills individuals who are morally cruel, pugnacious, objectionable, and repulsive, such as pedophiles. Let’s go back to being in control. When he killed the nurse, his pulse did not exceed 85 bpm, rising from 72 bpm. While beating a cop to death, his heartbeat rose to a mere 100 bpm, but soon dropped. His greatest strength is his mind. He is an expert in psychology and is able to bend others to his will with mere words.
Hannibal Lecter is the OG of villains and one of the best in the game. A man who uses his mind and mere words to manipulate you. If you don’t watch out, he will eat you with a smile on his face and a nice glass of wine.
