A major way that the film was able to adapt the novel was through the use of the actors and their acting performances. Both Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins won awards for best actress and actor. Their iconic performances of Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter allows us to better visualize and understand the characters. Translated from the page to the screen, the characters personalities shone through and added more to the overall feel of the film. Many times throughout the film the actors look at the camera, more specifically Anthony Hopkins. Jesse Stommel of Bright Lights Film puts is as, “The Silence of the Lambs is filled with shots of characters looking directly into the camera, directly acknowledging the fact that we are in the audience
