Silence Of The Lambs Makeup Scene

Of all the stirring moments in Silence of the Lambs, one burned itself into the pop culture psyche forever.

In arguably the most remembered scene of Silence of the Lambs, serial killer Buffalo Bill dances to "Goodbye Horses" by Q Lazzarus. He applies makeup and videotapes himself dancing naked while his victim attempts to escape.

*The infamous Buffalo Bill dance scene in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)*

The scene is both striking and unsettling. But it's not immediately clear why it has become so emblematic of the film.

When you examine the song choice some fascinating clues arise.

The Goodbye Horses lyrics communicate spiritual transcendence

The song was performed by enigmatic singer Q Lazzarus, but written and produced by the late songwriter William Garvey. Inevitably their song became known for The Silence of the Lambs soundtrack.

But Garvey wanted to detach it from its association to the Buffalo Bill serial killer character. So he clarified that the Goodbye Horses lyrics are about "transcendence over those who see the world as only earthy and finite."

The horses "represent the five senses from Hindu philosophy (The Bhagavad Gita) and the ability to lift one's perception above these physical limitations."

*A rendering of The Bhagavad Gita: "a direct appeal to divinize the entire nature of man."*

It may be known now as the "Silence of the Lambs song", but the "Goodbye Horses" meaning is really about seeing beyond one's Earthly trappings.

Buffalo Bill's Silence of the Lambs dance scene is also about transformation

When we first meet Buffalo Bill's victim, Catherine Martin (Brooke Smith), she sings along to Tom Petty's "American Girl." She's blissfully unaware a serial killer — with a hobby of collecting and wearing women's skin — watches her from afar.

Inevitably Catherine is kidnapped and thrown into Buffalo Bill's dungeon. He preps her for his ritual with starvation and lots of of lotion.

In the infamous Silence of the Lambs dance scene, Gumb relishes in a depraved moment of "transcendence." Just like the moths he's so obsessed with, Gumb changes into an idealized, more powerful self.

Now, it has been argued that Silence of the Lambs takes the transgender experience and conflates it with psychopathy.

The film received fierce backlash upon its release. Among the voices was the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, who decried the "walking, talking gay stereotype" in Jame Gumb / Buffalo Bill.

But Jonathan Demme, the late director of Silence of the Lambs, defended his choice. He said Jame Gumb was so desperate to become "someone completely other" that it manifests in "ill-guided attempts at transvestism, and behavior and mannerisms that can be interpreted as gay."

And this is made clear in the film. In his analysis of Buffalo Bill, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) points out that Gumb is neither homosexual or transvestite. He's more obsessed with transforming himself than just his gender identity.

*In Silence of the Lambs Buffalo Bill is obsessed with transforming himself*

Demme's use of "Goodbye Horses" during the Silence of the Lambs dance scene adds appropriate complexity. However, Demme and Ted Levine rehearsed the scene to Bob Seger's raunchier track "Her Strut."

If you look at the scene re-synced to that track, you can see how it would have cheapened the complex and mysterious moment.

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Perhaps his changing of the song shows Demme's effort to control the tone of the film. Before Silence of the Lambs, Demme was known for comedies (like Married to the Mob) and concert films (like Stop Making Sense).

Even though his previous films had grit — and even graphic violence — he had never directed a horror film.

So Silence of the Lambs was something of a trial-by-fire for him, despite his directing chops.

The Silence of the Lambs soundtrack put Q Lazzarus on the map

To audiences in 1991, "Goodbye Horses" was an obscure track. And so was its singer, Q Lazzarus.

To this day, not much is known about her.

What we do know is that she was once an aspiring musician in New York City. She moonlighted as a cabbie and once picked up Jonathan Demme.

goodbye-horses-celluloid-turntable — *The "Goodbye Horses" single from the Silence of the Lambs soundtrack: one few Q Lazzarus pictures out there*

Demme at first denied being in the music industry. But then, as he described it, "she puts on 'Goodbye Horses going through a blizzard, and I said, 'Oh my God, what is this and who are you?'"

It's not hard to see why he was so impressed with Q Lazzarus. Her moody darkwave track is hypnotic and beautifully performed. And it's also lyrically profound.

Transformations and transcendence

At 27, Silence of the Lambs is a no less riveting watch. With Oscar-winning direction and performances, it remains one of the most transcendent horror films of all time.

And transcendence is at its heart.

The main character, FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is thematically linked to Buffallo Bill in that she wants to leave behind a part of herself that is plagued by traumatic memories involving lambs being slaughtered.

Image result for lambs stills screaming

Starling hopes she'll escape her nightmares once she finds Bill's victim Catherine. But it's a mystery if she ever does, despite her success.

This is what makes Q Lazzarus' "Goodbye Horses" such an inspired choice.

Akin to how cunningly Catherine attempts to escape, Clarice deftly circumvents bureaucracy and manipulation. She scales her trappings to both solve the case and maintain her integrity.

And the film is also evocative of Demme's transformation as a filmmaker. After he won an Oscar for Silence of the Lambs, he went on to make such acclaimed films as Philadelphia, Beloved, and Rachel Getting Married.

*Sir Anthony Hopkins (left) and Jonathan Demme (right) on the Silence of the Lambs set*

But he never forgot his music roots, and gave new meaning to songs by musicians he admired.

Sadly, Demme passed away in 2017. But he was fondly remembered by the musicians and actors he worked with for his adventurousness, collaborative spirit and knack for capturing the healing power of music on film.

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For more film and music musing, check out my Instagram @celluloid_turntable and my top music-in-film moments in 2017. And be sure to let me know in the comments what your favorite Demme moments are!