The focus on eyes emphasises the overall desperation for secrets and trust that characterises both the FBI and the criminals.
On close ups, having Jodie Foster look slightly off camera and all the other actors straight on, subtly highlights the fact that most of the film is from Clarice’s point of view and that others struggle to know her intimately.
When she finally confides in Lecter and tells him about her childhood and the lambs, she looks straight into the camera for one of the first times.
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И в дополнение:
When Jonathan Demme filmed the scene where Lecter and Starling first meet, Sir Anthony Hopkins said he should look directly at the camera as it panned into his line of sight.
He felt Lecter should be portrayed as "knowing everything."