35 years after The Silence of the Lambs premiered in theaters, the topic of Buffalo Bill’s sexual identity remains a contentious one. The deranged serial killer, played by Ted Levine in the film, was known for skinning his female victims in order to stitch together a “woman suit” for himself. This past February, Levine weighed in on the subject, and it turns out he’s got conflicting feelings about his performance.

“There are certain aspects of the movie that don’t hold up too well,” Levine, who’d never addressed the controversy before, told The Hollywood Reporter. “We all know more, and I’m a lot wiser about transgender issues,” he continued. “There are some lines in that script and movie that are unfortunate.” 35 Years Later, ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ Star Says the Movie Got Something Important Wrong

Levine went on to say that he didn’t have those same concerns when he made the movie, but is more knowledgeable when it comes to the trans experience nowadays. “[It’s] just over time and having gotten aware and worked with trans folks, and understanding a bit more about the culture and the reality of the meaning of gender,” he explained. “It’s unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it’s f—king wrong. And you can quote me on that.”

The actor also said that he didn’t play Buffalo Bill as gay or trans and just saw him as a “f—ked-up heterosexual man.” Director Jonathan Demme shared a similar view of the character, saying that Bill only wanted to be a woman because it was his way of escaping. Producer Edward Saxon confirmed that the intent was never for Bill to be trans. “He was sick. To that extent, we missed it. From my point of view, we weren’t sensitive enough to the legacy of a lot of stereotypes and their ability to harm,” Saxon added.

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[–] FatVegan@leminal.space 4 points 15 hours ago (1 child)

I haven't seen the movie in a long time, and that movies don't hold up generally is a given. But i don't really remember it as being that bigoted, might have to see it again. But i don't find it's as bad as something like ace ventura, where the joke is that someone was trans. Like he lost his shit when he found out he kissed a trans person\man, as a man. And people from the police department threw up (i think?) And he's brushing his mouth and chewing like 20 gum. I think there is a difference between one and the other.

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[–] KimLuff@lemmy.blahaj.zone -3 points 15 hours ago

One is like a high school bully who doesn't understand what's going on but just knows that you are trans (AV)

The other is like the teacher who's smart enough to use all the right words to bother you specifically without alarming the rest of the class (SoTL)

SoTL is a pretty queer film, so it understands trans people enough to be rightfully considered progressive for it's time. But it uses that to create the same rhetoric some people use to bully and shame trans people with other factors of oppression (Disability, Gender non-conformity). The movie implies some people "think" they are trans, but actually aren't, and it's up to a "trained professional" to figure out who is "really trans" and who is really an villain in disguise.

It works because most cis people can't be trusted to not misgender a trans person they see as evil, especially if someone gives them a false air of legitimacy about it (in this case, the opinion of the characters who aren't Bill)

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