Trivia: Singer Chris Isaak has a small cameo as the S.W.A.T. team commander.
Trivia: In the movie poster, the skull of the moth is made of seven naked female bodies. The image of the "skull orgy" originated in a portrait photograph by Philippe Halsman of Salvador Dali, entitled Salvador Dali In Voluptate Mors. The photo itself was inspired by surrealist Dali's Female Bodies as a Skull painting.
Trivia: "The Silence of the Lambs" has gained some infamy in recent years as an example of the "Mandela Effect" - a phenomenon where large groups of people share the same false memory. Specifically, many people remember Hannibal Lecter delivering the specific line "Hello, Clarice" when she comes to visit him. But he actually never once says this line in the film.
Trivia: Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling only appear in four scenes together throughout the whole film.
Answer: Knowing about her past gives him an advantage in how he can manipulate her - he understands her fears, weaknesses, strengths, and so on. A psychiatrist normally deconstructs a patient's psychological make-up to better understand and help them, but in Lecter's case, he uses this knowledge against his victims. However, as he learns about Clarice, he becomes sympathetic and protective toward her.
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