Question: If Hannibal Lecter knew all along who Buffalo Bill really was, then why didn't he just come right out and say it?
Twotall
24th Feb 2006
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Answer: He tells Clarice he knows he'll never be let out of that cell while he's alive and that he wants to be relocated away from Dr. Chiltern. He's using his knowledge of Buffalo Bill to secure better living conditions for himself and/or get to a situation where it's possible for him to escape.
Answer: Sociopaths are egocentric and focus on getting what they want; they are not likely to provide information or be helpful to others unless there is some benefit to be derived. The information that Lecter had would be used as a means to an end, not for the purposes of assisting the authorities in capturing someone. Lecter reveals tidbits - the minimal amount deemed necessary at a particular time - and saves as much information as possible for future manipulations and/or self-satisfaction.
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Answer: Because that would be boring for the doctor. He gets the opportunity to play his twisted mind-games with agent Starling, and manipulate her into revealing her own secrets to him, so he draws the game out for as long as he can.
Twotall
Lector probably has a crush on Clarice (the flattering sketch) he might be trying to see her as much as possible because he likes her.