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NOVEMBER
2005
Clarice Starling
("FBI Agent")
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Don't you hate it when you've worked
your ass off on something only for dreamweaver
to inexplicably quit before you've had
the chance to save? Ahh well these are
the breaks, so if this sounds like regurgitated
drivel, then you'll know why, because
it is, because unlike home made soup,
these things are never quite as good
the second time around.
Another month has passed and it's time
to look at another Honorary Oakley.
For the month of November 2005 the character
of Clarice Starling, FBI Agent in the
Thomas Harris novels and movies based
on them. Clarice has all the intricacies
we look for here in the Oakley's, she's
tough but sensitive, she's courageous,
yet scared. Clarice is full of dichotomy
but remains a very cool female character.
That's why she's our Honorary Oakley
for the month of November 2005.
Oh and it's worth noting that, in some
strange twist of fate, early in this
book Clarice Starling's coworkers have
named her "Annie Oakley" for
her shooting prowess... Jung at work
Thanks to Derek for this suggestion.
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Clarice
Starling: A Quick Bio.
Name: Clarice
M Starling
Age: Mid 20's
Born: West Virginia
Parents: Father
shot and killed / Fostered / Orphanage
Profession: FBI
Agent and Behavioural Scientist
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Hello
Clarice…
Clarice Starling is the young
FBI agent who is assigned to help
find a missing woman to save her
from a psychopathic serial killer
who skins his victims. Clarice
attempts to gain a better insight
into the twisted mind of the killer
by talking to another psychopath
Hannibal Lecter, who used to be
a respected psychiatrist. FBI
agent Jack Crawford believes that
Lecter who is also a very powerful
and clever mind manipulator has
the answers to their questions
to help locate the killer. Clarice
must first try and gain Lecter's
confidence before he is to give
away any information.
That's essentially the movie
synopsis (imdb) and it
touches on the character of Clarice
without giving too much away.
She's young and thrown in at the
deep end, two things to keep in
mind as the story progresses.
Despite these factors she eventually
wins out.
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He wants to eat
your liver…
One of the things that makes the character
of Clarice so interesting is her trepidation
when she's sent to interview Dr Lecter.
The relationship that evolves from their
meeting is both disturbing and visceral
in nature. The character of Clarice
is flawed, like so many of the great
movie characters and it is these flaws
that lend the character to the audience
in a more sympathetic manner. The fact
she overcomes her weaknesses and wins
out by sheer determination and strength
of character make her an endearing and
positive female protagonist.
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Always
wait for backup….
Another thing that makes the character
of Clarice so cool, is that she could
have been written for / as a man, but
instead Thomas Harris engages the reader
with a strong but slightly flawed female
lead who turns out to be more than she
first appears. In a similar manner to
that of the Ripley character, highlighted
in last months
Honorary Oakley, the character of Clarice
Starling is made all the better for
being a woman. It allows for a certain
dimension that can be explored that
would have been ignored had the character
been yet another male protagonist out
for the bad guy.
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She's different,
but the same…
The character of Clarice undergoes a bit
of a shift, both in character and actress
in the followup to the film 'The Silence
of the Lambs'. Jodie Foster would not
commit to the project, it is said because
she thought the end of the book betrayed
the character of Clarice becasue she is
drugged and hypnotized by Lecter she joins
him in a cannibalistic meal, thus symbolizing
her crossing over to his realm. A bit
of a shame for the character and Jodie
was replaced by the actress Julianna Moore.
Essentially the character of Clarice is
used in a plot to capture Dr Lecter. Sadly
the story does little to explore the character
of Clarice overly and it was fairly uninteresting
overall, which is a shame. Still it warrants
a mention since this is another incarnation
of the character of Clarice. The problem
here lay more with the narrative than
the acting prowess of Moore, who is actually
very good, it's a shame they didn't give
her more to work with, as they had with
Foster years before. |
| It's been suggested that Thomas
Harris's works are essentially wild
west epics brought to the modern
age and in many ways this is true,
he references not only Clarice as
Annie Oakley, but also refers to
the villain as 'Buffalo Bill'. The
best stories seem to be those that
utilise the wild west ethos because
it is something the viewer can easily
relate to, some suggest this is
why the film Star Wars is such a
huge hit, it's just a western. With
this sort of ethos in mind, the
character of Clarice is Annie Oakley,
as suggested by her co-workers,
she's a sure shot who doesn't quite
fit the mould of 'woman' as norm
and also as suggested by the rarity
of the female protagonist leads
in Hollywood overall. This makes
the character fairly unique. She's
strong yet weak, she's courageous
yet scared and it is this dichotomous
characterisation that lends the
character to the audience in a sympathetic
manner. |
The lambs were screaming…
Clarice Starling is a cool character,
no matter which way you look at it.
She's a character you sympathise with,
but not because she is weak, but because
she is worth sympathising with. She's
clever, courageous and strong. This
is why she's our Honorary Oakley for
November 2005. Her strength of character
and will are just what the ladies of
the Honorary Oakley are about, she’s
timeless in her courage and commitment.
Agent Clarice Starling… We Salute
you! That is why Clarice Starling is
the Honorary Oakley
for the Month of November 2005.
All pictures copyright
their respective owners. Any pictures
appearing here you feel should not
be will be removed immediately
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