The sum parts of "Silence," including some great acting performances beyond Hopkins, are what clearly make it better for me than "Cape Fear." Yes, DeNiro was fantastic as Max Cady. But I thought that Nick Nolte & Jessica Lange's roles actually took away from some of the film. And I'm not sure what about her rubs me the wrong way, but I cannot stand the actress Juliette Lewis. Particularly in her "Cape Fear" role.

"Silence" was great not only for the 20 screen minutes that Hopkins brought to Hannibal Lecter, but for the roles of Clarice Starling, Jame Gumb, and Jack Crawford.

To me, the appeal of the Hannibal Lecter character was his presence even when not on screen. Lecter kind of lurked, like the shark in "Jaws." Anthony Hopkins' performance gave the Hannibal Lecter character one of the deepest and far-reaching impacts as a cinematic villain.