CLASSICAL MUSIC AND HORROR FILMS: JONATHAN DEMME’S "SILENCE OF THE LAMBS" AND DAVID FINCHER’S "SE7EN"

Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and David Fincher’s Se7en (1995) explore some of the darker, more horrifying aspects of American culture through the serial killer genre. In addition to discussing a range of the thematic and artistic elements in these films, such as camera work, lighting, and mise-en-scène, we will pay special attention to one of the more neglected aspects of these groundbreaking works—classical music. How does classical music, most notably the music of Bach, shape and add to the horror of these works? What does this diegetic music (occurring within the world of the film) reveal about its central characters? About modern-day morality and sexuality? About the role of violence in America?