Movies - TV
The Buffalo Bill Scene In Silence Of The Lambs That Was Totally Improvised
By LEE ADAMS
Ted Levine's nuanced performance as Buffalo Bill (aka Jame Gumb) in “Silence of the Lambs” is remarkable, given both how thinly written the role is and how he only has around ten minutes of screen time. What’s even more remarkable is that the famous and oft-parodied "Goodbye Horses" dance was not in the original script, but something that Levine improvised.
With both the book and the screenplay in mind, director Jonathan Demme and Levine worked out a lot of Gumb's character on set, including the chilling dance scene. Bob Seger's "Her Strut" was the tune originally used while rehearsing the scene before "Goodbye Horses" took its place.
Demme had already used the song to little effect in "Married to the Mob," but this time it suited the scene far better. With those nocturnal synths and spectral vocals, it has become synonymous with Buffalo Bill's most memorable moment, the perfect blend of music and startling imagery.