Did anyone see this in the theater?

I actually did see it in the theater, nearly 25 years ago. I don't recall that audience's reactions per se, but people generally were pretty impressed with the movie (rightfully so, I think).

Come to think about it, maybe people were more concentrated when watching movies, interested in seeing a good story, no rustling and not to much talking was taking place; or maybe the audience had been very captivated by the execution of this very story.
Also, one has to remember that in pre-internet (and imdb) times, you had far less information on a movie media-wise - a trailer, maybe, or an early review in the newspaper. All that was known about 'Silence' was that it starred Jodie Foster and a guy playing a cannibal (that, obviously, being Anthony Hopkins, who had made some very fine work but wasn't that well known before playing Hannibal), and that it was supposed to be a serious horror movie (given that you had a lot of Fridays and Halloweens and Hellblazers and whatnots around at that time).

I just rewatched for the first time in years, and it holds up marvelously ... funny, though, how different the story would have developed had cell phones been up to the common standard.

I saw it in a theater. The audience in general seemed very absorbed and interested in the movie. They seemed to find it very entertaining, scary, etc. I did not. I found it hokey, I didn't buy into the FBI training scenes, and I didn't buy into the story for several reasons.

One reason was that the idea of a gay/transsexual psychopathic serial killer seemed to me to be an old idea that feeds into stereotypes I don't care for. Also, the idea that a fledgling FBI agent (I can call her a fledgling, as her name is Starling, after all) is being left alone to conduct an investigation largely on her own is ridiculous. It's ridiculous to me in particular in a case like the one portrayed in the movie. They would not send Starling alone to interview Lecter, for sure. And she most definitely would NOT have gone into that house alone and stayed in the house without backup when she realized who was there. Just too unrealistic for me.

I liked Anthony Hopkins - he is always convincing in any role, even though this one was also over-the-top. But, I just didn't feel like what was happening in the movie was real. I feel badly for that, as I know it is a very popular movie, but I guess it just isn't my kind of movie.

My real name is Jeff

Contains spoilers

I saw it in the theater. There was an audible gasp when Lechter took off the cop's face in the ambulance; I think a few people clapped at the end when she shot buffalo bill. People also laughed at the old friend for dinner line and when you see chilton talking to his escort about hiding.

As for my own reaction, I was 19 and the build up before clarice first walks down the hall to meet Lechter the first time had me in tears. "His pulse never got above 85, even when he ate her tongue" put me over the edge. I'd never been so scared in a movie.

I was 1 and a half when it came out so I didn't see it in theaters either although I wish I had been able to.

yes I saw it and everyone I was with agreed that this was a truly great movie - can't speak for the whole audience but I would compare it to my reaction to Psycho - wow

[deleted]

I remember vividly seeing this in the theater. I actually saw it at a preview screening about two weeks before it opened (it opened on Valentine's Day in 1991). This was one of those screenings you win through a radio station or something like that. We knew nothing about it.

The audience was riveted from the very beginning - as one person pointed out here, the moments leading up to Hannibal's first appearance were so tense, you could hear people wincing. I know I was thinking, "What are we going to see....?"

People were actually telling Clarice, "Don't...don't!" when Lector asked her to come closer...

When Lector pulls of the skin mask in the ambulance, there was a huge gasp and some cries of "Oh my god" - and everyone was just so unsettled it took us awhile to recover from that. We were well into the next scene (with Clarice and her friend) before the audience settled down.

Another huge gasp from the audience was when the SWAT team broke into the wrong house, and it's revealed that Clarice is the one at Gumb's door.

And yes, the ending - when Buffalo Bill turns on the night vision goggles - was met with screaming and gasping. Such a relief when she shot him.

But boy were we rattled when we walked out of theater.

yes, i did see it. I was 20 at the time and i remember it quite well. They were pretty shocked and stunned. I left being creeped out and even had a hard time years later watching it again on VHS.

"Come here, my piggy. I've got some gingerbread for you. -Freddy Krueger