Why did Lecter have the pen in his mouth?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Silence of the Lambs
ScoMore — 4 months ago(November 22, 2025 04:44 AM)
The guards couldn't see Lecter because he was behind a screen so why did he have the pen in his mouth as though he was hiding it?
He could have just held it in his hand.
My first impression when I saw the film was that Lecter had just finished eating the pen and swallowed all of it except the part he intended to use to pick the handcuffs.
Although that would explain why it was in his mouth, it seems unlikely. -
ScoMore — 4 months ago(November 24, 2025 07:04 PM)
But it was a metal pen.
That's why I though eating it was implausible.
I haven't read the book so I don't how Thomas Harris explained it.
If he was intending to kill the guards, why not break off the part of the pen he would use to pick the lock, hold it in his hand and then leave the rest of the pen behind after he escapes? -
Chicxulub — 4 months ago(November 24, 2025 08:00 PM)
He had to hide it for a long time, so he just kept it in his mouth; the safest, most accessible place. When the time was right, he took it out.
It's not clear what he did with the rest of the pen, or when and where he did it. Maybe he ditched it before leaving Baltimore.