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Dove_of_Doom t1_iy0o6u8 wrote

>Hannibal Lecter: What did Miggs say to you? Multiple Miggs in the next cell. He hissed at you. What did he say?

>Clarice Starling: He said, "I can smell your cunt."

>Hannibal Lecter: I see. I myself cannot.

I don't see how else Lecter could possibly know such a thing.

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North-Technician t1_iy1dgxk wrote

Immediately after the statement, "I cannot," he sniffed the air and said, "You use Evian skin cream, and sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps, …but not today." This is to imply that he is that perceptive and can accurately detect scents. This is meant to unsettle her. So it is very possible he could tell the difference between fresh and coagulated blood. Or it could be a reference to her menstruation. I think it is intentionally left vague to show that, despite his confinement, she is vulnerable to him.

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SchopenhauersSon t1_iy0osfi wrote

Hannibal is also a liar...

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Dove_of_Doom t1_iy0q8p7 wrote

He never lied to her in Silence. With the exception of Barney, Clarice is the only person Lecter is always straight with.

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NoHandBananaNo t1_iy0wqb9 wrote

It has nothing to do with vaginas when women smell different when they're on their period.

It's subtle differences in their breath/taste of their mouth and their skin. It's not always noticeable, and it's usually something only an intimate partner would ever pick up on.

I think u/amboy_connector is right, I've always assumed it had two meanings and Lecter deliberately left it ambiguous.

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amboy_connector OP t1_iy0okf3 wrote

I thought about that exchange as well, but still wondered, since so much of his character is based on picking up subtle clues from human behavior.

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Dove_of_Doom t1_iy0qm05 wrote

It seems out of nowhere for Lecter to make a period joke at Clarice's expense. He likes her. He isn't exactly kind to her, but he is civil.

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couscousmingeminge t1_iy23bpp wrote

Yes and no. Lecter likes her, yes, but he is also nothing if not true to himself. He's a manipulator. To truly manipulate someone, you keep yourself unpredictable and arbitrary when it comes to being kind and being scary. It's a well-known tactic of abusers and manipulators. Show someone kindness and cordiality, then suddenly shift to anger or intimidation. It prevents them from getting truly comfortable around you and they also subconsciously crave your kind and cordial side again, thus making them more susceptible to wanting to please you.

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amboy_connector OP t1_iy0vhog wrote

Yes, he was always civil, but he had no problem making her feel squeamish - he didn’t repeat Miggs’ utterance of “c*nt”, but still referred to it. He also countered Clarice’s “…sounds like something Miggs would say”, with “not anymore”, which obviously shook Clarice. And IF he was referring to Clarice’s period with his comment, it was with a “civil” euphemism as opposed to something vulgar.

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