Character Analysis
Doctor Who?
It takes a special kind of man to be more unlikeable than a cannibalistic serial killer. By "special" we mean "awful," and this kind of man is Dr. Chilton, the know-it-all, self-congratulatory head of Baltimore State Forensic Hospital. He views Hannibal Lecter as a "prize asset" and treats him like an object instead of a person.
This turns out to be Dr. Chilton's downfall. Here, downfall means "probably gets eaten by Hannibal Lecter after the credits roll." It's Chilton who tells Lecter that Starling's offer of a change of scenery is fake. Chilton orchestrates an actual offer of transfer with the Tennessee senator Ruth Martin, and then takes all the credit.
CHILTON: It's only through my own unique insight into Lecter's mind that this breakthrough was possible.
He adds, "I worked in a few conditions for my own benefit as well." Chilton doesn't care about saving Catherine Martin; he cares about his own fame.
Blinded by this quest for acclaim, Chilton accidentally breaks his own rules, rules that he condescendingly lays out for Clarice on her first visit:
CHILTON: Do not touch the glass. Do not approach the glass. Pass him nothing but soft paper, no pencils or pens. No staples or paper clips in his paper. […] If he attempts to pass you anything, do not accept it.
Chilton sets his pen down in Lecter's cell. Hannibal gets it, and later uses it to pick his lock and escape. Chilton probably isn't gloating then.
We last see this sleazeball being tailed by Lecter, who plans on having "an old friend for dinner." Chilton probably won't be alive by the time the sequel begins.