I think a great villain (in the classic sense, not talking about anti-heroes or punching bags) fits into one of two categories (and sometimes both). The first is the unstoppable force: the guy who just runs roughshod over anyone who tries to get in his way (and would run over the hero too, unless the hero can find a different approach or a weakness). Anton Cighur; most blockbuster movie villains, Bond villains, etc.
Sometimes they wouldn't be particularly powerful in a natural sense, but they exist in an environment they've created where they are all-powerful and can control everything: Denzel Washington in Training Day; Nurse Rached; Kathy Bates in Misery; Hal. etc.
The second type of great villain is the guy who's strength is that he understands the hero (and others) more than the hero himself does. He understands the hero's motivations and weaknesses so well that he can manipulate them in subtle ways. Hannibal Lecter, Loki in the Avenger series, etc.
The best villains are the ones who combine these two: Keyzer Soze, for example (this guy who has committed horrible attrocities through sheer will, but is smart enough to sit in a room with this detective and give him exactly what he's looking for). Same with Ledger's Joker: combines ambitious, diabolical thinking with keen observation and understanding of all the other people in the story. Such villains force a hero to both find the villain's weakness, as well as confront their own.
I think a great villain (in the classic sense, not talking about anti-heroes or punching bags) fits into one of two categories (and sometimes both). The first is the unstoppable force: the guy who just runs roughshod over anyone who tries to get in his way (and would run over the hero too, unless the hero can find a different approach or a weakness). Anton Cighur; most blockbuster movie villains, Bond villains, etc.
Sometimes they wouldn't be particularly powerful in a natural sense, but they exist in an environment they've created where they are all-powerful and can control everything: Denzel Washington in Training Day; Nurse Rached; Kathy Bates in Misery; Hal. etc.
The second type of great villain is the guy who's strength is that he understands the hero (and others) more than the hero himself does. He understands the hero's motivations and weaknesses so well that he can manipulate them in subtle ways. Hannibal Lecter, Loki in the Avenger series, etc.
The best villains are the ones who combine these two: Keyzer Soze, for example (this guy who has committed horrible attrocities through sheer will, but is smart enough to sit in a room with this detective and give him exactly what he's looking for). Same with Ledger's Joker: combines ambitious, diabolical thinking with keen observation and understanding of all the other people in the story. Such villains force a hero to both find the villain's weakness, as well as confront their own.
I'd like to add on to this because this is outstanding.
I think some of my favorite villains are the ones that actually believe that they're on the side of right, whether its through desperation, or its through a need for revenge because someone was slighted. Or whether it was the good person so effected by something that they become a vengeance filled crusader.
Some of the great villians for me are
Max Cady (Robert De Niro) - sent to jail because his lawyer basically was terrible and surpressed evidence that could have gotten him aquitted. While in Jail he loses everything, but his hatred grows of his lawyer and he becomes that crusader. He gets out and basically stalks the lawyers family, and seduces the daughter. Nick Nolte's character tries to get rid of him by bribing him, and then hires thugs to beat Cady. If you want to see a great acted scene. Cady takes the beating and doesn't break while Nolte hides in the shadows and watches, its a great scene.
General Frances X Hummel - the Rock, pretty self explanatory, He's clearly the villain in this piece or at the very least the antagonist. But you can understand the justification.
Clyde Shelton in Law Abiding Citizen - See above.
On a side note, the Joker in the Dark Knight, beyond Heath Ledgers portrayal of it, you really really want the back story of this version of the joker because it seems like it could be the furthest thing from the other Joker origin stories. To me he comes across as a insane sociology student who fully immerse in the Anarchy Philosophy. But what drove him over the edge and gave his an obsessive disdain of ordinary people?
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The original Cape Fear is a far superior picture than the remake. If anything Robert Mitchum as Max Cady should get a mention, not DeNiro. He was absolutely terrifying in that role, Mitchum didn't even need to ham it up (by mugging and yelling) to steal the show, he gave a powerful performance. It's a far better movie too, and should be seen by any movie goer (same with his turn in The Night of the Hunter).
Just look at this interview with Burt Reynolds, Mitchum completely legit and just a dangerous person.
Last edited by trackercowe; 03-20-2014 at 10:14 AM.
I would agree, definitely not a villain. He even had some soft moments in that movie.
If anything that's a pretty villianless movie with a minor shoutout being the American war machine.
Ermey was originally hired on the movie as a consultant since he had been a Marine drill instructor. Kubrick ended up having him play the part.
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
Last edited by Displaced Flames fan; 03-22-2014 at 12:11 PM.
If anything that's a pretty villianless movie with a minor shoutout being the American war machine.
I'd consider the sniper to be a villain, definitely didn't play a huge role in the movie but the last half hour of that movie was so intense and really gave you a sense of how that war was really fought.
I'd consider the sniper to be a villain, definitely didn't play a huge role in the movie but the last half hour of that movie was so intense and really gave you a sense of how that war was really fought.
Not sure if mentioned, but Richard Dawson in "The Running Man". Mostly because of what you departure that role was from that happy, charismatic personality he exuded on Family Feud. His portrayal in that dystopian future as a cruel, mean-spirited, game show host just made it that much more intense. You just didn't know he had that in him to play.
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I'd consider the sniper to be a villain, definitely didn't play a huge role in the movie but the last half hour of that movie was so intense and really gave you a sense of how that war was really fought.
I never saw her as a villain, she was fighting a war in her own country, sure we can talk the influx of communism and the invasion of the south by the north. But she was killing foreigners, and we couldn't really class the protagonists as wholesome all american boys in this one.
I agree with the simple assertion that the war and the grinder that turned boys into semi psycho killers was the true and unseen villian.
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