I don't know about you, but when it comes to villains, I strongly believe that a movie's lasting impression owes much to a well-developed and impressive negative character. Either as antagonist or protagonist, the villain often manages to imprint a greater impact on the storyline and the viewer than the forces of good who try to stop them. It's not about condemning or condoning their acts, it's about exploring eccentric personalities which are often so skillfully shaped and then shown to us by the filmmakers.
In this post, I want to focus on a particular category of villains. At first, I thought I could only come up with singular examples, but after reviewing the list of films I've watched throughout the years I realized that's not the case. I'd describe this type of villain as the one whose two greatest assets are intelligence and charisma; they are highly manipulative and often act according to an extremely well-thought plan in order to pursue their clear goal. The defining trait, however, is again a recurrent pattern in many movies: at some point, they willingly surrender to their adversaries, a cunning move that is later revealed to be in fact an essential part of their plan. It's the highest form of deceit, feigning the loss of control just to strike harder than before, when the enemy is off guard. This awards them the status of mastermind, highly cerebral personalities, placing them among some of the most memorable villains in the history of cinematography.
Until recently, I thought this was a trademark of Christopher Nolan, the director whose already iconic "Joker" character has had a resounding impact in modern cinema. While I do believe Nolan definitely has the merit of perfecting this type of antagonist and taking it to the next step, he's not actually the one to invent it - even though more recent films give away his strong influence. I made a list of such villains, in no particular order and most probably not exhaustive, showing at the same time some of my favourite movie characters ever. Needless to say, there are spoilers ahead, so be aware if you wish to find out about a character from the movie itself and not from here! As usual, suggestions for new entries in the list are greatly appreciated. Also, what's your favourite type of villain and why?
Skyfall (2012)
Raoul Silva
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| Image source: James Bond Wikia |
Character's fate: death.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Bane
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| Image source: Villains Wikia |
Notable deeds: puts into practice an intricate crash and escape plan while on an airplane, in one of the most memorable sequences of its kind; seizes full control over Gotham City's downtown and temporarily overthrows the social class hierarchies.
Character's fate: death at the hands of Batman's ally, Selina Kyle.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Anton Chigurh
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| Image source: Villains Wikia |
Notable deeds: murders in cold blood the police officer that takes him into custody and then sets in motion a brutal killing spree in rural Texas while ruthlessly hunting down a war veteran carrying a large amount of money.
Character's fate: gets away, with serious injuries however, sustained in a car crash.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Joker
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| Image source: Batman Wikia |
Notable deeds: cleverly manipulates several individuals in order to escape and wreak havoc on a police department; inflicts panic and terror in Gotham city as an agent of pure chaos and nihilism; corrupts one of the city's brightest crime-fighters and brings him down to his level.
Character's fate: incarceration in an institute for the criminally insane.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Keyser Soze
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| Image source: EmpireOnline.com |
Notable deeds: makes up a convincing story while being interrogated by a detective, completely deceiving him about the identity of the prime suspect.
Character's fate: successfully gets away before the police realizes his true identity.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Dr. Hannibal Lecter
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| Image source: Villains Wikia |
Notable deeds: manipulates, as an inmate, law enforcement agents while cooperating on a serial killer investigation, culminating with his escape.
Character's fate: escapes from prison.
Se7en (1995)
John Doe
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| Image source: Villains Wikia |
Notable deeds: murders people guilty of any of "the seven deadly sins" and then surrenders to a detective that will fall victim to his plan.
Character's fate: revenge execution, as planned by his own self.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
Notable deeds: uses his superior olfactory sense to create a perfume so powerful that it makes an entire town fall at his feet and claim him innocent, right after being incarcerated and awaiting execution.
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| Image source: themoviedb.org |
Character's fate: suicide, using his own creation.
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Clyde Shelton
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| Image source: Deadliest Fiction Wikia |
Notable deeds: surrenders and gets incarcerated after a revenge murder, while systematically eliminating the actors of a corrupt and inefficient justice system.
Character's fate: death, after his plans get overturned.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012)
Raul Menendez
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| Image source: Call of Duty Wikia |
Notable deeds: hacks into the US army network infrastructure, all while being deliberately captured, and cripples the entire USA's defense by forcing all aerial drones into self-destruction.
Character's fate: assassination / incarceration / suicide, depending on player's actions.
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