Johnny from Mike Leigh’s Naked is one I enjoyed about ten years ago. I haven’t seen it in a while though, so can’t comment on how I feel about him now.
Kris! Kris! Now the Landlord from Hell was a nasty piece of work — but Johnny? He is one of my favorite film characters, but I have never regarded him as villainous.
I’d be interested in your take on him if you see Naked again.
Well Sheila, the cut I saw opened with Johnny raping a woman in an alleyway (which is why he left Manchester). This sets up a difficult rest of film though, as he’s kind of charming (in an obnoxious, unstable kind of way).
I do know that this scene was removed from non R-rated versions (maybe other releases too), which undermines the whole film, but I do know others who seem surprised that I’d see him a villain who didn’t get the rape scene.
Gollum/Smeogol, from the Lord of the Rings. A bit abstract but……… A simple village idiot type of character driven to acts of madness by the power that holds him yet you feel pity at what he has become while feeling disgust at what he is.
I also like how The American People are shaping up in the preview I’ve seen of the 2008 Election. It’s great! They get real confused about whether they should vote for this old guy who has flip flopped on ever major issue he said he believed in. Oh, and he wants to continue the policies of the worst administration in the history of the country! It’s really cute. They’re so endearing. And evil. Great movie.
Kris — Oh, the cut that begins with the alleyway scene is the only one I know. And it disturbs me to learn that the scene was removed from some versions of the film. First I knew of that.
But I’ve always viewed that scene as more ambiguous. Rough sex that sparked unforeseen consequences.
The landlord I find far creepier in his calculating, predatory ways with women.
(By the way, your concession “that he’s kind of charming [in an obnoxious, unstable kind of way]” provoked a smile. My fondness for Thewlis’s portrayal of Johnny may say more about my psyche than I should be comfortable revealing!)
Deron’s characterization of the American People is not all that out of synch with Mike’s take on Gollum: “A simple village idiot type of character driven to acts of madness by the power that holds him yet you feel pity at what he has become while feeling disgust at what he is.”
I couldn’t stop staring at the size of the American People at Dulles last week. Even if there is a level of pity to my disgust, I’m more disturbed by it than ever. How can they so shamelessly do that to themselves?
To answer the original question though, the villain that first came to my mind is Edward Norton’s character in Primal Fear. Just thinking about his smirk gives me the shivers.
Do anti-heroes count? Johnny Depp’s opening monologue in The Libertine is as villainous as they come, yet wonderful. I still remember the dead, DEAD silence in the theatre after the screen faded back to black.
Sheila, the cut of Naked also took place in versions as to allow it to be televised in the UK. There was a short spot to camera by Mike Leigh himself explaining the cut, which was shown on the intro on SBS down here (although they showed the original cut anyway!) This is why I see it as “rape” rather than “could be rape”. It’s because Mike Leigh said so!
That said, I’m sure that they intended it to be ambigious. Thinking about it though, given the (correctly IMHO) hardline effort to remove ambiguity around sexual assult and “no means no” aimed at young men over the past 15 years here in Australia, maybe I’ve been condition to assume rape, rather than assume otherwise. To be honest, I’m fine with that.
Wow, this is a good one. The first who comes to mind is Drexel (Gary Oldman) in True Romance.
I’ve always been partial to Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) in Strangers on a Train.
“But, Guy — I like you!”
The pair of jeans in “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”.
Johnny from Mike Leigh’s Naked is one I enjoyed about ten years ago. I haven’t seen it in a while though, so can’t comment on how I feel about him now.
Geoffrey Rush in the first Pirates movie is pretty hot.
Lex Luthor. Hands down.
Kris! Kris! Now the Landlord from Hell was a nasty piece of work — but Johnny? He is one of my favorite film characters, but I have never regarded him as villainous.
I’d be interested in your take on him if you see Naked again.
Love that film. It’s in my pantheon.
Ooh, Mike, I agree.
And that reminds me of favorite villain not from a film per se but a televised play: Cyril Ritchard as Captain Hook.
John Travolta’s character in Pulp Fiction. Or Samuel L. Jackson’s, same movie. Nevermind John, Samuel L’s is better.
PowerPoint, An Inconvenient Truth.
Well Sheila, the cut I saw opened with Johnny raping a woman in an alleyway (which is why he left Manchester). This sets up a difficult rest of film though, as he’s kind of charming (in an obnoxious, unstable kind of way).
I do know that this scene was removed from non R-rated versions (maybe other releases too), which undermines the whole film, but I do know others who seem surprised that I’d see him a villain who didn’t get the rape scene.
Gollum/Smeogol, from the Lord of the Rings. A bit abstract but……… A simple village idiot type of character driven to acts of madness by the power that holds him yet you feel pity at what he has become while feeling disgust at what he is.
Eddie Dane from Miller’s Crossing. Hardest punch I have ever heard.
Tyler Durden.
The American People from that great movie, The 2004 Election. Those guys were awesome. So idiotic. So evil. So unaware. Just beautiful.
Ray Liotta in Something Wild. For that matter, Ray Liotta in just about every other movie he’s in.
Also, Peter Sellers as Quilty in Kubrick’s Lolita. He steals the show.
Oh, yeah, Brandon — Ray Liotta! Especially in Something Wild.
And Sellers as Quilty. “Derlin’ little gun.”
I also like how The American People are shaping up in the preview I’ve seen of the 2008 Election. It’s great! They get real confused about whether they should vote for this old guy who has flip flopped on ever major issue he said he believed in. Oh, and he wants to continue the policies of the worst administration in the history of the country! It’s really cute. They’re so endearing. And evil. Great movie.
Kris — Oh, the cut that begins with the alleyway scene is the only one I know. And it disturbs me to learn that the scene was removed from some versions of the film. First I knew of that.
But I’ve always viewed that scene as more ambiguous. Rough sex that sparked unforeseen consequences.
The landlord I find far creepier in his calculating, predatory ways with women.
(By the way, your concession “that he’s kind of charming [in an obnoxious, unstable kind of way]” provoked a smile. My fondness for Thewlis’s portrayal of Johnny may say more about my psyche than I should be comfortable revealing!)
Deron’s characterization of the American People is not all that out of synch with Mike’s take on Gollum: “A simple village idiot type of character driven to acts of madness by the power that holds him yet you feel pity at what he has become while feeling disgust at what he is.”
Also, the American people are likely to throw themselves into the center of a volcano.
I couldn’t stop staring at the size of the American People at Dulles last week. Even if there is a level of pity to my disgust, I’m more disturbed by it than ever. How can they so shamelessly do that to themselves?
To answer the original question though, the villain that first came to my mind is Edward Norton’s character in Primal Fear. Just thinking about his smirk gives me the shivers.
Hannibal Lecter
[until they made the last one without Hopkins]
[o and Mike Dougan playing gollum]
Alek! Splutter! I’d love to hear Dougan utter Gollum’s lines in an explosive Scots accent. Laced with obscenities, no doubt.
Alek,
You just want to see me in a loin cloth!!!
Aye Captain, that thong can’t take much more. Sees gonna blow!
Do anti-heroes count? Johnny Depp’s opening monologue in The Libertine is as villainous as they come, yet wonderful. I still remember the dead, DEAD silence in the theatre after the screen faded back to black.
Harry Lime
Doc rose early and beat me to Harry Lime.
Hey, Deron, you forgot about The American People.
yes. they’re evil.
Lex Luthor as portrayed by Gene Hackman.
Also, General Zod as portrayed by Terence Stamp.
Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) in Blue Velvet.
Ooooh, Frank Booth!
Did I ever tell y’all that I can say Fuck exactly like Frank Booth?
Sheila, the cut of Naked also took place in versions as to allow it to be televised in the UK. There was a short spot to camera by Mike Leigh himself explaining the cut, which was shown on the intro on SBS down here (although they showed the original cut anyway!) This is why I see it as “rape” rather than “could be rape”. It’s because Mike Leigh said so!
That said, I’m sure that they intended it to be ambigious. Thinking about it though, given the (correctly IMHO) hardline effort to remove ambiguity around sexual assult and “no means no” aimed at young men over the past 15 years here in Australia, maybe I’ve been condition to assume rape, rather than assume otherwise. To be honest, I’m fine with that.