Continuing the retrospective of the past ten years in movies, a look at the bad guys. Those villains who our heroes fought tirelessly, and even lost to at times, plus the characters that actually caused all the problems to begin with. These ten, and there were many more just outside of this group, are proof that while playing nice might get you the girl; it is truly joyous to be the dastardly one.
10. The Duke - Played by Richard Roxburgh in Moulin Rouge (2001): Nearly everything - actually everything - in Moulin Rouge is over-the-top, including its bad guy, the devilish man known as The Duke. He is rich, powerful and has the sharpest of mustaches, though those him around don’t think he has the sharpest of minds. Lovers Satine (Nicole Kidman) and Christian (Ewan McGregor) have their little trysts behind The Duke’s back, positive that the show will go on and this buffoon - who just happens to be her husband-to-be and is funding the show - will never be the wiser. As eccentric as he is, The Duke is not to be trifled with and when he learns the truth dark days reign over the film’s enchanted couple. What makes the character so vibrant is Roxburgh’s ability to switch from calm and almost naive to a vitriolic, sweaty anger in the slightest of seconds. He may look the fool but you’re damned if you take him for one.
9. Anton Ego - Voiced by Peter O’Toole in Ratatouille (2007): Though he never plots the death of anyone, there is no doubt that Anton Ego is one of the cruelest characters of the decade, taking utter delight in the failures of his enemies, better known as the chefs of Paris. With a voice like boiling water by legendary actor Peter O’Toole, Ego longs to find every fault, biting back at anyone who dares to deliver his shark-like stature an under-seasoned morsel. Those who fail his elite tastes are incinerated in the snark-iest of fashions, joyously condemning restaurants “to the tourist train.”
8. Kim Jong Il - Voiced by Trey Parker in Team America: World Police(2004): Few would-be world conquerors have plans which include the destruction of the Panama Canal, unleashing the acting prowess of Alec Baldwin and maybe singing a song or two. Thankfully, there is cockroach in disguise Kim Jong Il; leader of North Korea and cinema’s angriest marionette. In Team America: World Police, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s hilarious satire of action blockbusters and modern politics, Kim Jong Il throws tantrums and kills those who disappoint him with equal measure. Though the Film Actors Guild lets him down, this ruthless ruler vows to return, hopefully with equally ludicrous schemes.
7. Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting - Played by Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York (2002): Bill 'The Butcher' makes one hell of an entrance at the beginning of Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, emerging with an army of men from a street corner of snow covered houses, with a pair of cleavers in his hands and a top-hat on his head. He wants the immigrants out of his Five Points district in 1846 Lower Manhattan, and he is willing to chop up whoever he has to get it. Bill isn’t a man who merely talks about what should be done, he does it, and with brute force too. In between poking a knife at his glass eye and chopping up pieces of meat, Bill soliloquizes about what this country could and should be, pinpointing who he finds to be “true Americans,” in a way that unfortunately we still hear today. Daniel Day-Lewis plays Bill in a noble fashion, giving him a sense of longing for the old days, when enemies at least stood for something. Day-Lewis turns the character into a showman, always stressing his power and influence to any who think about crossing him, with a gigantic grin while doing so.
6. Inspector Lau Kin Ming - Played by Andy Lau in Infernal Affairs (2002): Desperate men do desperate deeds. Nowhere is that more clear than in the Hong Kong crime-thriller Infernal Affairs. After years working undercover in the police force, mole Lau Kin Ming is no longer content to following the orders of his Triad boss Hon Sam (Eric Tsang Chi-Wai). Ming wants to continue his life as an officer without the constant threat of being discovered hanging over his head. A master liar and deceiver, Ming’s self preservation is both his greatest attribute and flaw, as he gains the accolades of his peers while worrying about the tolls his deeds are having on his soul. You can root against many villains, it is harder to pity them, though through the stoic acting of Andy Lau, Ming manages to achieve just that; a bad man with a soul that has been tarnished by his own wickedness.
5. Col. Hans Landa - Played by Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds (2009): Happily called “The Jew Hunter,” Col. Hans Landa may state that he is a proud member of the Nazi Party, but he is a man with an allegiance only for himself. Fluent in English, French, Italian and of course German, Landa is a disarming detective, out to flush out any spies, soldiers or Jews left roaming around, and he is damn good at doing so. Words are his weapon, as he unravels truth, lies and false hope to his suspects, manipulating each piece of conversation with a wry smile and his utter arrogance. One never roots for Landa; yet, Austrian actor Christoph Waltz makes him sinfully enjoyable to watch, as he cons his way throughout Quentin Tarantino’s World War II picture.
4. The Joker - Played by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008): Many bad guys cause trouble. The Joker, he does something far worse. In Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster of the decade The Dark Knight, he releases this iconic character as a plague of anarchy, spreading fear, paranoia and trepidation to the citizens of Gotham City. Throwing off the balance of society, The Joker is an odd melding of unpredictable and methodical, disseminating disorder through calculated madness, which is justified by his own twisted logic. Ledger, in his final full performance, is terrifying beyond measure, grabbing hold of a figure and redefining it forever by using more than a cackle, a dash of makeup and a round of ammo. Ledger’s Clown Prince of Crime is pure id, grown from the grime of a cesspool of chaos, and with the ability to outsmart just about anyone. His presence, even when off screen, lingers, leaving one ever on edge about his inevitable and unforgettable return.
3. Daniel Plainview - Played by Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood (2007): A haunting aura comes off of Daniel Plainview, like specks of dust flying off a dirty coat.. Plainview is a hard working businessman, willing to work just as strenuously as any other soul out there to make a buck. He doesn’t seem all that horrible, unless you have wronged him. After that, Plainview is a volcano of bitterness, flowing inch by inch under your feet before erupting with a rage that is darker than the oil he drills days and night. He doesn’t hold a grudge; he merely waits for the proper time to get revenge, no matter how long you were previously in his good graces. Distinctly different from Daniel Day-Lewis’ other showing on this list, his oilman has no grander morals he espouses to live by. As Plainview, Day-Lewis is hardly a human at all, tethered to those around him only out of necessity; a shell given vitriol and determination by one of cinema’s all time best performances.
2. Anton Chigurh - Played by Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men (2007): You would think that a character with such a strange look, that became a piece of the pop culture lexicon so quickly, would lose some of his impact. The notion couldn’t be further from the truth though, as every frame of Javier Bardem’s turn as Anton Chigurh remains an unstoppable force of nature. A looming shadow of death with a cattle-gun at his side and an insanely high tolerance for pain, Chigurh stalks Josh Brolin’s Llewelyn Moss with a frightening calm. Chigurh doesn’t get worked up about the pursuit, though a motel employee gets under his skin, which makes him all the more captivating. He is a man with peculiar but rigid principles, willing to let bystanders live or die by the toss of a coin and he really does his best to keep the crimson that pours out of his victims off his clothing. Bardem and the Coen brothers play these unusual traits for dark laughs, making the Chigurh all the harder to shake out of your conscience. Those he murders are less of a nuisance than a scuff on his shoes.
1. Gollum - Played by Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers/The Return of the King (2002/2003): Scheming, sad and sympathetic, the creature formerly known as Smeagol is maybe Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings finest accomplishment, and not merely on a technical level. A character of severe pain, anguish and delusion, Gollum is a sneaking presence through out all three LOTR films, but it is in the latter two that he makes himself prominent. With spindly arms and legs, he crawls through the marshes and mountainsides along with our heroes Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin), longing to reclaim the One Ring, which they are out to destroy. His attempts at redemption make him all the more resonant, struggling in vain to become something more than an addict; when that glimmer of hope fades, his treacherousness reemerges and his big blue eyes become something no longer playful, but deceitful. Through all the effects, Serkis bursts forth, with every shake and warble apparent on screen, a soul forever lost in obsession.
Comments
A Nazi, a joker, a Texan, a Duke and Kim Jong II too - I loved it!!!
anton ego and the duke??? HAHAHAHA ok man nice list
Great list, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!:)
Some other candidates:
Captain Vidal - Pan's Labyrinth - cruel
Commodus - Gladiator - heartbreaking
Yeah...Gollum isn't a villain.
How is it possible that the Joker was not number one???
some nice stuff, but daniel plainview should sit at #1 on the list.
Loved your new list. Makes me shake just thinking of any of these characters in my life.
and Patrick Bateman in "american psycho"?
is this some kinda joke?
1. gollum isn't a villian
2. kim jung il is a parody character, more funny than frightening
3. ego? ARE YOU JOKING??!! this guy was bad for like 10 minutes of the movie then contributed to the happy ending
Personally I think Li'l Ze from City of God should of made the last, that man was filled with Pure Evil.
I agree with everyone else, Gollum and Anton Ego hardly qualify as villains...And The Duke I suppose does fill the role of a villain in Moulin Rouge but he's pretty laughable, c'mon...I like the inclusion of Bill the Butcher though, he's one crazy sonofabitch.
this is a Joke!!! c'mon man..Gollum number 1??? this top 10 sucks ass!!!
The Jew hunter should be number one!
How can people not consider Ego or Gollum villains? Sorry if some people define their bad guys as more than cackling evil men, but open up your definition fellas.
"How is it possible that the Joker was not number one???"
Because some people acknowledge more than Hollywood blockbusters and average performances. I liked the list obviously I'd change a couple of things and if I was to pick a a "super villian" it would be between Aaron Eckhart, Alfred Molina, and William Dafoe. As a side note I also feel Nicholson deserved to make the cut for The Departed. Gollum at number one came as a pleasant surprise, and although I felt Daniel Day Lewis gave the decades best performance as Plainview I understand how numbers 1 and 2 surpassed the character as simply more villainous.
Dude I love the list but Gollum should not have been on the list. Firtst of I had pity for Gollum more then fear or hatred. Anton should have been number one. I thought about the dude in fear for days after I had seen the movie. Now that's Fear! Day - Lewis' character in The Will Be Blood was very disturbing to my sensibilities. Overall a good list. I have a couple of people you guys might want to check out. Ben Fosters "Mars" character in Hostage was frighting and disturbing. Also Jason Isaacs' Col. Tavington in the Mel Gibson movie The Patriot was pretty disturbing as well
golum? what ? u gotta be kidding me !!!!
1. Col. Hans Landa, Inglourious Basterds
2. The Joker, The Dark Knight
3. Vincent, Collateral
4. Captain Vidal, Pan's Labyrinth
5. Bill The Butcher, Gangs of New York
6. Daniel Plainview, There Will Be Blood
7. Anton Chigurh, No Country for Old Men
8. Jigsaw, Saw
9. Bill, Kill Bill V1,2
10. The Yellow-Basterd, Sin City
Great list overall, I have not seen Inglourious or Moulin Rouge, so I can't say about them. However, waltz' character has recieved so much acclaim I am sure he is great. Probably wouldn't have had Gollum higher than the 3 behind it, or Bill the butcher. 1. Plainview 2. Chigurh 3. The Joker then The Butcher and the rest I am not sure.
Just want to add that for me Plainview is a definite number 1, on another day I might have Ledger's Joker higher than Bardem's Anton Chigurh. But Daniel Day-Lewis' performance as Plainview is a cut above, the scene where he has to succumb to the priest (Paul Dano I think) and the scene where he reverses it later near the end are just brilliant.
To all those that think Gollum isn't a villain:
Frodo: I'm not sending him away!
Sam: You don't see it, do you? He's a villain.
i loled at no1...
hes a villain but not for 1st place ! ! !
Good list. But I have to agree with some of the previous comments. Commodus should have made the list for being a deep and believable megalo-maniac and also (despite the whole hype) the Joker should be no.1. Ledger was breathtaking and genuinely evil for no reason whatsoever. If that isn't menacing, I don't know what is. Sure, Gollum was a deeper character and played to perfection by Andy Serkis. But this list is about villains. I think that Heath Ledger's performance will stand the test of time as one of the most evil, psychotic characters the big screen has ever seen.
Where is Ze Pequenho (Li'l Ze) from 'City of God'? He was absolutely frightening are more realistic than many of the other choices, he was actually a real person!
I would also include Capitan Vidal from 'Pan's Labyrinth'. He was delightfully evil.
I think you really need to watch more movies dude...
Voldemort should be on this list. And even though we think of villains in the hero movie genre, Le Tenia, the gay rapist from the movie Irreversible can be no more of a villain in my eyes. He represents the worst of humanity
Interesting list. Definitely disagree with Ego, though. Gollum was definitely evil, but sympathetic evil - it wasn't his fault, it was the power of the ring. I'd replace Ego and Gollum with Darth Vader and Hans Gruber from Die Hard. Probably put the Joker as # 1. Nice list, though.
The Joker is No.1, no questions asked.
However not sure Golem would even be in my top 10 never mind 1st, Darth Vader ?
Hey, why did everyone forget Hannibal Lecter, M.D.?
how about lil zé from city of god!
1est Evergreen, OLDBOY
Great list, no complains here.
Great list, except Gollum should definitely be number 4, not number 1.
Dr. Hannibal Lecter should be no 1 ....
ok... dont know some of those people... i would put Darth Vader und Voldemort on the list, put joker at #1, get rid of gollum, i mean, i like him but hes not a top ten villian...
Hannibal should definitely be on here. Voldemort, no. Book villain, yes, movie villain, NOOOOOO. There are much, much worse villains out there than Voldy anyhow. Not that I can think of any right this moment :| lol. As for Captain Vidal, though... he is definitely an extremely villainous villain, but he didn't really make any lasting impression on me, as did Hannibal/Buffalo Bill. They should both be on here, maybe? They're based on Ed Gein if anyone is interested - mostly Bill, but if you read about him on wiki you'll notice one nastiness of Hannibal's was based on Gein's - he was inspiration for Psycho & Texax Chainsaw Massacre, too.
But if the villain becomes 'good' at the end does that make him... not a villain? :\ because I really liked Russell Crowe's character in 3:10 to Yuma, too.
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