An anti-hero plays the protagonist role in the many vehicles of fiction; he or she falls somewhere between villain and hero. And yet, whilst they are often the antithesis of your stereotypical hero, we may sometimes find ourselves drawn to the anti-hero- whether for their likability factor, their warped moral viewpoints (read: ‘nobility’) and even their charm.
With our theme film of Brighton Rock having a classic British anti-hero in the sociopathic Pinkie Brown, we thought this was a good opportunity to take a look at some of the most popular anti-heroes that have graced the big screen over the years.
Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000)
The dual life of Bret Easton Ellis‘ Patrick Bateman in the novel American Psycho, adapted to film by Mary Harron, portrays the extremities of yuppie life and psychotic behaviour. A daytime Wall Street banker and nighttime serial killer, Bateman is undoubtedly immoral, killing, raping, torturing colleagues, prostitutes and even the homeless. In spite of all those things and the visual details of the brutal murders he committed (or did he?), Bateman was also the source of the black comedy and satire featured in the film.
Tyler Durden in Fight Club (1999)
“Only after disaster can we be resurrected.” “The things you own end up owning you.” ”It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.” The many quotable theories of Chuck Palahniuk‘s creation, anarchist Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt). Opinions will differ as to whether Durden is truly an anti-hero or just a hero. His self-righteous, anti-consumerist, anti-corporate stand, and penchant for soap left a city in flames and made him a cult favourite anti-hero of the contemporary age.
Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a fine example of using one’s powers for bad. Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), originally a fictional character in Patricia Highsmith‘s series of crime novels, is an expert in the arena of forgery and impersonations. In the film adaptation by Anthony Minghella, Damon captures the role of Tom Ripley with all the eerie glory to make this a wonderful psychological thriller based on a man’s ability to string up a convincing web of lies.
Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007)
American Gangster follows the story of real life New York-based drug lord, Frank Lucas during the 1960s and 70s. Lucas, as portrayed by Denzel Washington, is your archetypal slick gangster with all the charm, power and money to go with it. What makes him a notable anti-hero is the fact that the character played a large part in increasing crack addiction, thus ruining a bunch of lives during that era. Despite the horrible consequences of his drug dealing ways, you can’t help but be drawn to this New York mobster.
Alex Delarge in A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Anthony Burgess‘ novella A Clockwork Orange is one of those books that provokes more visual familiarity than it does actual readers. And whilst Alex from A Clockwork Orange may make an appearance at a costume party or a poster on a wall despite his complete psychotic regard for ultra-violence, he has become something of a cult hero and almost a symbol of ‘cool’. An odd result for a sociopath who murders and rapes for his own amusement.
The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Admittedly, this is quite an odd choice. The film itself wasn’t very good and some will argue the musical was rubbish also. The latter, however, does not apply to me. The Phantom is an ideal example of an anti-hero that we end up rooting for – the tortured soul whose strong, if not obsessive, love for Christine Daaé causes him to sabotage an opera theatre and even murder. The likability factor increases from the fact that the ghoulish masked figure can sing, and right at the end when his love is unrequited, we cannot help but feel sympathetic towards the Angel of the Night.
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
This film was controversial for its time – the gore, the shootings, the robbery, but Bonnie and Clyde’s bond has forever etched them as the classic outlaw duo, which inspired film after film and even a few musical numbers. But what shone through the blood bath of the film and drew audiences into this criminal partnership was the romance and loyalty between Bonnie and Clyde (Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway), making them a favourite anti-hero couple.
The Bride in Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 (2003/4)
The Bride a.k.a. Beatrix Kiddo a.k.a. Black Mamba (Uma Thurman) is packed with a healthy dose of cool quirkiness and calm brutality, making her one of Tarantino‘s most unforgettable characters. In Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, we follow The Bride as she flamboyantly and skillfully seeks revenge on a group of people who savagely massacred her loved ones on her wedding day.
Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976)
Travis Bickle is a hard character to put your finger on. Arguably, there are moments in the film where his role jumps between hero and villain, making him a notable mention in any anti-hero list. Though Bickle starts off as a sad man worthy of sympathy, there’s no denying his later violence (let alone his stalker-ish inclinations) make him a questionable psycho.
Tony Montana in Scarface (1983)
You need only utter the words, “Say hello to my little friend!” and people know exactly what film you’re talking about. Brian De Palma‘s film portrays the glitzy high life of Miami, following the rise to power of Cuban immigrant Tony Montana (Al Pacino) who escapes an early brush with a chainsaw to go on to run a drug empire. It seems so wrong to be hypnotised by the charismatic but dangerously ambitious and greedy Montana, but this is Pacino at his shouty best and his performance as a drug cartel leader created an anti-hero posterboy, quite literally with Tony Montana image taking pride of place on many a teenager boy’s wall.
