They are either the most heroic, or the most villainous, either the sanest or the zaniest, either the scariest or the funniest. Here is a look at some of the most memorable screen characters of the Hollywood movies. They are a mixed up bunch of action heroes, gangsters, tycoons, villains, powerful people, cynics, freaks and more. And they are all memorable for their respective characters, performances and moments that have become truly unforgettable in every sense.
It was nearly impossible to pick out 25 names from an inevitably long line-up and I have admittedly left out a good deal of legendary heroes, villains and characters. However, while you are free to give your own suggestions, I promise that my own choices are pretty extraordinary and they are nothing short of legendary and amazing themselves.
Here is then the first part of the line-up and we begin the countdown now….
25- Colin Sullivan, The Departed (2006)
Actor- Matt Damon
As always, super director Martin Scorsese roped in a great cast for his Oscar-winning crime thriller and while Leonardo Di Caprio and Jack Nicholson bagged most of the raves, special mention should be given to Damon’s suave yet slippery Colin, as Di Caprio’s rival in this covert thriller. Starting as a clean-cut, confident cop, Colin doubles up as a less-than-efficient mole for his ‘Dad’ Costello (played by Nicholson). Torn between his promising cop career and his filial devotion to the steely Costello, Colin fumbles more than often and it is his blundering, awkward style (and implicit impotence) that give the film its real, crackling fireworks, most notably in the second half. Damon has done some great performances apart from his stellar turn as Jason Bourne but it is his role as the deceptively sleek criminal in disguise that stands out in his portfolio. He nails Colin’s naiveté with startling conviction, making his blunders look real and stark but he is also unafraid to reveal the rougher edges to his smoothness and it shows up in extraordinary sequences from a dinner with his lady love Madolyn (Vera Farmiga) to the shattering confrontation with his Dad which shows Colin at his most repulsive ever.
24- Allan Quartermain- King’s Solomon Mines (1950)
Actor- Stewart Granger
Granger, one of the more dashing heroes of the era of the 40s and 50s, has clearly never been better. He plays the archetypal adventure hero role with relish, sinking his teeth into the originally introspective character of H. R. Haggard’s exhilarating adventure novel and making him a more fleshed out person- an ivory hunter content to live in Africa yet endowed with cynical wit and enough heroic charm. We see Granger in his best when he indulges in some flirtatious banter with the pretty-yet-harried Deborah Kerr. He is clearly at ease in the wild goose chase for a husband and some diamonds while she often complains about the flies, fleas, scorpions, heat and yes, Allan himself. Effortlessly charismatic and having a great time in deciphering old legends and flirting with Kerr, Granger also makes for a convincing action hero, free from clichés as he engages himself in stellar adventure as well. You cannot help but cheer for him as he explains the meaning of an old Swahili song and then adds, mischievously, ‘Maybe I am Lucky Too’.
23-Lancaster Dodd- The Master (2012)
Actor- Phillip Seymour Hoffman
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At a first glance, Lancaster Dodd, ‘a writer, philosopher….and above all a man’ seems like the dapper gentleman that his name suggests. And with a hairdo and moustache like Orson Welles in ‘Citizen Kane’, he perfectly typifies the American of the 50s. There is more to him than his sheepish smile and his glassy gaze and Hoffman, a master actor, reveals it all in his terrific and stormy portrayal of a cult leader questioned by everyone- from sceptics to his most loyal followers. Posed as a flawed Jesus Christ, Dodd is as charismatic, wise and suave as he looks but beneath the smooth exterior lays a surprising hollowness and a mercurial temper. He does not like to be doubted and yet he cannot defend his own beliefs- instead choosing to argue vehemently and even use the F word. Yet, he is also dedicated enough to help out his latest follower Freddie Quell (an awesome Joaquin Phoenix) who is simply befuddled about what to believe and what not to believe. It is a performance that makes you smile and cringe at the same time.
22-Alfred Bowden- The Prestige (2006)
Actor- Christian Bale
Between the psychopathic Patrick Bateman and the psychologically-angst-ridden Batman, there is Christian Bale’s towering, magnificent and mercurial performance as a dynamic illusionist in this Christopher Nolan masterpiece. Yeah, right, Hugh Jackman played his showy rival with great élan but it is Bowden who is a creepier character. Laconic, observant, incredibly talented and ruthlessly determined, Bowden is always the ticking bomb- more than delighted and eager to foil Archer’s grandiose plans with his stealthy ways. And yes, as the final twist of the tale approaches, you end up rooting for him for all his calculated cruelty. Bale makes the character utterly real- wonderfully playing Bowden’s sneaky tactics with great relish- best witnessed in a scene where he says out in joy ‘Pardon Me for the Intrusion’ and yet nailing him a torn-apart character full of warmth and humanity.
21- Roy Neary- Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Actor- Richard Dreyfuss
If Steven Spielberg had ever intended to make his own version of Martin Scorsese’s saga of obsession ‘Taxi Driver’, then ‘CEOTTK’ could be it. Deservedly called by many as the finest sci-fi film ever, it is also a solid story of human obsession and yes, as in Scorsese’s film, it is also driven by a mind-numbing central male performance. Richard Dreyfuss plays Roy Neary, a line worker seemingly happy with his kids and wife until one starry night, when he comes in a close encounter with a glittering UFO above his vehicle. Things soon go downhill for him- he loses his job and his own new-found obsession with the things popping up in the night sky end up ruining his family life as well. Dreyfuss captures the unrelenting paranoia and obsession of his harried character with staggering conviction and under Spielberg’s heartfelt direction, proves how something explicitly wonderful can be equally devastating.
Coming soon....- Part 2
It was nearly impossible to pick out 25 names from an inevitably long line-up and I have admittedly left out a good deal of legendary heroes, villains and characters. However, while you are free to give your own suggestions, I promise that my own choices are pretty extraordinary and they are nothing short of legendary and amazing themselves.
Here is then the first part of the line-up and we begin the countdown now….
25- Colin Sullivan, The Departed (2006)
Actor- Matt Damon
As always, super director Martin Scorsese roped in a great cast for his Oscar-winning crime thriller and while Leonardo Di Caprio and Jack Nicholson bagged most of the raves, special mention should be given to Damon’s suave yet slippery Colin, as Di Caprio’s rival in this covert thriller. Starting as a clean-cut, confident cop, Colin doubles up as a less-than-efficient mole for his ‘Dad’ Costello (played by Nicholson). Torn between his promising cop career and his filial devotion to the steely Costello, Colin fumbles more than often and it is his blundering, awkward style (and implicit impotence) that give the film its real, crackling fireworks, most notably in the second half. Damon has done some great performances apart from his stellar turn as Jason Bourne but it is his role as the deceptively sleek criminal in disguise that stands out in his portfolio. He nails Colin’s naiveté with startling conviction, making his blunders look real and stark but he is also unafraid to reveal the rougher edges to his smoothness and it shows up in extraordinary sequences from a dinner with his lady love Madolyn (Vera Farmiga) to the shattering confrontation with his Dad which shows Colin at his most repulsive ever.
24- Allan Quartermain- King’s Solomon Mines (1950)
Actor- Stewart Granger
Granger, one of the more dashing heroes of the era of the 40s and 50s, has clearly never been better. He plays the archetypal adventure hero role with relish, sinking his teeth into the originally introspective character of H. R. Haggard’s exhilarating adventure novel and making him a more fleshed out person- an ivory hunter content to live in Africa yet endowed with cynical wit and enough heroic charm. We see Granger in his best when he indulges in some flirtatious banter with the pretty-yet-harried Deborah Kerr. He is clearly at ease in the wild goose chase for a husband and some diamonds while she often complains about the flies, fleas, scorpions, heat and yes, Allan himself. Effortlessly charismatic and having a great time in deciphering old legends and flirting with Kerr, Granger also makes for a convincing action hero, free from clichés as he engages himself in stellar adventure as well. You cannot help but cheer for him as he explains the meaning of an old Swahili song and then adds, mischievously, ‘Maybe I am Lucky Too’.
23-Lancaster Dodd- The Master (2012)
Actor- Phillip Seymour Hoffman
.jpg)
At a first glance, Lancaster Dodd, ‘a writer, philosopher….and above all a man’ seems like the dapper gentleman that his name suggests. And with a hairdo and moustache like Orson Welles in ‘Citizen Kane’, he perfectly typifies the American of the 50s. There is more to him than his sheepish smile and his glassy gaze and Hoffman, a master actor, reveals it all in his terrific and stormy portrayal of a cult leader questioned by everyone- from sceptics to his most loyal followers. Posed as a flawed Jesus Christ, Dodd is as charismatic, wise and suave as he looks but beneath the smooth exterior lays a surprising hollowness and a mercurial temper. He does not like to be doubted and yet he cannot defend his own beliefs- instead choosing to argue vehemently and even use the F word. Yet, he is also dedicated enough to help out his latest follower Freddie Quell (an awesome Joaquin Phoenix) who is simply befuddled about what to believe and what not to believe. It is a performance that makes you smile and cringe at the same time.
22-Alfred Bowden- The Prestige (2006)
Actor- Christian Bale
Between the psychopathic Patrick Bateman and the psychologically-angst-ridden Batman, there is Christian Bale’s towering, magnificent and mercurial performance as a dynamic illusionist in this Christopher Nolan masterpiece. Yeah, right, Hugh Jackman played his showy rival with great élan but it is Bowden who is a creepier character. Laconic, observant, incredibly talented and ruthlessly determined, Bowden is always the ticking bomb- more than delighted and eager to foil Archer’s grandiose plans with his stealthy ways. And yes, as the final twist of the tale approaches, you end up rooting for him for all his calculated cruelty. Bale makes the character utterly real- wonderfully playing Bowden’s sneaky tactics with great relish- best witnessed in a scene where he says out in joy ‘Pardon Me for the Intrusion’ and yet nailing him a torn-apart character full of warmth and humanity.
21- Roy Neary- Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Actor- Richard Dreyfuss
If Steven Spielberg had ever intended to make his own version of Martin Scorsese’s saga of obsession ‘Taxi Driver’, then ‘CEOTTK’ could be it. Deservedly called by many as the finest sci-fi film ever, it is also a solid story of human obsession and yes, as in Scorsese’s film, it is also driven by a mind-numbing central male performance. Richard Dreyfuss plays Roy Neary, a line worker seemingly happy with his kids and wife until one starry night, when he comes in a close encounter with a glittering UFO above his vehicle. Things soon go downhill for him- he loses his job and his own new-found obsession with the things popping up in the night sky end up ruining his family life as well. Dreyfuss captures the unrelenting paranoia and obsession of his harried character with staggering conviction and under Spielberg’s heartfelt direction, proves how something explicitly wonderful can be equally devastating.
Coming soon....- Part 2
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