The greatest movie "bastards."

Cafe Society
1

According to this article, Total Film magazine has put together a top-10 list of the nastiest movie characters, or “greatest screen bastards.”

They seem to distinguish these people from villians like Hannibal Lecter or Darth Vader, although exactly what criteria they use is not clear. It seems that one of the main characteristics they’re looking for is sheer, unadulterated ruthlessness, although i’m open to other interpretations.

Anyway, the winner was the character of Jack Carter, played by Michael Caine in the original version of “Get Carter.” You can see the other nine by clicking on the link.

Have a look at who is on the list and see if you can come up with anyone who you think should have made the cut, but didn’t.

2

Funny thing; I just finished watching Sweet Smell of Success and I would bet that JJ Hunsecker and Sydney Falco are near the top of that list.

checks list
Hunsecker is there though I think Falco should be there with him. Like Ebert says in his review they “relate to each other like junkyard dogs”. A great film and two great performances.

3

Sorry, any list of movie bastards that doesn’t include Paul Newman’s title character in Hud is seriously deficient.

4

They need Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) from Platoon on that list.

5

How about…

  1. John Huston in “Chinatown”

  2. Patrick McGoohan (Edward Longshanks) in “Braveheart.”

  3. Joe Don Baker (Molly) in “Charlie Varrick.”

6

Jack Nicholson in…geez, pretty much every thing he ever did. But especially in “Carnal Knowledge.”

7

Oh yeah, and if there is a seperate list for memorable bitch characters, it has to contain both Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched (“One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”), and Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick (“Election”).

8

Alan Rickman in “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”

9

Having mentioned Hannibal Lecter in the OP, it occurs to me that another candidate for movie bastard is the character of Dr. Frederick Chiltern (played by Anthony Heald) in Silence of the Lambs.

The idea that Lecter was going to make a meal of him at the end of that movie was greatly satisfying.

10

Ooh, ooh, i have a few more possible candidates:

Tim Roth as Archibald Cunningham in Rob Roy.

Roy Scheider as Wilfred Keeley in The Rainmaker (small role)
Jon Voight as Leo Drummond in the same movie.

Gary Oldman as Milton Glenn in Murder in the First

Bob Gunton as Warden Samuel Norton in The Shawshank Redemption

11

Most of the characters in Papillion.

12

Mel Gibson in Payback
Pacino in Scent of a Woman
Brian Dennehy in Lion of Africa
Jean Reno in The Professional
Gary Oldman, same as above
Jason Robards, Big Hand for the Little Lady.

13

Oh. One more. Gene Hackman in The French Connection.

14

F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus as Antonio Salieri

Joel Grey in Cabaret as “Your Host”

15

Hud’s my top pick too.

Jeff Goldblum’s character in Silverado should be somewhere on the list.

16

Oh, and Henry Fonda’s character in Once Upon A Time in the West.

Unless there’s a distinction to be drawn between bastards and just plain bad guys.

I think he qualifies as a bastard. Bad guys can be sympathetic characters.

17

If they had a list of Ms. Nasty, I agree that Nurse Rachett should be on it. Also Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca.

18

Auntie - I do agree about the bad guys as sympathetic characters, but I would aver that bad guys are, by definition, bastards (to some degree anyway). I am am not sure that a tragic flaw necessarily precludes (or presupposes) “bastard-dom”.

19

Keifer Sutherland in Stand By Me
Ray Liotta in Something Wild
Joe Pesci in Casino

20

R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket