I think the real cruella would be too proud to make a sobstory about how much of a victim she is. She’s the kind of narc who would brag and totally own how awful she is because in her mind, she’s not doing anything bad and she’s the best and coolest person ever.
In the original animated version, sure. Because that version had good writing, especially for villains.
Most well written villains are unapologetic and just naturally evil. They know they’re evil and they don’t care. For some reason, most movies nowadays (particularly Disney) now insist on their villains having some tragic backstory and thinking they’re good
I blame Maleficent for that trend starting, lol. At least it was kind of and interesting new take on the old movie even if the movie wasn’t all that good. Considering what it helped spawn, though… urgh xD
I also disagree with your take on well written villains. A well written villain can totally believe itself to be a big victim who is in denial about how evil they are. The well written part comes in the form of exploring what can lead a person to become a villain and how that can relate to ourselves. Joker is a great example of one such movie. The entire film he wallows in self pity and justifies to himself the hurt he causes others. It works because he is so relateable and a lot of people who watch that film will be able to draw parallels to their own dark periods in their life. Where most of us differ from Joker is that we aren’t narcissistic psychopaths who justify hurting others in order to feel seen.
I sure as shit have been in a mentally pitch black place in my life that Joker dragged me straight back into when I first saw it in cinemas. The movie made me deeply appreciate the strength I had back then to get through all that shit without listening to those dark thoughts of wanting to take it out on others like mean comments or stuff like that. Joker was a reminder of what I could have become if I had been weak and that is what makes the movie so good.
The Disney remakes are ironically enough a lot more sinister than Joker - which caught so much undeserved hate that the director went back and made a sequel to trash the first movie. The Disney Remakes what take the Maleficent route flat out just takes the side of the sadistic sociopath in question and basically justifies all their crimes and blames the world for how they turned out. That is why they suck. It’s not because they feel sorry for themselves and don’t own their villainous nature. It’s because the script, studio and director forces the message of “cruella didn’t do nothing”. The point of view that we as viewers are encouraged to sympathize with is the delusional view of a vulnerable narcissist. And Personally, I find that incredibly sinister. It has happened so often in movies lead by Disney these past many years that I have stopped thinking it is incompetence and more so have started to believe it is by design. Not that the big evil plan is to make us sympathize with evil bad people. I just believe that the actual talents in disney have been weeded out by bullies and the bullies have replaced them as writers. But the bullies have no talent, no ability to write from a larger scope with wisdom, curiosity and a will to enrich children and young adults with good storytelling. The people at the helm are money grubbing psychopaths and they can only write what they see in the mirror, so all we get are fiercely unlikable, selfabsorbed and empty characters who are great at everything and any pushback against them is a sin.
I also disagree with your take on well written villains. A well written villain can totally believe itself to be a big victim who is in denial about how evil they are.
Please note that I said “Most well written villains”. I wasn’t trying to speak in absolutes.
I think the real cruella would be too proud to make a sobstory about how much of a victim she is. She’s the kind of narc who would brag and totally own how awful she is because in her mind, she’s not doing anything bad and she’s the best and coolest person ever.
In the original animated version, sure. Because that version had good writing, especially for villains.
Most well written villains are unapologetic and just naturally evil. They know they’re evil and they don’t care. For some reason, most movies nowadays (particularly Disney) now insist on their villains having some tragic backstory and thinking they’re good
I blame Maleficent for that trend starting, lol. At least it was kind of and interesting new take on the old movie even if the movie wasn’t all that good. Considering what it helped spawn, though… urgh xD
I also disagree with your take on well written villains. A well written villain can totally believe itself to be a big victim who is in denial about how evil they are. The well written part comes in the form of exploring what can lead a person to become a villain and how that can relate to ourselves. Joker is a great example of one such movie. The entire film he wallows in self pity and justifies to himself the hurt he causes others. It works because he is so relateable and a lot of people who watch that film will be able to draw parallels to their own dark periods in their life. Where most of us differ from Joker is that we aren’t narcissistic psychopaths who justify hurting others in order to feel seen. I sure as shit have been in a mentally pitch black place in my life that Joker dragged me straight back into when I first saw it in cinemas. The movie made me deeply appreciate the strength I had back then to get through all that shit without listening to those dark thoughts of wanting to take it out on others like mean comments or stuff like that. Joker was a reminder of what I could have become if I had been weak and that is what makes the movie so good.
The Disney remakes are ironically enough a lot more sinister than Joker - which caught so much undeserved hate that the director went back and made a sequel to trash the first movie. The Disney Remakes what take the Maleficent route flat out just takes the side of the sadistic sociopath in question and basically justifies all their crimes and blames the world for how they turned out. That is why they suck. It’s not because they feel sorry for themselves and don’t own their villainous nature. It’s because the script, studio and director forces the message of “cruella didn’t do nothing”. The point of view that we as viewers are encouraged to sympathize with is the delusional view of a vulnerable narcissist. And Personally, I find that incredibly sinister. It has happened so often in movies lead by Disney these past many years that I have stopped thinking it is incompetence and more so have started to believe it is by design. Not that the big evil plan is to make us sympathize with evil bad people. I just believe that the actual talents in disney have been weeded out by bullies and the bullies have replaced them as writers. But the bullies have no talent, no ability to write from a larger scope with wisdom, curiosity and a will to enrich children and young adults with good storytelling. The people at the helm are money grubbing psychopaths and they can only write what they see in the mirror, so all we get are fiercely unlikable, selfabsorbed and empty characters who are great at everything and any pushback against them is a sin.
Please note that I said “Most well written villains”. I wasn’t trying to speak in absolutes.
fair enough. :D