(Image Credits: Rotten Tomatoes [edited])
With a sequel to this year’s Cruella already getting the greenlight at Disney, we once again see villain origin stories garnering lots of attention from audiences worldwide…but why? People like to throw around the concept of ‘humanising a villain’, saying that they enjoy such movies because it’s not only a novelty to see the hero taking a backseat, but also fascinating to understand the reasons behind said villain’s intentions. That argument, however, begs the question of how exactly these movies are helping viewers comprehend their characters’ sinister motives. There is a fine line between exploring mankind’s potential to degenerate into villainy and normalising - or worse still glorifying - the process as well as the outcome of corrupting the human mind. The responsibility here shouldn’t lie squarely on filmmakers’ shoulders though, as we the viewers are equally accountable for the way we consume, interpret and respond.
(Image Credit: Rotten Tomatoes)
Many times, viewers find themselves empathising with movie characters, which can be a sign of good art. When it comes to villain origin stories, however, perhaps we should be more mindful of who is on the receiving end of our empathy. At the core of investigating how a villain came to be, the key is figuring out their turning point (e.g., Maleficent’s lover’s betrayal or Cruella’s realisation that her foster mother died at the hands of her birth mother). The point is that the conflict and suffering they go through tap on universal emotions, which, though important, can easily mislead viewers. One might argue that our empathy for villains won’t lead us to become murderers, which is true to an extent, but when we allow ourselves to think from their perspective, we could end up seeking to rationally justify all our actions - both wrong and right ones - that stem from those emotional conditions we see in both ourselves and them.
Still, some may think: shouldn’t art elicit a response from its audience? Yes, of course! It is only natural to feel something for characters, but instead of feeling empathy, perhaps a more appropriate way to engage with stories that put villains in the forefront is through sympathy. When discussing emotional responses we have towards others, sympathy is often frowned upon because it can be seen as patronising, but that’s exactly the kind of healthy distancing we need here. Villains are people ruined by their circumstances so pitying them is a very human response to have - you can’t help but feel sorry for the joker who, in spite of his poor mental health, still became the butt of everyone’s joke. Instead of emotionally explaining away the villain’s subsequent actions, this sympathy should push viewers to reserve their empathy for the real people around us who are similarly broken so these people don’t end up manifesting, or feeling tempted to manifest, their own villainous personas.
(Image Credit: Rotten Tomatoes)
What purpose do filmmakers see in telling such stories of ruination, then? When talking about the point of such films, or cinema in general, it can be said that people live out their dreams, fantasies and desires vicariously through what they see on screen. Without going too deep into this discussion, one thing for certain is that seeing the rise of a bad guy who successfully enacts revenge can be, in its own way, cathartic. Viewers relish this because the areas in their lives where they have had to repress their vengeful thoughts are being re-enacted on the screen in a way that materialises their unfulfilled plans. Interestingly, bringing these kinds of movies into the realm of Disney characters and teen comics also highlights the growing importance that the world now sees for the young not to be indoctrinated with a purely dichotomous understanding of good and evil because that just does not represent reality.
Yet, while it is imperative for the next generation to see proper (and more faithful) artistic illustrations of real-world ethics in the mainstream media, it is equally crucial to separate those characters who should be (strictly) vessels for our emotions (or catalysts for catharsis) and those who can be seen as role models. Unlike movies about heroes, or even anti-heroes, villain origin stories embody the struggle of trying to be the “good guy” or the “bigger person” but failing. The point of such story arcs is not to lay out a trajectory of life to aspire to replicate, but to present us - with nuance and impact - the messages that life isn’t always black and white and that the right decision isn’t always the easy one.
(Image Credit: Rotten Tomatoes)
At the end of the day, we play a part in the kind of mark villain origin stories are to leave on the industry and society as a whole. It is always tempting to lose oneself to a fictional universe but there is always a very real world outside that could benefit or suffer depending on how each of us chooses to apply what we’ve learnt from the screen to the community and society at large. After all, not all heroes wear capes, and not all villains wear masks.
P.S. For more food for thought with regards to the intersection between art and ethics, check out this video!
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