Luke
stu-kicks
CibbuanoTop 10 Heroes in Film
October 22nd 2006 05:50
Well, following up on last Monday's 'Top 10 Villains in Film', here is a list of 10 Great Film Heroes (thanks to Lilla for the suggestion). I had a lot more trouble with this list as I usually find the villain more interesting than the hero, so I didn't really have any favourites (besides one or two) that have always sat in my head (waiting for me to collate them into a list - like the Villains blog!). To help myself out I gave myself some criteria...
1. No characters based on real life figures... I think I did this as the line between fiction and fact tends to become blurred. I was going to include Ron Kovic (Born on the 4th of July), Gandhi (Ganhi), Karen Silkwood (Silkwood) and Paul Rusesabagina (Hotel Rwanda) in my list but then I began to question whether I was including them because of the heroic deeds of the real-life figures they are based on or because of the way they were portrayed. Likewise, I think the actors in question already have half their work done for them too (in terms of appearing heroic) if the character happens to be a hero to begin with. So, I thought it was simpler to just disqualify these altogether.
2. No superheroes. We know they're heroes before they even do anything. It's kind of a no-brainer, and would just make the list more boring than it already is.
So, without further ado, here are 10 film characters I found to be suitably heroic...
Atticus Finch Gregory Peck, "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962)
For me, a true screen hero doesn't come much more inspiring than Gregory Peck's understated portrayal of Atticus Finch. Embodying all the finest aspects of a classic father figure, there's something familial about the way he fights against all forms of injustice and prejudice. What makes Atticus more heroic than most screen heroes is that people like him do exist... he's as real as heroes get.
Maximus Russell Crowe, "Gladiator" (2000)
I like Maximus because he's a good solid return to the straight-forward heroes of old Hollywood. Despite his loyalty to the Empire, he finds himself betrayed and his family murdered. Of course, he swears revenge, but like a Golden Era protagonist his angst remains firmly in check and he's all toughness and bristling stoicism. He's a classic hero, and that's why I think Crowe won the Academy Award for his work here - the Academy are made up of a lot of older Hollywood types, and I can imagine his performance indulged their nostalgia to some degree. I love it for the same reason.
Will Kane Gary Cooper, "High Noon" (1952)
Gary Cooper's small-town sheriff embodies the less than savoury aspects of heroic deeds... faced with the prospect of protecting his town from a dangerous villain who has sworn revenge on him, he asks for the townspeople to help him. No matter who he turns to though, his pleas fall on deaf and unwilling ears. Kane is a hero who is visibly afraid but goes to do his duty anyway - and that's what makes him heroic. A powerful and memorable performance.
Braveheart Mel Gibson, "Braveheart" (1995)
Okay, so I made an exception to my rule here... but I figure that the events contained within 'Braveheart' are so divorced from the historical facts that Gibson's character is very much a work of fiction. Disclaimer aside, Gibson's William Wallace is as heroic as they come - patriotic, disdainful of alien authority, a crusader and leader of men... a larger than life figure who inspires thousands into fighting for their own freedom, and also performs minor heroic acts at every possible moment (impregnating the King's daughter-in-law, refusing to yield to torture, brandishing his bottom to the English, etc, etc).
Rocky, Sylvester Stallone, "Rocky" (1976)
Rocky is a film that I find particularly moving. Stallone takes a simple rags-to-riches story and elevates it with this dumb, honest streetwise lug - Rocky is all heart and I've never wanted someone to win so badly as I did when I first saw Rocky claw his way up to the top level to take on a boxing professional. Rocky is the definition of a real champion.
Andy Dufresne Tim Robbins, "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)
In one of the more emotional and memorable roles to be mentioned here, Tim Robbins plays another kind of hero. Whereas the other heroes in this list fight for their fellow men, or for their loved ones, or are heroic because of what they represent to us, Andy is inspirational because he fights for his own soul and freedom. Andy is first betrayed by his wife, then by the judicial system, and then by the authorities within gaol, but he is never completely broken. Piece by piece, he reclaims the territory of his own heart and mind. His eventual triumph over all these odds is a soaring moment in film history.
Juror #8 Henry Fonda, "12 Angry Men" (1957)
Henry Fonda's all-purpose American everyman persona was put to many uses in his long and distinguished career, but none so potent as his role in the courtroom drama '12 Angry Men'. Here he finds himself to be the only juror who doubts the defendent is guilty... the rest of the jury are ready to send him to the chair. He spends the rest of the film trying to convince them not to. He's not fighting for himself, he's not even fighting for someone he knows... he's just a regular joe fighting for justice.
Ellen Ripley Sigourney Weaver, "Aliens" (1986)
Action figures are pretty much part and parcel of the hero game, so I figured if I was going to include one I might as well make it an interesting one - so I chose Ripley from the Alien films (namely 'Aliens' - where she really comes into her own). Ripley isn't a woman doing a man's job or anything cliched like that, she's a survivor and a mother figure to the orphan newt. She's surrounded by hardened mercenaries and still manages to be (pretty much) the last one standing. She fights the Queen Alien in a bloody tractor suit! She kicks arse.
Terry Malloy Marlon Brando, "On The Waterfront" (1954)
Sometimes there's nothing more heroic than standing up for the rights of the working man. Brando's Terry Malloy wrestles with his conscience and judgement throughout Elia Kazan's masterpiece 'On The Waterfront' and eventually finds that he can no longer stand by and let crooked men exploit his peers. That he does this facing tremendous union pressure and cops a bloody beating for his defiance seals the deal. Kazan would go on to say that these heroic actions mirrored his own controversial decisions regarding the infamous HUAC hearings... yeah sure thing mate.
Samwise Gamgee Sean Astin, "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" (2003)
If Star Wars is most remembered for it's use of archetypal villains then I'd venture that Lord of the Rings has the lead in the hero stakes... the trilogy is packed full of them. But if I was to choose just one hero from these films then I would choose Sam. Gandalf, Frodo, Legolas, Aragorn... they're all noble protagonists bound as much by duty as by an honest need to wipe out evil from their homelands, but Sam - what he wants most of all is to save his best friend, Frodo, and to get back home. Even when he takes the ring for a brief time in 'Return of the King' he returns it directly to Frodo - of all the characters in 'The Lord of the Rings', Sam's heart is filled with the least ambition. Amongst all the larger-than-life types who perform amazing and unbelievably heroic deeds, Sam is the little guy who just loves his friend and wants to see him home safely. Bravo!
Well, that's 10. As usual, I'm sure there are plenty more that I've missed, feel free to post your own lists!
1. No characters based on real life figures... I think I did this as the line between fiction and fact tends to become blurred. I was going to include Ron Kovic (Born on the 4th of July), Gandhi (Ganhi), Karen Silkwood (Silkwood) and Paul Rusesabagina (Hotel Rwanda) in my list but then I began to question whether I was including them because of the heroic deeds of the real-life figures they are based on or because of the way they were portrayed. Likewise, I think the actors in question already have half their work done for them too (in terms of appearing heroic) if the character happens to be a hero to begin with. So, I thought it was simpler to just disqualify these altogether.
2. No superheroes. We know they're heroes before they even do anything. It's kind of a no-brainer, and would just make the list more boring than it already is.
So, without further ado, here are 10 film characters I found to be suitably heroic...
Atticus Finch Gregory Peck, "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962)
For me, a true screen hero doesn't come much more inspiring than Gregory Peck's understated portrayal of Atticus Finch. Embodying all the finest aspects of a classic father figure, there's something familial about the way he fights against all forms of injustice and prejudice. What makes Atticus more heroic than most screen heroes is that people like him do exist... he's as real as heroes get.
Maximus Russell Crowe, "Gladiator" (2000)
I like Maximus because he's a good solid return to the straight-forward heroes of old Hollywood. Despite his loyalty to the Empire, he finds himself betrayed and his family murdered. Of course, he swears revenge, but like a Golden Era protagonist his angst remains firmly in check and he's all toughness and bristling stoicism. He's a classic hero, and that's why I think Crowe won the Academy Award for his work here - the Academy are made up of a lot of older Hollywood types, and I can imagine his performance indulged their nostalgia to some degree. I love it for the same reason.
Will Kane Gary Cooper, "High Noon" (1952)
Gary Cooper's small-town sheriff embodies the less than savoury aspects of heroic deeds... faced with the prospect of protecting his town from a dangerous villain who has sworn revenge on him, he asks for the townspeople to help him. No matter who he turns to though, his pleas fall on deaf and unwilling ears. Kane is a hero who is visibly afraid but goes to do his duty anyway - and that's what makes him heroic. A powerful and memorable performance.
Braveheart Mel Gibson, "Braveheart" (1995)
Okay, so I made an exception to my rule here... but I figure that the events contained within 'Braveheart' are so divorced from the historical facts that Gibson's character is very much a work of fiction. Disclaimer aside, Gibson's William Wallace is as heroic as they come - patriotic, disdainful of alien authority, a crusader and leader of men... a larger than life figure who inspires thousands into fighting for their own freedom, and also performs minor heroic acts at every possible moment (impregnating the King's daughter-in-law, refusing to yield to torture, brandishing his bottom to the English, etc, etc).
Rocky, Sylvester Stallone, "Rocky" (1976)
Rocky is a film that I find particularly moving. Stallone takes a simple rags-to-riches story and elevates it with this dumb, honest streetwise lug - Rocky is all heart and I've never wanted someone to win so badly as I did when I first saw Rocky claw his way up to the top level to take on a boxing professional. Rocky is the definition of a real champion.
Andy Dufresne Tim Robbins, "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)
In one of the more emotional and memorable roles to be mentioned here, Tim Robbins plays another kind of hero. Whereas the other heroes in this list fight for their fellow men, or for their loved ones, or are heroic because of what they represent to us, Andy is inspirational because he fights for his own soul and freedom. Andy is first betrayed by his wife, then by the judicial system, and then by the authorities within gaol, but he is never completely broken. Piece by piece, he reclaims the territory of his own heart and mind. His eventual triumph over all these odds is a soaring moment in film history.
Juror #8 Henry Fonda, "12 Angry Men" (1957)
Henry Fonda's all-purpose American everyman persona was put to many uses in his long and distinguished career, but none so potent as his role in the courtroom drama '12 Angry Men'. Here he finds himself to be the only juror who doubts the defendent is guilty... the rest of the jury are ready to send him to the chair. He spends the rest of the film trying to convince them not to. He's not fighting for himself, he's not even fighting for someone he knows... he's just a regular joe fighting for justice.
Ellen Ripley Sigourney Weaver, "Aliens" (1986)
Action figures are pretty much part and parcel of the hero game, so I figured if I was going to include one I might as well make it an interesting one - so I chose Ripley from the Alien films (namely 'Aliens' - where she really comes into her own). Ripley isn't a woman doing a man's job or anything cliched like that, she's a survivor and a mother figure to the orphan newt. She's surrounded by hardened mercenaries and still manages to be (pretty much) the last one standing. She fights the Queen Alien in a bloody tractor suit! She kicks arse.
Terry Malloy Marlon Brando, "On The Waterfront" (1954)
Sometimes there's nothing more heroic than standing up for the rights of the working man. Brando's Terry Malloy wrestles with his conscience and judgement throughout Elia Kazan's masterpiece 'On The Waterfront' and eventually finds that he can no longer stand by and let crooked men exploit his peers. That he does this facing tremendous union pressure and cops a bloody beating for his defiance seals the deal. Kazan would go on to say that these heroic actions mirrored his own controversial decisions regarding the infamous HUAC hearings... yeah sure thing mate.
Samwise Gamgee Sean Astin, "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" (2003)
If Star Wars is most remembered for it's use of archetypal villains then I'd venture that Lord of the Rings has the lead in the hero stakes... the trilogy is packed full of them. But if I was to choose just one hero from these films then I would choose Sam. Gandalf, Frodo, Legolas, Aragorn... they're all noble protagonists bound as much by duty as by an honest need to wipe out evil from their homelands, but Sam - what he wants most of all is to save his best friend, Frodo, and to get back home. Even when he takes the ring for a brief time in 'Return of the King' he returns it directly to Frodo - of all the characters in 'The Lord of the Rings', Sam's heart is filled with the least ambition. Amongst all the larger-than-life types who perform amazing and unbelievably heroic deeds, Sam is the little guy who just loves his friend and wants to see him home safely. Bravo!
Well, that's 10. As usual, I'm sure there are plenty more that I've missed, feel free to post your own lists!
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Comment by Little Angry Doll
Falling Haiku Leaf
Inner West Life
When I read the title of this post, I had one hero in mind. Atticus Finch.
So delighted (and I've got to say suprised) to open the post and find him at Number One! When ever "movie hero" discussions come up and I tell people mine, I just get blank.
Number One Son narrowly avoided being named Atticus. But we have decided that if we have another boy...
Comment by Keira
Keira's Blog
Stupid Sam Gamgee!
And Star Wars - Han Solo and Chewie.
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Comment by Aaron
I was re-watching The Lord of the Rings the other day and I mentioned to my girlfriend that Sam Wise really is the overall Hero of the story. He's in the background the whole time. But, he's the one that saves everything. Very good pick.
Aaron.
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Thanks, I was really looking forward to this post and I just love your choice of heroes and that you included Heroines as well. You’ve got about five of mine there already, including Karen Silkwood, Wallace, Ripley and Sam Wise … and Atticus, who could ever forget him. No one should.
I’d like to add a few of my own, of course, and appreciate the opportunity…
Firstly, since you made an exception to myths, legends and heroes, can I just add, Robin Hood?
Otherwise : Robin Williams as Patch Adams, Mrs Doubtfie, One Hour Photo, The Final Cut, Jumanji, Bicentennial Man, and the professor in Flubber.
The two mountain climbers in ‘Touching the Void.’
For the girls not already mentioned – Nanny McPhee and Vianne Rocher in Chocolat.
SHREK
Fletch
And Captain Jack Sparrow, ye scabby dogs!
Comment by Johanna
PCOS Mum
Comment by MelissaA
Fun Facts
* Erin Brockovich
* Violet Baudelaire (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events)
* Indiana Jones - Actually Harrison Ford in quite a few things ie. Star Wars
* Robin Hood
* Zorro
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Some good names popping up.
I think my favourite Robin Williams 'heroic' role is probably in 'Good Will Hunting' when he helps Will. I found it moving.
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
I missed that one. I'll go and hunt it down.
Lilla.
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
Also...definitely Indiana Jones and Han Solo...and Lilla...yes, Vianne Rocher...So who does that leave me...hmmm...going through my DVD collection...
In no particular order;
1. Shu Lien in 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon - Michelle Yeoh's character)
2. Luke Sywalker (no intro needed)
3. Leia Organa (likewise)
4.John McClane in 'Die Hard' (yippe ky yay...)
5. David Dunn in 'Unbreakable' (or is he negated because he really is a Superhero?)
6.Dr Emma Russell (Elizabeth Shue's character in 'The Saint')
7.Sarah Connor 'Terminator 2' (those biceps! intentions were noble but she was a bit crazy...)
8.Charlie Baltimore in 'Long Kiss Goodnight' (yeah she was a badass but a badass with a heart of gold)
9.Leeloo 'The Fifth Element'
10.Clarice Starling ("hello Clarice....")
Oh my God, I haven't mentioned anyone like
Rick Blaine, Mark Thackeray or even Crocodile Dundee.
Luke, maybe the list should have been Top 100 Heroes...
Comment by Anonymous
Al Pacino in the Godfather series(why not in in Scarface, too). 2 magnificent roles from an actor that deserves his place among the best. And though trivial as it my seem Michele Corleone is perhaps the deepest character in movies. Praise to Pacino for that.
Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest(played by Jack Nickolson).
Considering his role in Chinatown, I'd say that the style and manners of his character in that movie outclassed all the James Bond's in the different episodes. And not only that but even more.
These two actors for me, deserve a place here, for at least one of the two roles I mentioned.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Henry Fonda here. 12 Angry Men is brilliant
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Comment by Anonymous
Kaela Gross
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior