Villains?

[laughingrat]

Whenever we're discussing "Singin' in the Rain," I surprise my friends by admitting that I feel sorry for Lina Lamont. Yeah, she's awful, yeah, she's obnoxious, but she's so pathetic!

Ten years ago, if you'd told me I'd wind up feeling bad for such a spiteful character, I'd've thought you were talking nonsense. Are there any movie villains you feel unusual sympathy towards? Any villains you've changed your attitude towards, over time?

Comments

[klia]

I can't say I really felt sorry for Lina, but I was glad she turned out not to be the stereotypical dumb blonde, and loved the scene where she pulled out her contract and told R.F. what's what.

Over the years, I ended up feeling sorry for Alex in Notorious, even though he and his mother were poisoning Alicia. That poor guy never had a chance, under the thumb of an obsessive, controlling mother his whole life.

Interesting question, though, because I think it takes a really good actor to pull off a complex, nuanced villain, and, generally speaking, I think a lot of villains in classic films were pretty two-dimensional.

[themis]

Lina is my favorite thing about Singin' in the Rain, probably because Jean Hagen is so funny.

Alex from Notorious, as the person above me said, is also a great example of a villain I sympathize with. Even though he's a Nazi! Blame my fondness for Claude Rains, I guess? Because I pretty much take Claude Rains' side in any movie.