About Breaking Bad or Basic Bad
Post 733:
I want to look at two types of bad guys, and how they’re both effective in storytelling. First, we have Walter White, the poor sod who goes from mild-mannered chemistry teacher to powerful drug dealer. The sad set of circumstances and the arguably noble intentions and justifications for Walt’s misdeeds are played out for all to see.
Against that, I’d like to examine a less-known villain, and that’s Woody Harrelson’s character in an overlooked film called Out of the Furnace. This is a man who is introduced as purely sadistic and self-interested from the start.
Each is specific sort of rotten that send specific shockwaves through the system.
Walter in Breaking Bad is a cautionary tale. We’re rooting for him in a way, because dang, life isn’t fair and he’s trying to help his family and, oh wait, he just killed a guy. But hey, he has this strange sense of loyalty to his partner and doesn’t want him getting hurt or worse. Oh, he’s responsible for the meth trade and oh crap did he just run over some dudes in a car… While he’s justifying these horrific acts, I think a part of us is right there alongside, taking his part. If we pause from the entertainment, it’s actually kind of scary. Might we be the same if put in similar circumstances? Probably not, but wouldn’t we like to be? Just a little bit? The argument might be that people are pretty decent and don’t think dark things. This doesn’t hold for me. Have you ever heard that thing about how you can’t be brave unless you’re scared? How can you be good unless there’s the temptation at time to be bad? Same sort of logic, though I’m sure there’s logicians out in the world that can punch holes in my analysis.
Ok, what about the Woody Harrelson character? All we’re presented with is pure evil. Liberty Valance is another good example. Just irredeemable and mean. Nothing good to say, no higher motivations. Just a black hole of anger and nefarious desire. These characters are effective because they make you wonder if there are people like this out there. How is that even possible? The truth is, nobody is corrupt to the core without some help. Abuse, injustice—there’s certainly more to the story, but if you’re faced with a guy in an alley looking to murder you for the eight bucks in your pocket, do you really care about their backstory? Probably not. History, though it may be incomplete, tells us that there are just bad folks.
I like all kinds of bad guys in fiction, but it’s interesting to understand the forces drawing us in. It’s also helpful when creating antagonists in your own story. How much do you want the audience to know? The more they know, the more opportunities they have to relate. Something to keep in mind. Cheers and see you after.
