>Evan Rosenfield wrote:

>

>Isn't an evil hero impossible?



If we define a hero as being the character with whom the film-maker(s)

intends the viewer to most readily empathise with, then a lot of Fritz

Lang's films explore this issue, albeit with similar parameters in mind.

Three which come readily to mind are...



Part 2 of DIE NIEBELUNGEN in which Kriemhild gets up to some pretty nasty

tricks,, most of which she justifies as avenging Siegfried's murder... (cf.

the recent 'evil women' thread)



M - could the paedophile murderer be regarded as a 'hero' (in the context

of the film's narrative) on the grounds that he is apprehended by a gang of

organised criminals?  Most cinemagoers (even in late-Weimar Germany) would

surely prefer the rule of law (which is shown, in the form of the police

inspector, as being somewhat incapable of ruling) over the rule of

self-appointed vigilantes, who are also criminals?  Could it be said that

the Peter Lorre character is depicted as a hero on the basis of who he is

up against?



BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT - we don't want the Dana Andrews character to be

executed despite the fact that he quite clearly murdered his ex-wife.



-------------------------------------

Leo Enticknap

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York  YO30 6AW

Tel. 01904 673207 (home); 0410 417383 (mobile)



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