2004-01-29
Second best Villain of all times.
Over on JoiIto they were talking about the use of stereotypes in movies. Some people thought it was a global conspiracy. Really, its all about economy. Showing someone recognizable as the bad guy lets you get on to the rest of the movie that much sooner, and keep the film that much shorter. (Movie theater owners like short films--more screenings per day equals more dollars per day.)
Over on JoiIto they were talking about the use of stereotypes in movies. Some people thought it was a global conspiracy. Really, its all about economy. Showing someone recognizable as the bad guy lets you get on to the rest of the movie that much sooner, and keep the film that much shorter. (Movie theater owners like short films--more screenings per day equals more dollars per day.)
On the other hand, once in a while someone turns conventional wisdom on its head and does the exact opposite, like in Beauty and the Beast where they take the handsome strong white guy, Gaston, and make him the bad guy. He was a great villain and they got to make fun of being privileged.
Disclaimer: I know people who once worked at Disney Feature Animation.
