I saw Kick-Ass last Sunday and I seem to have developed what I would call a "little crush" on this film. I can't stop thinking about it, I want to spend all of my time with it, and I wonder if it feels the same way. It would be a lie if I said Kick-Ass inspired this week's topic because I have actually been working on this blog since long before Kick-Ass came out. As much as I would love to put it in the Top 5 itself I have a rule that no movie that is still in theaters can make the cut, because there is no way I have seen it enough to properly evaluate it. But that won't stop me from being enamored with it. So, I would like to give Hit Girl, my new idol, a shout out because she is what vigilantism is all about.Shout out!: Ruthless, bloody, violent, and satisfying. Ah...sweet vengeance. She is what every vigilante should strive to be. Her "crimes" are well planned, she is well trained, and she has that little something extra that people love. In this case that little something extra is a potty mouth. Any eleven year old that can emotionally handle cutting off the limbs of drug lords, take a hit from a full grown man and pull off saying some of the vulgar lines she did is OK in my book. I was deeply disturbed by her and I liked it. So, Hit Girl, there is your shout out and may it lead to many Top5 recognitions in the future. And with that, let's get started. Here we go... Top 5 Vigilantes.
The definition according to Dictionary.com:
–noun
1. a member of a vigilance committee.
2. any person who takes the law into his or her own hands, as by avenging a crime.
According to Urbandictionary.com:
"The one who will mend what has fallen apart when the laws of man have become obsolete with bloated bureaucracy and only serve the rich and powerful."
"He used the ground and powdered bones of the rich as mortar for the bricks that built housing for the poor. What a vigilante.
5. Hard Candy 2005- Hayley Stark (Ellen Page): There is a brilliance to the intensity with which this film is executed. In the opening scene "Cameraman" and "Thongrrrl" are are flirting in a chat room. The sexual innuendo that is thrown about like confetti at a parade would make your mother blush. The tone is ominous, and the direction in which the film seems to be going is almost immediately apparent. Then, in a later scene Hayley (Page) ends up at the far from humble abode of "Cameraman" who is really the thirty-something Jeff Kohlver (Patrick Wilson). The fourteen year-old girl is modeling for the photographer, trying to be sexy, and she starts to undress. For reasons unknown to the audience, Jeff looses his cool. He shouts at her then passes out. Following this scene, an extremely disturbing hour of vigilantism ensues that is constructed with such intensity that the anxiety felt by the audience becomes an adrenaline addiction. That is what I really love about this film. I love to show it to people who have never seen it. I love watching the progression from squirmy and uncomfortable, to confused, to fist pumping and cheering. Much like the joyful face of a child on Christmas morning, it is priceless and I wish it could happen everyday.
4. V For Vendetta 2005- "V" (Hugo Weaving):
There is nothing better than a calculating vigilante. 
A vigilante with the patience to wait, plan, and execute with a preciseness fitting only of a mad man. It moves me to tears, almost. Though I adore the violent intimacy with which Hayley Stark picks and torments her victims, a vigilante that can bring down an entire corrupt regime in one gigantic leap is awe-inspiring. The way in which this film represents the iniquitous empire that has taken power in this futuristic, post-apocalyptic British society is excellent. The leader of this government has destroyed books, art, music... anything that may encourage independent thought. He removes from society anyone with a different religious view, political view, sexual preference, or other diversity that makes humanity humane. It is an ugly world that burdens the population with fear. The cleverness of this plot lies in how easily and hastily we hate the antagonistic bureaucracy. Each time they manipulate their people they are more despised and the vigilante finds himself with increased support from both audience and citizen in the film alike. It's beautifully constructed from the outrage felt towards this polity overstepping its bounds, to personal injustices inflicted on the main characters, to the satisfying manner in which the adversaries meet their demise. Try not to love the justice, I dare you.
Yes, the plot is brilliant. Yes, "V" is a great vigilante. But the real momentum of this movie springs from the acting. "V", played by Hugo Weaving, has the difficult task of performing without the use of facial expression. However, the inflection of his voice, the use of his body, and the brilliance of his dialogue all come together to create a character that works. Not only works, but excels where failure would be expected. But he is not alone. Natalie Portman is one the greatest living actresses. This movie was the beginning of a serious career for her. She showed extraordinary range and depth. She starts as young, naive woman who is living by the rules out of fear, much like the rest of her countrymen. As she transforms with the help of "V" she becomes strong, fearless, and hard while still maintaining her capacity for compassion. That is huge range of emotion to cover in one film and she did it all with grace and ease in an accent that was not her own. Bravo. The supporting characters were equally impressive. Steven Rhea as Inspector Finch, John Hurt as Adam Suttler, and Tim Pigott-Smith as Creedy, among others, all performed brilliantly to create an atmosphere of catastrophic circumstance.
3. Ingrlorious Baster
A vigilante with the patience to wait, plan, and execute with a preciseness fitting only of a mad man. It moves me to tears, almost. Though I adore the violent intimacy with which Hayley Stark picks and torments her victims, a vigilante that can bring down an entire corrupt regime in one gigantic leap is awe-inspiring. The way in which this film represents the iniquitous empire that has taken power in this futuristic, post-apocalyptic British society is excellent. The leader of this government has destroyed books, art, music... anything that may encourage independent thought. He removes from society anyone with a different religious view, political view, sexual preference, or other diversity that makes humanity humane. It is an ugly world that burdens the population with fear. The cleverness of this plot lies in how easily and hastily we hate the antagonistic bureaucracy. Each time they manipulate their people they are more despised and the vigilante finds himself with increased support from both audience and citizen in the film alike. It's beautifully constructed from the outrage felt towards this polity overstepping its bounds, to personal injustices inflicted on the main characters, to the satisfying manner in which the adversaries meet their demise. Try not to love the justice, I dare you. Yes, the plot is brilliant. Yes, "V" is a great vigilante. But the real momentum of this movie springs from the acting. "V", played by Hugo Weaving, has the difficult task of performing without the use of facial expression. However, the inflection of his voice, the use of his body, and the brilliance of his dialogue all come together to create a character that works. Not only works, but excels where failure would be expected. But he is not alone. Natalie Portman is one the greatest living actresses. This movie was the beginning of a serious career for her. She showed extraordinary range and depth. She starts as young, naive woman who is living by the rules out of fear, much like the rest of her countrymen. As she transforms with the help of "V" she becomes strong, fearless, and hard while still maintaining her capacity for compassion. That is huge range of emotion to cover in one film and she did it all with grace and ease in an accent that was not her own. Bravo. The supporting characters were equally impressive. Steven Rhea as Inspector Finch, John Hurt as Adam Suttler, and Tim Pigott-Smith as Creedy, among others, all performed brilliantly to create an atmosphere of catastrophic circumstance.
ds 2009- "The Basterds":Hey, you! Sitting at your computer feeling sick and tired of me loving my Tarantino, saying to yourself, "He is overrated Merry. Stop being that person who thinks he invented modern cinema." I can't help it. He is my first love and every girl keeps a special place in her heart for her first love. He will always appear in my blog where I feel it is appropriate. Deal with it.
Killing Nazis! Nazis I say! It is pure brilliance. Everyone hates Nazis. So, let a few Jewish-American troupes inflict some good ol' fashioned violence on the one group of people from history no one sympathizes with. But don't stop there. Make it smart. In fact, make it so smart that people who don't get it think they do and those who do get it realize they are the only ones. Make it a movie everyone can enjoy and everyone can get excited to see.
Quentin can really pull beauty out of any scene. At the end of the opening scene Nazi soldiers blow the floor under which a Jewish family is hiding to kingdom come, and somehow, with wood chips flying everywhere, bullets whistling through the air, and the full knowledge that this family is being executed, it still is nice to watch. That is the general feel of the whole film. World War II was ugly. There was no good there. However, Tarantino's intentionally inaccurate portrayal of this era was surprisingly aesthetically pleasing.
As for the vigilantes themselves, the thing that really draws the audience in is, once again, the justice of it all. If you have seen the movie, obviously it isn't historically accurate. If for some reason you didn't realize that it's not really how things went down, I apologize for being the rain cloud at your picnic (by the way, Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, Eward Cullen... also not real). That lie that Tarantino tells the audience is what makes it so magical. He gave power to a group of people who lived in a time that was dangerous for them. He let a Jewish man beat a Nazi soldier to death with a baseball bat. He let a group of Jewish-American soldiers kill the man that exterminated so many of their people. It may be an unconvincing lie, but it is also the most gratifying lie I have been told in a long time.
2. Deniro in taxi driver 1976 Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro):Quentin can really pull beauty out of any scene. At the end of the opening scene Nazi soldiers blow the floor under which a Jewish family is hiding to kingdom come, and somehow, with wood chips flying everywhere, bullets whistling through the air, and the full knowledge that this family is being executed, it still is nice to watch. That is the general feel of the whole film. World War II was ugly. There was no good there. However, Tarantino's intentionally inaccurate portrayal of this era was surprisingly aesthetically pleasing.
As for the vigilantes themselves, the thing that really draws the audience in is, once again, the justice of it all. If you have seen the movie, obviously it isn't historically accurate. If for some reason you didn't realize that it's not really how things went down, I apologize for being the rain cloud at your picnic (by the way, Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, Eward Cullen... also not real). That lie that Tarantino tells the audience is what makes it so magical. He gave power to a group of people who lived in a time that was dangerous for them. He let a Jewish man beat a Nazi soldier to death with a baseball bat. He let a group of Jewish-American soldiers kill the man that exterminated so many of their people. It may be an unconvincing lie, but it is also the most gratifying lie I have been told in a long time.
Deniro is super nutty in this film. I am used to a cool, calm, and collected Deniro, and this redefined him for me. I can't even imagine the dark places he must have gone to prepare for this part, but his acting was flawless. There is a scene where he is practicing his quick draw in preparation for a future assassination attempt of a local politician He is shirtless in his studio apartment and he repeatedly draws his gun, aims it at the mirror then casually reholsters it. This is the scene that bore the iconic line "You talkin' to me?" His insane ramblings are perfectly performed to give the realization he has lost it and is completely unaware that "it" has been misplaced. However, even in his insanity he finds the clarity to accomplish three extremely cool vigilante tasks. The first was to give himself a Mohawk. A huge part of vigilantism is the outfit, and it doesn't matter what else a vigilante wears if he has an ultra hard core hair cut. The second was to kill a pimp and rescue a child prostitute. No one likes a pimp. Especially one who is pimping an under aged, prepubescent Jodie Foster. I think I speak for us all when I say, "I wish I had his guts" (of course meaning his figurative guts and not his literal guts, because I obviously would have no use for the innards of an award winning actor). Number three, see the above picture. That is a wicked cool still from a wicked cool scene in a wicked cool movie.
1. Boondock Saints 1999- Conner MacManus (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy MacManus (Norman Reedus):
The moment I started discussing the topic of vigilantes with my trusted
advisers, this film came up. I, to their deep dismay, had never seen it. As a just and fair blogger I had to give all viable options their chance, though I was already convinced my "Top 5" list was perfect. So I watched it. Let me set the scene for you:It was a Sunday morning at the crack of noon when I awoke. The sun shining through my windows. I stretched out across the entirety of my king sized bed wondering why the sun had woken me at this ungodly hour. Not quite willing to leave the warmth of my bed for the frigid 73 degrees of my apartment, I grabbed my laptop off the floor and began to see what Netflix had to offer in their "watch instantly" department. Apparently, based on my interest in "Taxi Driver" "Boondock Saints" was a film I would find enjoyable. So, with nothing better to do, I clicked on it then took a power nap while it buffered.
With each scene that came and went I loved it more. By the time it was over I was imagining my life as Conner McManus' love interest/partner in crime. Of course, Murphy would become jealous of our new closeness, but I would soon prove to him my usefulness and love for his brother. He would then find himself torn between his loyalty to his brother and his new passion for me. It's all very deep and sexy, but we don't have time for it now, so let's move on.
