Best examples of tragic heroes in cinema/television

DetroitFan* · Mar 21, 2017

In Hollow Man, Kevin Bacon's character was a tragic hero... but I guess that depends on what he planned on using his invisibility serum for before he found out he couldn't change back.

chf · Mar 21, 2017

Omar 382 said:
I never said he went 100% to the dark side in S1E1. Just that he broke bad... and had a lot more bad in him

So what the fuck are you arguing with all of us about?

DetroitFan* · Mar 21, 2017

chf said:
So what the fuck are you arguing with all of us about?

That what you say pales in comparison to him, regardless if you said the same thing he did.

Omar 382 · Mar 21, 2017

chf said:
So what the fuck are you arguing with all of us about?

I don't even know. Let's smoke a doobie, listen to Kumbaya, and send our troops home from this ill-begotten goddamn Vietnam War

Omar 382 · Mar 21, 2017

DetroitFan* said:
That what you say pales in comparison to him, regardless if you said the same thing he did.

I'm actually not one to get the last word in. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I just hold steadfast to my Breaking Bad opinions and philosophies. But if somebody were to tell me that Nucky Thompson was actually an alien from Mars in Boardwalk Empire, I probably wouldn't say much.

jakedog56 · Mar 22, 2017

My favorite example of a tragic hero in recent modern cinema is probably Rorshach from Watchmen.

Watching him stand by his morals and refusing to compromise to the point that he insists on his own death as opposed to keeping a secret was actually heartwrenching. Great performance by Jackie Earl Haley.

Payton · Mar 22, 2017

Okay, so would Annakin Skywalker count?

Edit: Or is that one so glaringly obvious that it isn't even interesting?

calsnowskier · Mar 22, 2017

Payton said:
Okay, so would Annakin Skywalker count?

Edit: Or is that one so glaringly obvious that it isn't even interesting?

I don't know that he qualifies. What choice did he make that lead to his demise? Allowing Windu to be killed? Attacking the younglings? Falling for Padme? Allowing himself to be played by two horrible actors (or at least allowing himself to be written by a senile old coot).

I think a tragic hero essentially requires a single point/decision that causes his troubles, and Anakin never really had many choices in his direction. He was a slave, rescued by the Jedi. His mother was murdered which planted the seed of vengeance. He cared too much for another, which clouded his objectivity. He was "duped" by the most powerful force-user in the known galaxy.

Payton · Mar 22, 2017

calsnowskier said:
I don't know that he qualifies. What choice did he make that lead to his demise? Allowing Windu to be killed? Attacking the younglings? Falling for Padme? Allowing himself to be played by two horrible actors (or at least allowing himself to be written by a senile old coot).

I think a tragic hero essentially requires a single point/decision that causes his troubles, and Anakin never really had many choices in his direction. He was a slave, rescued by the Jedi. His mother was murdered which planted the seed of vengeance. He cared too much for another, which clouded his objectivity. He was "duped" by the most powerful force-user in the known galaxy.

I think singularly perhaps the issue that wanting to prevent and/or reverse Padme's ultimate death leads him to allowing himself be taught by Sidious... Annnnnnnnd it all kinda goes wrong from there.

But yeah, I guess he wasn't some paragon before that.

calsnowskier · Mar 22, 2017

Payton said:
I think singularly perhaps the issue that wanting to prevent and/or reverse Padme's ultimate death leads him to allowing himself be taught by Sidious... Annnnnnnnd it all kinda goes wrong from there.

But yeah, I guess he wasn't some paragon before that.

I don't know that you necisarrily need to be a "paragon" before your fateful decision to be a tragic hero. But I do think you need to have that singular decision that everything can be traced back to. And Anakin never had that singular moment.

Omar 382 · Mar 22, 2017

jakedog56 said:
My favorite example of a tragic hero in recent modern cinema is probably Rorshach from Watchmen.

Watching him stand by his morals and refusing to compromise to the point that he insists on his own death as opposed to keeping a secret was actually heartwrenching. Great performance by Jackie Earl Haley.

I didn't like Watchmen (2/5 stars), but I agree that JEH gave a great performance.

huskers1217 · Mar 22, 2017

is this thread about a bunch of men arguing over Lord of the fucking Rings?

also, Omar really relates to Tom Hanks in Philadelphia. that is his hero

huskers1217 · Mar 22, 2017

anyway...the best example is Alonzo.

The Q · Mar 22, 2017

calsnowskier said:
I don't know that he qualifies. What choice did he make that lead to his demise? Allowing Windu to be killed? Attacking the younglings? Falling for Padme? Allowing himself to be played by two horrible actors (or at least allowing himself to be written by a senile old coot).

I think a tragic hero essentially requires a single point/decision that causes his troubles, and Anakin never really had many choices in his direction. He was a slave, rescued by the Jedi. His mother was murdered which planted the seed of vengeance. He cared too much for another, which clouded his objectivity. He was "duped" by the most powerful force-user in the known galaxy.

He picked a chick over stopping the bad guy.

That's a pretty big decision.

Did allow Windu to be killed? Or was he the cause of it, because that shit was over before he interfered.

calsnowskier · Mar 22, 2017

The Q said:
He picked a chick over stopping the bad guy.

That's a pretty big decision.

Did allow Windu to be killed? Or was he the cause of it, because that shit was over before he interfered.

Ok, picking his relationship with Padme over his Jedi training could count, but that wasn't really a singular decision. Unless you count the actual wedding as the decision. I guess I could go with that.

Obi-Wan had a similar choice with Sabine, and while he also had strong feelings, he chose his Jedi calling over his feelings for her.

The Q · Mar 22, 2017

calsnowskier said:
Ok, picking his relationship with Padme over his Jedi training could count, but that wasn't really a singular decision. Unless you count the actual wedding as the decision. I guess I could go with that.

Obi-Wan had a similar choice with Sabine, and while he also had strong feelings, he chose his Jedi calling over his feelings for her.

He wasn't really a bad guy, until that moment that resulted in Windu's death though.

I mean, it really is 2 defining moments that set him on the path of being Vader.

I guess part of it really boils down to what you think his life would've been like had he let Windu win.

Payton · Mar 22, 2017

calsnowskier said:
Ok, picking his relationship with Padme over his Jedi training could count, but that wasn't really a singular decision. Unless you count the actual wedding as the decision. I guess I could go with that.

Obi-Wan had a similar choice with Sabine, and while he also had strong feelings, he chose his Jedi calling over his feelings for her.

Right, and I see the desire to keep Padme alive or his desire to be able to raise the dead or cheat death as what ultimately turns him... IE... A noble effort to do what is seemingly a good thing, requires him to make an ultimately bad decision in siding with Sidious, because he is offering Annakin the knowledge to stave off/reverse death, which the Jedi are not...

Payton · Mar 22, 2017

calsnowskier said:
Allowing himself to be played by two horrible actors (or at least allowing himself to be written by a senile old coot).

By the way... Well done...

Couldn't figure a way to mark the entire post funny when it was this that I really wanted to highlight...

outofyourmind · Mar 23, 2017

Ok
What movies is this from.

calsnowskier · Mar 23, 2017

outofyourmind said:
Ok
What movies is this from.

Heston's "I am Legend"?

Best examples of tragic heroes in cinema/television

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