Saturday 11 June 2011

"That woman deserves her revenge... and we deserve to die." ~ FAVOURITE CHARACTERS IN TARANTINO FILMS

           Quentin Tarantino films are ensemble pieces...we need the supporting characters as much as the main ones to make it the total movie-going experience it really is. These are my favourite characters:


My Favourite Characters from Quentin Tarantino films: SUPPORTING-


10) Earl McGraw (played by Michael Parks)- I love his little cameos. Honestly keep waiting for him to turn up. Maybe Django Unlimited will have his great great grandfather or something.


9) Jimmie Dimmick (played by Quentin Tarantino)- I love the QT characters in the QT films! And Jimmie is my second favourite. His hilarious lines, the irrational fear of his wife Bonnie and that dressing gown- LOVE!


8) Clifford Worley (played by Dennis Hopper)- He is a good cop and a father, and one hell of a story-teller. I still haven't gotten over the Sicilian scene in True Romance, and Mr. Hopper is a big reason why.


7) Mr. Pink (played by Steve Buscemi)- I am an unapologetic Buscemi fan, and Mr. Pink was just my kind of character. From his neuroticism to not paying of tips to sheer luck, he is definitely one of my favourites.


6) Captain Koons (played by Christopher Walken)- The weirdest QT history lesson till Inglorious Basterds. This scene makes me cry with laughter.


5) Gogo Yubari (played by Chiaki Kuriyama)- She's insane, violent, and has the sluttiest outfit ever. Such a legend.


4) Lt. Archie Hicox (played by Michel Fassbender)- Okay...this maybe the result of the Fassbender obsession I'm going through right now, and I may, in retrospect, question this high a position- but Fassy Fever will most probably last for a while. Lt. Archie is dreamy as hell, and this whole scene kicks ass (Nazi or otherwise).


3) Richard Gecko (played by Quentin Tarantino)- QT has never been sexier. I love his stark raving mad persona...and the violence we all know he was capable of.


2) Winston Wolf (played by Harvey Keitel)- The ultimate problem-solver. He's like Jeeves, with a bit of ol' ultraviolence. I need someone like that in my life.


1) Pai Mei (played by Gordon Liu)- He's the ultimate master. And character. I have heard of QT-themed parties... if I ever get invited to one, or if I throw one (slightly more likely), I am soooo gonna dress as him- I have decided.


My Favourite Characters from Quentin Tarantino films: MAIN-


10) Mr. White/ Larry Dimmik (played by Harvey Keitel)- I felt bad for him. He was a good guy, a trusting guy, even among crooks. I mean he was stupid, but the most honourable member of the Reservoir Dogs. And I loved his relationship with Tim Roth/ Mr. Orange- real bromance, that.


9) Alabama Worley (played by Patricia Arquette)- She was so sweet and dreamy and well, peachy in this super-violent film. I loved her narration, her romance with Clarence and just her sunny disposition. So gorgeous.


8) Mickey Knox (played by Woody Harrelson)- He's one crazy motherf***er. Not exactly a girl's idea of prince charming, but he could really punch a hole through the moon for Mallory. Also all the quotes about the messed up state of the world...gah I love him!


7) Shosanna Dreyfus (played by Mélanie Laurent)- One thing QT has in his films is strong women, and Miss Dreyfus is one of them. Not only does she recover from her entire family's annihilation in the hands of the Jew Hunter (stay tuned for that one), she also plans to single-handedly kill all the important Nazis by burning her cinema down. Her beautiful revengeful face on the film screen, being engulfed in flames, is one of the most memorable parts of Inglorious Basterds for me.


6) Jackie Brown (played by Pam Grier)- Speaking of strong, beautiful women, I was so in love with Pam Grier throughout this film. The only QT film with a woman's name as it's title, and with good reason. She owned the film in every shot that she was or even mentioned. One could see all the men gravitate towards her, because she was just so sexy.


5) Mia Wallace (played by Uma Thurman)- I said Goddamn! She is the mob wife, with a fetish for cocaine, shakes and dancing. Her entire segment, is so mundane...from the awkward date to the heroin overdose, that it just gets sketched in your memory forever. I love the way Mia moves...from twisting to just walking. Very interesting woman, this one.


4) O-Ren Ishii (played by Lucy Liu)- The little half-Chinese, half-Japanese girl who is driven into the assassin business when she witnesses her parents violent death at the hands of a Yazuka boss and his men. After taking her revenge from him, she only becomes the best in the business, and then joins the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. I loved this character- there was a proper reason why she was the way she was. Liu's ability to look serene one moment, and murderous the next makes this a great character, definitely her best one to date.


3) Jules Winnifield (played by Samuel L. Jackson)- I did say earlier that he was iconic, didn't I? He exudes brilliance every moment he's onscreen, and demands our respect and awe


2) Col. Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz)- What can I say? Villains require utter devotion from me...and he wasn't even all bad. He did end the Second World War in all his diabolicalness, so we owe him, and QT ofcourse.


1) The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo (played by Uma Thurman)- She is the modern hero. Deadly, yet nurturing. She wants revenge, and will stop at nothing to get it. Plus QT has made her immortal- shoot her a billion times, have lots of people attack her at the same time, bury her alive- she'll totally survive her ass off. Hats Off to her... such a Goddess.


Also done-

6 comments:

  1. I've been meaning to do this list for a while, and man, will it be difficult when I get down to it. So many great characters to choose from!

    Don't worry - I think we're all going through Fassy Fever, men and women alike! The guy's a stud, and I don't think you'll regret his inclusion here.

    He's not necessarily deserving of a spot here, but I want to give a nod to Hugo Stiglitz. For so few words (and screen time, really), that guy made an impact.

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  2. There are wayyy too many characters to choose from... it took a while to get down to the final choices, but I'm happy.
    Don't even get me started on Fassy... and yes Hugo was great.

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  3. Excellent list! Gotta love all these characters. I'm glad the Bride made the top, she's excellent, no bones about it. Actually, all of Uma's Tarantino roles are excellent. I said, Goddamn!

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  4. @ M- Thank you...and agreed. Uma owes QT her life. Noone quite as bad-ass as both of them together.

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  5. Earl McGraw is classic. I love the hell out of those roles.

    Dunno if I could pick a main favorite character. Maybe Vic Vega. Maybe Vincent Vega. Maybe Jules. Maybe Jackie. Who the hell knows.

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    Replies
    1. Me too!
      Haha, I understand completely. These lists were not easy to make.

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