Rooting for the outlaw

In the classic 1995 movie, Heat, master criminal Neil McCauley, played by Robert De Niro is having a bad day. He tries to control the rogue actions of one of his men, while also planning one last heist before retiring.

He’s an outlaw with morals.

Al Pacino’s LA Detective Vincent Hanna is onto him. He chases McCauley outside of a hotel and onto the outskirts of LAX airport. Hanna and McCauley engage in a brief gunfight, ending with him shooting McCauley in the chest.

I watched the movie years ago, but it was interesting watching it again last week. I found myself laughing at how the movie pulls at the heart strings and gets you rooting for the bad guy.

I dream of having cash flowing out of my pockets, but I’ve never robbed a bank or shot anyone. Outside of having a lead foot when I drive, I’m careful about not breaking the law. I believe in law and order. I pay my taxes on time. I don’t take what is others. So, I find it amusing how films have a way of humanizing and making us cheer for the villain.

I got to thinking about some of the criminals and scofflaws that I’ve found myself rooting for over the years:

—Escape From Alcatraz. I haven’t watched this 1979 movie in a long time, but I remember knowing the ending and still rooting for Clint Eastwood to break out of jail and stick it to the authority figures in the movie. In real life, I would’ve run from Eastwood’s character. When I watched the movie late one night as a kid, I cheered when he escaped.

—Shawshenk Redemption. A movie where the bad guy is really the good guy.

—The Usual Suspects. The movie follows Roger “Verbal” Kint, a small-time con man, who is one of only two survivors of a massacre and fire on a docked ship. From those ashes, you learn that Kint is the real mastermind and you still root for him.

—Goodfellas. Who doesn’t like Henry Hill and Jimmy Conway? Hill’s rap sheet alone fills up the screen. His real life crimes included arson, truck hijacking, extortion, drug dealing, loan sharking, and involvement in the Lufthansa heist at JFK Airport in 1978. Yet we can’t help but be mesmerized by Hill’s glamour and pizzazz as he and his girlfriend Karen enter the Copacabana from the back of the club.

—The Godfather. The original. The classic. Of course, it’s about the Corleone family and the horrible things they do and you still find yourself rooting for them.

Most times I want Superman to win, but occasionally it’s interesting to see Lex Luther get in a good punch or two. Batman or the Joker? Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader? Harry Potter or Voldemort. John McClane or Hans Gruber? John Connor or The Terminator?

Who doesn’t like a good bad guy?

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34 thoughts on “Rooting for the outlaw”

  1. Sometimes the tv shows or movies with the anti heroes are the best – you just can’t help root for them. Meth-king Walter White from Breaking Bad is another great recent and well-written and wonderfully-acted example of this trope. Wonder what it says about us, the viewers, who are rooting for them! 🤣

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    1. Oh that’s such a great example. I completely forgot about Walter White. I think the job they did with the writing on that show is so amazing. The meth world is one that my wife and I usually have no interest. She pooh poohed that choice for the longest time. We started watching one night though and we were hooked. A classic example of what I was trying to show. Ha, ha.

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      1. I read his diaries, which he had been working on for years…capturing all of his day to day life, from personal to films and TV…he was, as you might say, a bit of a “prickly pear” which he even acknowledges many times in his notes. But it was the perfect villain and he nailed it

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    1. You reminded me of some great writing advice that I heard years ago. The gist of it was that everyone — main character or just someone moving the story along, good guy or villain — is the star or hero of their own life. We need a good villain to make the story authentic. Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. I think you would enjoy “Rififi,” a classic of the type you describe. One of the crooks has an interesting moral core of sorts. The 1956 film is extraordinarily well-paced. Paris is the gorgeous backdrop. It is a French film in black and white. If you do not speak French, you have to be comfortable with subtitles.

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  9. Nice piece! This piece touches on something I often think about as I watch The Godfather, rooting for Vito or mourning Sonny’s death. It is interesting to root for people who have done evil, yet we see them help others or understand their backstory that leads them to where they find themselves, and empathy kicks in.

    The only issue I have with The Godfather is Michael’s lack of that dualism.

    To quote another film icon, “There is much anger in him.” -Master Yoda.

    We understand why he turned and what drives him, but he is all darkness; he lacks the levity of Vito and Sunny. It’s cold.

    The accountant also springs to mind. He helps an older couple with their taxes so they can keep more money, but he is also a stone-cold assassin. You root for him.

    You have me thinking today, Brian! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. We forget that in our movies and books. Characters need to be written in full – meaning if they’re one dimensional we lose something in the translation. Your example of the Godfather is a good one. Love Michael, but yes hatred overtakes everything else. Ha, ha.

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  10. 🤣😝😂 LMBO Brian, this is for the “bad” in you my friend. I too often root for the not so good but clever guy/gal like Darth Vader! You have certainly done your homework with your bad guy fascination! Love it!!! 📺🎬🎥

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  12. Oh, the Usual Suspects. I haven’t thought of that movie in years. Keyser Soze. Oh yeah – isn’t it interesting how a good story can pull us in? Kinda like this post? Reminds me of something that filmmaker Peter Samuelson said – that if you can tell a story and open that window of empathy, it gives you an edge to get people to say “yes.” Great post, Brian!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Story. Empathy. I love that. Th two together really do give you an edge in most things. Thanks for sharing that Wynne. I feel like I need to write more on empathy but haven’t found the right way to dive into it the way I want. I’ll get there eventually!

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  14. You have some awesome classics on your list. Heat…my goodness, the shootout scene is one of the best I’ve seen in movies. My son is all about the good bad guys; his favorites are Venom and Deadpool. I have to admit, Deadpool is pretty cool.

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    1. So much to like about Heat. I’ve always heard that the shootout scenes have much more accuracy and thought put into them than what you typically see coming from Hollywood. The legitimacy makes a difference. I forgot about Venom and Deadpool — great examples. Ha, ha.

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