Bad Authority Figures On Film

3 November 2011

Is it true that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely?

Well the movies often tell us that that is the case and to celebrate the release of Bad Teacher this week we’ve drawn together a list of what must be one of the most enduring screen roles -the bad authority figure.

- Eva, We Need To Talk About Kevin (Tilda Swinton)

Lynne Ramsay’s staggering adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s novel sticks in the mind like an ice-pick.

Not least for Tilda Swinton’s mesmerising performance of an unwanting mother who stands by a pneumatic drill to relieve the jarring noise of her child’s cries or wallpapers her room with maps to escape vicariously through the promised adventures they hold.

The eternal question of nature or nurture plays out across this powerful work but either way the blame seems to rest at the feet of the titular Kevin’s mother.

Swinton’s prevailing emotions never progress far beyond motherly duty mingled with rejection and rage and in the devastating climax she pays for her disdain of her motherly responsibility.

- Buddy Ackerman, Swimming With Sharks (Kevin Spacey)

It’s showbizness baby but not as you know it. The natural predecessor to Seth Gordon’s Horrible Bosses, George Huang’s original dramatic comedy about a naïve young writer suffering under a reign of terror from his movie mogul producer boss - ironically named Buddy - must ring true for anyone who’s ever been employed.

Submitting the poor Guy to humiliating ventures, verbal abuse and frankly sadistic tasks it’s only a matter of time before Guy loses it in true Hollywood fashion to turn the tables on his demonic employer.

- Elizabeth Halsey, Bad Teacher (Cameron Diaz)

Corruption of the youth, neglecting the oath to teach and stealing money to fund some personal advancement; these are but a few of the charges that can be levelled at Cameron Diaz’s irreverent and unmotivated school teacher.

If we were to take heinous abuses of authority as the benchmark for this list then exploiting a bunch of over enthusiastic whippersnappers in order to raise enough money to bag a boob job and nab herself a rich husband has to be up there with the most despicable of schemes.

However Diaz’s witty, brazen and ultimately charming performance attributes the film a lighter, more harmless air and means we can’t help but fall for her wicked ways.

- Terence McDonagh, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (Nicolas Cage)

A true embodiment of an anti-hero, Cage’s assumption of the habitual druggie cop Terrence McDonagh met with critical acclaim and numerous award notice. After suffering the tragic irony of succumbing to drugs to control the debilitating back pain provoked by a good deed McDonagh’s actions spiral further out of control as he struggles to reconcile his shady new life, unorthodox methods and outward public face.

Not only for his early heroic action does Cage’s inimitable portrait of the oddball eccentric New Orleans cop garner empathy with the dilapidated surroundings mirroring the fractured interior of McDonagh himself.

Cage produces both moments of mad brilliance 'shoot him again, his soul is still dancing' and disturbing abuses of his power - manipulating a young female partygoer to pleasure him while forcing her boyfriend to watch jumps to mind - to serve up a cautionary look at how simple it is to become corrupted.

- Gny. Sgt. Hartman, Full Metal Jacket (R. Lee Ermey)

Stanley Kubrick’s harrowing masterwork depicting the dehumanising effect of the Vietnam War on marines is perhaps most memorable for its portrayal of the ruthless drill instructor Gny. Sgt. Hartman.

His staggering performance of a war hardened trainer employing draconian measures to prepare his team for battle almost outshines the later Vietnam war scenes for their disturbing power.

Perhaps even more so for the knowledge that Ermey was a real soldier bought in originally only as a technical advisor and subsequently convinced Kubrick he was the correct man for the role after depicting so viscerally those terrifying training regimes.

Hair-raising and eminently quotable 'what is your major malfunction!?' Ermey looms large as the spectre of fear haunting the film itself.

- Abin Cooper, Red State (Michael Parks)

Kevin Smith’s bludgeoning take on Christian fundamentalists may not have been too delicate with the sensitive subject matter it was playing with but it certainly committed to screen one of the more mesmerising examples of a bad old dude in a position of power, Pastor Abin Cooper.

Called grandpa by his congregation and fostering relations with his female followers that bordered definitely on the little bit too close side Cooper had the conviction of the divine on his side for sure.

If that’s not enough to scare the life out of you the possibility of being forcibly cocooned in bubble wrap to avoid your sweet meat getting on the carpet should send you running from him and his nutjob followers.

- Emperor Palpatine, Star Wars Saga (Ian McDiarmid)

Only one authority figure has truly no redeeming features. The rest of this roster have at least had some sort of divine encouragement, anti-hero vibe or ruthless wit working in their defence.

The Emperor though - holding the galaxy hostage with an iron fist and pathetic enough to fake paralysing fear only to manipulate Anakin Skywalker into betraying his masters - deserves not a shred of sympathy.

From blowing up planets to causing poor Admiral Ackbar to mutter those immortal lines 'It’s a trap' oh and some offensively flamboyant taste in personal body guards as authority figures go he’s pretty much the worst.

Bad Teacher is out on Blu-ray and DVD now.