In 2022, Julien Magalhães focused his expertise in the production of images to rectify the origin of costumes in the 7th art in his book “Erratum”, published by Hoëbeke – Gallimard. At the end of 2024, the author publishes “Vilains Vilaines, Les figures du mal au cinéma” from the same publisher, and takes us to the roots of cult cinema antagonists, with great precision and a good dose of irony.
Make the bad guys. In the rich repertoire of Julien Magalhães, the most scrutinized figures of evil in the 7th art are organized into four distinct categories, – from ugly to beautiful, from queer to monster – each deconstructing the myth. A subjective judgment, certainly, but one which respects the barometer of desirability of the contemporary outlook with solid arguments. Each character analysis thus aims to confront him with his feared heroic figure, the origins of his vanity, then, his physical envelope and each string of his cruelty, all enhanced by polished iconography and a key quote.
Examples not to follow, conveyors of thrills and sometimes even therapeutic tools which unconsciously release anxieties… Villains play a dominant role in each plotfrom horror classics to Disney animated films. To honor their function, the author devotes himself to their complete study in his book “Vilains Vilaines”. Return to this concentrate of evil which ignores morality.
Seize the evil geniuses
In his research, Julien Magalhães aims to explore the villain archetype by breaking down each particle of its nature.“It is no coincidence that, in Western cinema, the villains speak with Russian, Chinese or Middle Eastern accents, if they take the appearance of effeminate men or old women. They are the embodiment of what Western society deems less desirable than the rest, and often served with a healthy spread of clichés.” he declares in the preface to the book. Thus, his method aims to autopsy the photos.
Monstrous envelopes, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the saga Dune by Denis Villeneuve and Zorg in The Fifth Element by Luc Besson fill the column of “uglies”, apparent dangers with repulsive properties. At the same time, for Lestat de Lioncourt, – the blood drinker played by Tom Cruise in glamor Interview with a Vampire by Neil Jordan – Julien Magalhães illustrates what he describes as “the temptation of the ultimate retinol” with the quote “No one can resist me”. The naughty one is among the “beautiful”, with Patrick Bateman in American PsychoRegina George in Mean Girlsor Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Psychotic and/or demonic, the irresistible villains on camera hide their “moral ugliness” under seductive appearances.
The “queer” category wants to focus on I don’t know what villains whose legendary interactions and what the author describes as “looks of artistic directors on substances” make some gay community icons. From Buffalo Bill and his glamorous costumes made from the skin of his victims in The Silence of the Lambs to the exuberant Ursula in The Little Mermaidor again, Norman Bates and his Oedipus complex in the Psychosis by Alfred Hitchcock… These extravagant villains are etched in the annals. Finally, the “monsters” devour all sympathy towards them, whether they are horrifying creatures or humans consumed by evil. Julien Magalhães’ detailed descriptions demonstrate that from T-Rex to the Joker, there is only one step.
The book “Vilains Vilaines, Les figures du mal au cinéma” by Julien Magalhães can be discovered in bookstores, published by Hoëbeke – Gallimard.
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