Sunday, June 1, 2014

The Villain's Perspective: How Understanding the Bad Guys Can Help the Good Guys

I recently saw the movie Maleficent, which has just opened in theaters. Those who plan on seeing it are probably aware of the general premise of the movie. You probably realize that it is an account of the classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty--told from the perspective of the villain. Apparently, such an expectation has been enough for some people to already pass judgment on the film. I have already encountered people who haven't seen it, and yet see it as just another attempt by the film industry to arouse sympathy for the bad guy.

That is an issue worth addressing, and fortunately, I don't need to spoil this movie to do so. There are plenty of films that tend to arouse sympathy for the villain, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Here are a few:

  • Frozen - Elsa secludes herself from society and eventually wreaks havoc on the kingdom as a result of her parents teaching her to be afraid of her power.
  • Harry Potter - Snape hates Harry Potter because at one point, James Potter was a jerk.
  • Meet the Robinsons - Lewis is the reason that Goob falls asleep and loses the baseball game.
I omitted the musical Wicked because I have yet to see it. But if the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) synopsis is accurate, Glinda may share some ownership in the way Elphaba eventually turns out.

Now let me first acknowledge that the media as a whole does run a slippery slope when it portrays movie villains and people behaving badly as "misunderstood" and "victims of society." Already, people are jumping to the defense of Elliot Rodgers as being a victim of abuse and bullying, while I can't tell you how many Dr. Phil episodes I've seen where we discover that an out-of-control teen was abused as a child. 

I use these heavy examples that go beyond the film industry, because these are the implications that many people worry about when the film industry paints the villain in a sympathetic light. But whether there are viable explanations for someone's behavior, let me establish that I do not believe in blaming other people for our own poor choices. The only person responsible for Elliot Rodgers' violent rampage is Elliot Rodgers.

That being said, there is some value and benefit in eliciting a greater understanding of the poor choices other people make. While it can lead some people to believe that they are not responsible for their choices, it is also a way of reminding the "good guys" to be mindful of their actions and how they might affect other people. Even in movies that don't portray the villain as being misunderstood, we often see them acting out in response to being mistreated by the good guys.

Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own choices, but that includes how we treat others. If the way we treat someone results in them making bad decisions, we are not responsible for that, but we shouldn't brush it off and hold ourselves blameless either. Elsa's parents managed her situation badly; anyone can see that. James Potter was the reason Snape hated Harry, plain and simple. Finally, Lewis was inconsiderate of his friend's need for sleep before the big game, and I always found his reaction to that fact quite flippant.

Admittedly, this is coming from someone who was bullied and mistreated well into adulthood. While I could never blame others for any poor choices I make, it is important to understand the implications of such treatment. We all know bullying is bad. We also know that a lot of bullies eventually change their ways and become productive members of society. But they still have victims who may or may not have turned out quite so well. I turned out pretty well, but I also received apologies from many of the people who bullied me. I really couldn't say what might have happened had I not received at least some element of redemption or acknowledgement. But I do know that telling someone to change their behavior without addressing the motive behind that behavior is useless.

If we look at these types of situations from a different angle, rather than give the bad guys excuses for their actions, we give ourselves an opportunity to take responsibility for our own actions. While we cannot control other people's reactions to our mistakes that affect them, we can more easily learn from our mistakes and improve our behavior for everyone's good. It makes us more empathetic, which can do wonders to effect change within ourselves.

Personal responsibility is very important--for the bad guys, as well as the good guys.