Live Poll: 1990's Oscar-Nominated Villains

I was about to express an opinion but it's been 20 years since I've seen The Fugitive, I'll give it another try before judging Jones' performance. I wish Sean Penn was nominated that year for his performance in Carlito' Way.

And he was as good in another trial film of the same year as Larry Flynt's lawyer

I think Norton would have had a better chance of winning if Primal Fear was a better movie.

You're right.
I changed it.

 Or just '90s.

Do you consider an anti-hero the same as a villain?

You're really asking me? After all these years? Come on, you know I'm able to differentiate between an anti-hero and a villain.

For me, villain = vile, cruel or criminal character or someone who shows disregard for the well being of others all through the film or even at one point of the film, which is generally one too many, he might feel remorses, he might be forced to commit evil acts, but even then, he would be a tragic villain.

(a criminal protagonist who's the lesser of two evils is no less evil and can be in the "best" case considered an anti-villain)

And an antihero is a flawed hero, one who lacks the traditional heroic qualities, which actually means three-dimensionality, in fact all the greatest cinematic heroes are a bit antiheroes.

The only one I concede I was not too 'hot' about is Lundegaard, but he's no anti-hero and I didn't include Bugsy first, because within the narrative of the film, he's the one who built Vegas but I saw him nominated as a villain by the AFI, so I included him.

Which antiheroes did you mean?

For me, Lundegaard is a straight villain. A wimpy pathetic one, but a villain nonetheless.

Anti-heroes (who I would take off the list):
Vincent Vega
Jules Winnfield
Derek Vinyard
Bugsy Siegel

Other options I personally feel should be on the list:
James Coburn - Affliction
Meyer Lansky- Bugsy
Jeffrey Goines - 12 Monkeys
Peter Helfgott - Shine
Kate Croy - The Wings of the Dove
Jackie Du Pré - Hilary and Jackie

Thanks.

I'll add all of yours, I actually wanted to add Lansky but didn't find a picture, I wonder if the Keitel's character couldn't be considered a villain either.

Vega and Winnfield were nominated in the AFI's list, not that I give the AFI 100% credit (they named Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid heroes and Travis Bickle a villain) but I couldn't see the list without these icons.

I'll add a text to explain what I meant by 'villain', I agree some are to be considered as such in a very loose way.

curious jen...

are you considering jackie du pré (hilary and jackie) a villain?...and if so, why?...

I added it but I didn't see Shine, is his own father the antagonist?

most definitely the father is the antagonist...

So how about Jackie Du Pré, Jen?

She was verbally abusive and demanding to the point that she demanded (and got) her sister's husband to sleep with.

That's depraved enough to be worth a mention. I added a text in the introduction, so now, we're in the safe side.

i have to admit...i loved jackie du pré as a musician...but i wouldn't let that stand in the way of my assessment of her as a human being...

yea...she did her sister dirty, plain an simple...she was manipulative, selfish, overbearing, even conceited to her own needs and beliefs...i have a brother who is (almost) just as much a jerk...but a villain?...i guess it would depend on the definition...

anyway...thanx for your definition jen...always a pleasure...

Oh yeah.

It is a mortal sin that his best performance ever, a performance of a lifetime, wasn't nominated, I mean his role in Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant. Roger Ebert predicted it would happen before of the film's NC-17 rating. But The Piano had two acting nominations and there was no room for Keitel?

Yeah. The Piano. Or even Reservoir Dogs.

Reservoir Dogs wasn't Oscar material, not a personal judgment, I mean the Academy wouldn't have paid attention to the directorial debut of a young filmmaker that looked like an average popcorn gangster flick. It was more than that of course, and as a result, they paid more attention to Pulp Fiction :)

(That said, Tim Roth would have deserved an Oscar nom, probably the most realistic portrayal of a man in agony from any film)

It's approved and I approved it. Better pic, no comparison.

Thanks.
I had to change the picture anyway:)

I knew Hannibal was popular but I'm really surprised by the results, I thought Misery, Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, Schindler's List and The Usual Suspects had as memorable villains and would be strong contenders, we'll see later in the day