Sympathetic Villains

I just watched the movie 3:10 to Yuma, and really caught myself torn between my feelings over the hero and the villain. Without giving too much away, Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is a pretty bad dude, and local lawmen are pretty all-fired determined to take him down-- and ship him out on the 3:10 to Yuma so that he can stand trial for his many crimes. Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is a local farmer who wants nothing more than to provide for his family and steer clear of trouble, a desire that leads his oldest son to think of him as a coward. But Dan's inability to pay a debt may cost him the life he's built for his family. He can earn the money he needs if he joins the force to bring Ben Wade to justice and agrees to take the man as far as the train to Yuma.

So right off you've got a guy who is really trying to take care of his family, caught between a rock and a hard place. He is honorable, but perhaps a little pathetic-- his fears and regrets rule too much of his heart.

And then there's Ben Wade, the cold, calculating killer, iron-fisted leader of a ruthless gang. But there's more to Wade than meets the eye. The complexities of his character are in some way moving-- even though they're revealed between scenes in which he commits violent crimes without any appearance of remorse. Yet, somehow, by the end of the movie, I found myself more moved by Wade even than the hero, Dan Evans.

I've been trying to think of a book with a similar setup. So far I haven't really come up with anything, but I am sure they are out there.

Really, what's important is that characters evoke strong feelings from readers and viewers. Those feelings either complement their role (like when you LOVE the hero and are totally PSYCHED when he finally gets the girl!!) or go against it (as in the case of Crowe's character... where you sympathize with the villain or dislike the hero.) When those feelings are what the writer purposed, it's a great thing. (I saw the movie Wanted recently, and could not get into the hero at all-- and I ADORE James McAvoy!!-- and I don't think that was the writer's intent, so that wasn't cool.)

Anyway... I find personally, I like the complexity of a story with characters that evoke different emotions in me than I initially expected. I enjoyed falling in love with Ben Wade, especially because I didn't see it coming.