Favorite on screen sociopaths

[Bill]

Would these two characters be considered sociopaths?

Amon Goeth

& Daniel Plainview especially, amirite?

 

[P A]

Daniel Plainview

Definitely. +1.

it's probably the only adaption i've ever seen that was way better than the source material, which is pretty crap actually...i watched the movie knowing absolutely fuck all about it save its title, and that in that case that was a thoroughly good thing

I hate to be 'this guy,' but is there anyone else around here that thoroughly despised A History of Violence? I mean, I don't mind Cronenberg as a rule (e.g., A Dangerous Method was alright), but come on. I consider AHoV to a serious contender for the third-most overrated movie of all time, behind Scarface and everything George Lucas ever accomplished. In fact, the only thing I enjoyed about the movie was its concept (i.e., its rough plot outline), the actual implementation of which was boring, hackneyed, embarrassingly cliched, and utterly devoid of self-awareness. No amount of commendable thespian talent or effective choreography could remedy such atrocious screenwriting and storytelling. I highly doubt that my idiosyncratic reaction is due to some form of abstruse snobbery; as a matter of fact, I've never found myself harboring such strong contrarian sentiments as I have re. this particular movie....

 

[xxxyyy]

god, then never read the source material. i thought it was brilliantly written from a pretty shitty story, and the source material is much more unbelievable and hackneyed than the cronenberg adaption. i thoroughly enjoyed the movie, as i do and did most cronenberg movies, his best easily being eastern promises.

 

[P A]

his best easily being eastern promises

I currently have this movie queued on VLC. It comes highly recommended - I'm definitely looking forward to it.

 

[poledriver]

He handled himself well taking on those two hoppers who didn't know who he was.

I'd also assume that just because Marlo didn't pull the trigger on too many people, while he was on top, doesn't mean he wasn't a ruthless motherfucker when he was lower on the totem pole.


Code or no code I'm pretty sure Omar also fits the qualifications of a sociopath. When all is said and done I'm pretty sure McNulty may well qualify as well.

Yeah, for sure. Thanks for bringing back the memories of one of my fav shows. It sux how there's no more. I wish they would make more of them, but I guess they pretty much wrapped it all up. And didn't I read something about the ratings weren't the best? Seems odd tho, i was hooked more so than any other show i can remember.

 

[Wizzle]

Dries in ex-drummer is definitely up there. What about the pimp in Irreversible? Doesn't get a lot of screentime but he's intense.

Hugo Stiglitz (or really anyone in Inglourious basterds).

Daniel Plainview, really love that one.

 

[P A]

 

[weekday warrior]

Seriously no one is going to name Mr. Burns? Hes prob my favorite sociopath

 

[Asclepius]

^ lol Good choice.

1. Stan Stansfield| Leon
2.Don logan|Sexybeast(Although, probably more a Psychopathic personality)
3.Detective Alonzo Harris|Training Day(In the only decent role he played aptly imo- think he is a terrible actor)
4.Count Olaf|Lemony Snicket's: A series of unfortunate events
5.Daryl Von Horne|The Witches of Eastwick
6.Momma| Throw Momma from the train
7.Bobby Peru|Wild at heart
8.Tommy De Vito|Goodfellas

 

[P A]

How in tarnation has this guy gone unmentioned?

 

[Asclepius]

^because the character is a Psycopath. Someone hasn't been reading up on their quasi-factual, interweb information...*tut tut*

 

[P A]

lulz

so·ci·o·path [soh-see-uh-path, soh-shee-]
noun
a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

 

[DeathDomokun]

I was under the impression sociopaths develop their illness through experiences, whereas psychopaths have the illness through their inherent pathology? I know fuck all about it though, so I could be way off.

 

[thadocta13]

His boat is also named 'Slice of life'. Love it

 

[xxxyyy]

plainview is great. ex drummer is a movie everyone should see, and i if they're offended by it i know i have fuck all in common with them.

 

[xxxyyy]

psychopathy is not a very well defined term whereas sociopathy is. and yeah, sociopaths are this way through conditioning. andrew vachss wrote some very interesting things about this. a bomb built in hell is a book i'd love to see as a movie adaption with either christian bale or dries van hagen playing the character.

edit: "There's a very specific formula for creating a monster," Vachss says. "It starts with chronic, unrelenting abuse. There's got to be societal notification and then passing on. The child eventually believes that what's being done is societally sanctioned. And after a while, empathy -- which we have to learn, we're not born with it -- cracks and dies. He feels only his own pain. There's your predatory sociopath." That's why Vachss posed for a recent publicity photo cradling his pit bull puppy. "You know what pit bulls are capable of, right?" he asks, referring to the animal's notorious killer reputation. "But they're also capable of being the most wonderful, sweet pets in the world, depending on how you raise them. That's all our children."

— Andrew Vachss, "Unleashing the Criminal Mind," San Francisco Examiner, July 12, 1990

sorry for the double post

 

[P A]

I think that the semantic quibbling here is becoming gratuitous. If a guy (or gal) is screaming with glee and covered in blood, I'm going to go ahead and label him (or her) either a socio- or psychopath interchangeably because this is reflective of common usage. Both terms are nebulous, and refer to more-or-less identical features of personality.

Also, the whole chicken-or-egg, 'born that way' dilemma is probably a false one. Adhering to the diathesis-stress model of mental disorders, one cannot become a pscho-/sociopath without being genetically predisposed in the first place. If the appropriate environmental triggers (abuse, trauma, social pressure, etc.) are repeatedly applied, the otherwise latent trait is eventually expressed, resulting in a pathological personality.

And also this:

 

[Asclepius]

I think that the semantic quibbling here is becoming gratuitous.
And also this:

...

 

[P A]

 

[xxxyyy]

i believe that the whole theory that character traits are genetic to be bullshit.