![]() ![]() Why bring him back? All they do is just run the risk of repeating themselves and the nuance is no longer there as a result of the filmmakers desperately looking for something to do with Loki. Once you’ve explored Loki’s resentment and jealousy of Thor, his frustration at Odin and Asgardian society and his desire for power slowly turning into an insatiable lust for it, what else is there left to do? His story is basically done now. The problem with characters like Loki and Kilgrave is that they are effectively one trick ponies. Even before Heath Ledger’s tragic passing, Christopher Nolan had no intention of bringing the Joker back as the main villain for The Dark Knight Rises because he had already explored everything he wanted with that character. There’s a reason why most superhero movies kill off the villains after their initial appearance. I’m worried the same thing could happen to Kilgrave. With each appearance, it seemed as though Loki was bering painted with broader and broader strokes, removing all the complexity and intricacy that made him so interesting to begin with until he became just the bog standard muhahaha villain we’ve come to expect from the MCU. However problems started to emerge when Marvel kept bringing him back for repeat appearances. He’s a classic archetype, written with care and attention to detail and performed expertly by Tom Hiddleston. Loki would make a great king, but the only way he could possibly get to be king is through treachery and subterfuge, and by doing so he grows more and more corrupt until by the end he wouldn’t be fit to run a supermarket, let alone a kingdom. In the first Thor movie, Loki was a villain not by choice, but by circumstance. A man who was clearly better suited to rule the kingdom than Thor, but is unable to ascend the throne due to the fact that he’s an illegitimate son. A complex, intricately written character who reminded me a lot of Edmund from Shakespeare’s King Lear. I’ve made it no secret how much I enjoyed the first Thor movie, and Loki was definitely the highlight for me. Even in the most progressive and feminist of men, there is a little bit of Kilgrave in all of them. Kilgrave is uncomfortable to watch because the idea of him hits very close to home. I think that’s why this show has struck a chord with female audiences in particular because they can recognise the struggles Jessica is going through. There are men out there who do objectify women, merely viewing them as slot machines that you keep putting money in until you win the jackpot, as it were, and completely disrespecting their views and boundaries. While Kilgrave takes it to its logical extreme, the premise isn’t so farfetched. The sad truth is there are loads of women out there who have met men like that. ![]() ![]() And he doesn’t respect or even comprehend people’s boundaries. After years of being able to control other people and get anything he wants with little to no effort, he no longer views people as people. He claims to be in love with Jessica, but the truth is he’s obsessed, and the reason he’s obsessed is because Jessica is the only one that managed to escape from him. Jessica’s fight to reclaim control over her own life after the abuse she endured from Kilgrave, as well as Kilgrave’s ability to control others. He believes that people, particularly women and especially Jessica, owe him something. Kilgrave is the very embodiment of male entitlement. The other reason of course why Kigrave is such an effective villain is because he is in many ways a distillation of the many things women have had to endure in this patriarchal society. We recognise what a vile, disgusting and selfish individual he is, but we also secretly recognise that, in his shoes, we’d be no better than him. That’s part of what makes Kilgrave so scary. Once you’re able to cross that moral line with no consequence, there’d be nothing to stop you from going all the way. I’m sure we’d all say that if we had mind control we’d be better than Kilgrave, but that’s easier said than done. He can just do whatever he wants whenever he wants. That’s why his powers are so enticing. Mind control allows Kilgrave to bypass all those inconveniences like morality and the rights of other people, but the cost is that by doing so he became an amoral sociopath. He doesn’t have to wait for other people to give consent or play by our rules. Why bother persuading someone to do what he wants when he can just command them to do it? Kilgrave is a repulsive human being, but the fact is his life is just better because of his powers. I honestly believe him when he says that it’s difficult for him to know for sure if someone is genuinely giving consent, but the fact is his life is just easier when he uses mind control. Kilgrave makes a big song and dance about wanting to turn over a new leaf, but the truth is he has no compelling reason to. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |