With Battleship finally being released into cinemas, yes I know the critically acclaimed toy turned movie, I thought how best to ease you all into that movie by talking about nameless characters that are actually awesome. Because, what else can we expect from Battleship other than characters with names and faces that we’ll forget the instant that the credits role.
10. Antichrist (2009) (Willem Dafoe & Charlotte Gainsbourg)
Quite possibly one of the most insane films you’ll ever watch, if you decide to sit down with it, but the fact that the film can have only three on screen actors — one of which is their baby which is only in the film for moments in the opening scene — and we never end up knowing their names or even caring that we don’t is a testament to how solid the story and script of this movie is.
9. Layer Cake (2004) (Daniel Craig)
A middling film I admit, but it did give us who would become the next — and probably most exciting — James Bond actor since the franchise’s inception.
8. Hero (2002) (Jet Li)
I remember a lot of people being mixed about this film at the time it was released, or maybe my brain is now warped, but honestly I loved the artistry of this movie. It might’ve been the first film that I walked in looking for a kung-fu film and walked out knowing I had seen something so much more. My introduction to Far East cinema in a way that came off as art rather than an excuse to believe that all Asian people know martial arts.
7. Shoot Em Up (2007) (Clive Owen)
This list, and niche sub-genre of cinema, is plagued with action/revenge films mainly because those are the one type of movies that once we get going into high gear we never really want it to stop because it’s just too good in all it’s other elements (action usually) for us to care about heavy plotting. This is a perfect example of that.
6. Desperado (1995) (Banderas)
As stated just above, add in a great running gag about “have I thanked you yet?”. I love this movie, it was my introduction to Robert Rodriguez and I still think of it as possibly his best film.
I immediately thought of the Man from Up in Smoke but Chong is credited as Anthony "Man" Stoner so does that not count?
I don't know that movie… but I guess it would count if throughout the film there's no point where a character in dialogue will call him Anthony/Tony.
That's a great list man. I don't think I can top that.
I always assume you can top me…
Glen Hansard looks so creepy in that screenshot. Wow.
Have you seen the Swell Season documentary yet? Kind of ok, but just for the music. Hansard always looked creepy with that beard.
Great list! A couple are obvious, but ,most of theses I hadn't even realized were no name characters until now. Fascinating.
Good call on1 "2 Angry Men" and "Shoot 'em Up." Not even occurred to me there was no name for the characters.
Another I would recommend is a Koren film called "3-Iron" in which I don't think the characters re even named other than "boy" and "girl."
Never seen 3-Iron… is that a drama or action film?
12 Angry Men is just brilliant. I needed to get it into another list before I push it into the pantheon, which I feel may happen soon.
harmonica in once upon a time in the west