It is often said that the quality of a story is measured by that of its antagonist. And if that's really the case, then Puss in Boots 2 is a masterpiece. It's simple, I loved everything about this film: its artistic direction, its stunning animation, its endearing characters, and also its humor.
But what stood out to me the most by far was the big bad wolf. And I think that is the case for everyone who has seen this film. *wolf hiss* But then, what makes this antagonist so impactful?
Why all his appearances in the film are so memorable? And above all, why do I have the impression of having seen one of the best villains of cinema in an animated film intended primarily for children? Obviously, there are a whole bunch of factors that explain that, so we'll start by simply analyzing the first scene of the character, which is for me the best villain introduction I've seen in an animated film.
First a little background: Puss in Boots has just learned that he is in his last life, but contrary to what the doctor advises him, he refuses to retire. When suddenly. .
. *whistle of the wolf* And the first thing you can notice about the wolf is that like any good self-respecting villain, he is damn intimidating. By his sudden appearance with his hiss, by his design: a wolf with red eyes, dark clothes, and who looks gigantic next to the little cat.
And we could also talk about his voice. Just by the voice, we feel that he wants to devour him. And what makes the wolf even more intimidating in this scene is that he's laughing.
He is comfortable and confident enough to have fun. He is not at all intimidated by the legendary Puss in Boots, while the reverse is much less true. So being intimidating is good, but it's not enough.
A good antagonist must also embody a real threat to the protagonist, which for example was not really the case with Kylo Ren in the Star Wars postlogy. But a priori, the wolf does not have this problem. When Puss in Boots understands that he is dealing with a bounty hunter, he will go on the offensive and the wolf will dodge or parry all his attacks, effortlessly and without retaliating until that moment.
The scene then switches to a completely different atmosphere: the heroic music gives way to distressing music and Puss in Boots is completely dominated. And something quite atypical for a dreamworks animated film is going to happen: Puss in Boots is going to bleed. And this bleeding marks a turning point for the character, at which point Puss in Boots becomes aware of his own mortality and begins to fear death.
He will no longer behave like a hero, but will flee for his life. Even if it means giving up his sword and his pride. And you remember when I told you that the wolf was intimidating.
Well, he's not just intimidating, he's downright terrifying. Wait, is it an animated film for children, or a horror film? In short, in a single scene, we have a charismatic antagonist, creepy, who has flow, memorable with his whistle, a bit like Vader with his breathing, and above all who embodies a serious threat for the protagonist.
So serious that Puss in Boots will immediately retire. And it's only when he learns that there is a way to reclaim his lives, and therefore by extension no longer fear death, that he will leave his retirement. But the wolf, as a good antagonist, will be on his heels.
And what I find remarkable with this character is that all his appearances in the film are significant, even those which last only a few seconds. So what is the wolf's secret? Or rather, what is the secret of the screenwriters?
First, there is the element of surprise. The wolf always shows up when you least expect it, and that reinforces its menacing aura. "cuckoo" It gives us the impression that even when we don't see it on screen, the wolf is still there, lurking in the shadows, ready to laugh.
And besides, it's not just an impression, the wolf is really still there. Then there is the famous whistle. An ingenious way to capture the viewer's attention and put it in conditions even before the wolf appears on the screen.
And it's even more than that: during the film session, each time I heard the wolf hiss, the hairs on my arms stood on end at the same time as those of Puss in Boots. Not so much because the wolf itself is creepy, but because of what it and its hiss evokes: awareness of one's own mortality and fear of death. A universal fear in the face of which we often feel very helpless.
A bit like this little cat. In any case, it does not leave indifferent. And finally, the most important thing is that the appearances of the wolf each time have a strong impact on Puss in Boots.
It's not just that he's afraid of the wolf, no, it's much stronger than that, and above all, much more interesting. Towards the middle of the film, after seeing the wolf again, Puss in Boots is going to have a panic attack. It's definitely one of my favorite scenes from the movie, because it's rare to see a heroic character be so vulnerable, even more so in an animated movie.
But what's more interesting than the panic itself is how Puss in Boots perceives his own fear. Puss in Boots finds it difficult to understand what is happening to him, because normally he is never afraid. We can clearly see this at the start of the film, he brags about not being afraid of anything and he literally laughs at danger.
Being a fearless legend is part of his identity. Except that from his meeting with the wolf, he is afraid. And even when the wolf is not there.
There is therefore a discrepancy between what he feels and the image he has of himself. Which means that as long as he's scared, he's not really puss in boots anymore. And that's why he wants to find the wishing star: not to stop being afraid of death, but to reclaim his identity.
So, to sum up: the wolf not only frightens Puss in Boots, but it also provokes an identity crisis in him. And that's where you see it's a well-written antagonist: because it's relevant to the protagonist. A good antagonist must be able to push the protagonist to his last entrenchments, not only physical, but above all psychological and/or moral.
And it is for this reason that it must be built according to the personality of the protagonist. If the Joker works so well with Batman, it is in particular because he pushes him to break his moral rule not to kill. The same joker would be much less relevant against a hero like Deadpool, for example, who has a more or less dubious moral code.
In the same way, the Wolf would have functioned much less against a protagonist who already had all kinds of fears. Whereas with a hero who has based his identity on not being afraid of anything, there he works perfectly, because he is able to take him to a state of vulnerability and doubts that he does not had never known before. Because he is able to take away part of his identity.
With everything we've seen, we can already consider that the wolf is a very good antagonist. But there is one last aspect which I have not yet spoken about, although it is nevertheless essential: the conflict of values. As John Truby says in The Anatomy of the Screenplay: "Two individuals butting each other can't create great drama.
For there to be a great drama, these individuals must have values and ideas that come into conflict. " And we do have a conflict of values between Puss in Boots and the Wolf, and it concerns the value of life. At the start of the film, Puss in Boots is introduced to us as a fearless hero, a hero who likes to be acclaimed, who likes to be a legend.
And to be that legend, he must don't be afraid of death. He must be brave. But his disrespect for death is pushed to such an extent that he actually places no value on his lives.
Besides, his first eight lives, he lost them each time for completely stupid and completely avoidable reasons. Simply because he doesn't respect danger, he doesn't respect death, and therefore, in other words, he doesn't respect his lives. And if he wants to recover his lives, it is not because in his eyes they have value as such, but because they would allow him to no longer be afraid of death, and therefore to to be a legend again, to be Puss in Boots.
For him, lives are a means, not an end in themselves. In fact, he gives them little value. And that, it annoys our friend the wolf.
Because yes, predictable plot twist, the wolf is not a bounty hunter, the wolf is death. . .
And if he chases Puss In Boots, it's not only because he find absurd that cats have nine lives, but mostly because Puss in Boots didn't give his lives the value they should have had. So, that the wolf is death, it's already a nice idea itself, it reinforces its threatening and unstoppable side, but that death gives value to life, it's even more so. Because it's not only an original idea, but above all because it means that in the conflict of values between the wolf and puss in boots, it is the wolf who is right.
We all agree that the value of a life is priceless and that no life should be wasted, let alone for stupid reasons. So in this film, unlike the majority of big productions for all audiences, it's not the hero who carries the right values, but the antagonist. And what's more, it's done in a subtle way: the Wolf isn't trying to teach Puss in Boots a good lesson, he's not there to give him moral lessons, no, he's just getting a little kick out of himself tracking down the worthless last life of this arrogant cat.
But the spectator understands what it is, understands that basically, the Wolf is right, and that it is Puss in Boots who was wrong to act in this way. And so, for the story to still be satisfying and positive, Puss in Boots will evolve over the course of the film and learn the value of life. Throughout his journey with Kitty and Perrito, he will realize the importance of being surrounded by people you love, and by domino effect, realize that being "a legend" is not so cool after all, because it involves being alone.
And it is this brave perrito who will cause the final click in him. At the time of the final confrontation with Death, the scriptwriters had the good idea to place Puss in Boots in the decisive dilemma: to make a wish to recover his lives , or face death. By finally choosing to face death, Puss in Boots validates his evolution: he has realized the value of life, realized that this life is enough for him and he will fight to keep it.
But Puss in Boots is at an impasse: he cannot defeat the Wolf, literally Death. So death kills him. No, really, as the Wolf notices that Puss in Boots has changed and that he finally values his life, he doesn't really have any reason to kill him anymore.
Which gives an interesting and original conclusion to the confrontation between these two characters. The two finally share the same vision on the value of life, and they will therefore part with mutual respect. And the last words spoken by the wolf are important, because in my opinion, they encapsulate the whole message of the film: Live well, knowing that we are going to die.
Live well, precisely, because we know we are going to die. And to live well is to live surrounded by the people you love. This is the message that can be drawn from the film.
And that's why the wolf is a great antagonist: in addition to everything else, it pushes the character and therefore the viewer to become aware of their mortality, to reflect on the value of their own life and how to lead it. And all this while appearing only 10min, in an animated film of 1h30. Not bad.
But in the end, the biggest strong point of this character is still the way he gets angry. In short, it's been a long time since an antagonist had marked me as much as this one. For me the wolf is the biggest highlight of the film, but I will say it again, all the other aspects of the film are excellent.
And we may have the opportunity to talk about it in future videos. With that, I'm telling you. .
.
