Viggo Mortensen: Better Evil

It’s hard to grasp if you jumped on the train around the time the Lord of the Rings trilogy rolled into town, but Viggo Mortensen languished in film limbo for-freakin-ever. He bounced around from crap after crap with a few shining moments here and there for two decades before landing the role of Aragorn in 1999. Since the trilogy’s release, it’s been great to finally see this talented individual get the recognition and film role choices he deserves. However, only recently, thanks to the twisted mind of David Cronenberg, it has become crystal clear that onscreen, Viggo Mortensen is better evil.

Look closely at all those slow motion close-ups Peter Jackson was addicted to; it’s not introspective contemplation but boredom in Viggo’s eyes.

Admit it, Aragorn is boring. After you discover his character is the half-elf lost King of Gondor and not a shady sword-wielding ranger, he’s not that interesting. The same sense of boredom is evident in Hidalgo (2004). There’s more life in his character when he’s a guilt-ridden drunken rodeo clown than when he’s America’s last hope in a giant desert race. Mortensen’s understated talent tricked millions into over-looking this boredom.

His evil really came out of the closet in A History of Violence (2005). There was the attractive family-man we were all supposed to know and love, and then out of nowhere he up and annihalates two serial killers with a gun and a pot of coffee. The true extent of his sinister flavor is revealed when, flat on his back on his own front lawn he goes from humble Midwestern man to Philly thug with one subtle facial expression, followed by an explosion of tactical violence. Pure Evil. Cronenberg clearly recognized his good fortune and had the sense to cast Mortensen as a more explicitly bad Russian mobster in his new film, Eastern Promises. I can’t even remember which film I had paid to see, but when the trailer for Promises came on I squealed with glee the moment Viggo’s tattooed body and menacing Russian accent showed up. Yes, I thought, he’s going to kill people.

This new Golden Age of Viggo Evil has plenty of presidence, but much of it was missed due to his lack of widespread recognition. Hollywood’s neglect went and forced him to become a character actor, and these are some of the treats he left in his wake:

The Indian Runner (1991)

Sean Penn exhibited tact in casting Viggo as Frank, the black sheep brother to David Morse’s upstanding lawman in his directorial debut, The Indian Runner. “Troubled” barely describes Frank as he floats back into his big brother’s life, fresh off a tour in Nam, and straight on the path to alcoholism, wife beating, theft and murder. While he is more tragic than straight up evil, he’s clearly the bad brother. The film as a whole falls short, due mainly to it’s bloated time, but it is hands down one of the best and most complex performances of Mortensen’s career. Ok, and he’s naked in it.

Carlito’s Way (1993)

While no one can take the whole picture away from Pacino, Mortensen comes close in one scene as the crippled and drug addled snitch, Lalin. Hunched meekly in a wheel chair snorting coke, with dark greasy hair, a biker mustache and Puerto Rican accent, Viggo makes no attempt to hold his head high as Lalin fails to trap Carlito with a poorly placed mic. The ultimate moment is when Lalin reveals he has to use diapers “Cuz I shit my pants everyday.” Mortensen is so deep into character, even now it’s hard to believe he’s the future hero of Middle Earth. Awesome.

The Prophecy (1995)

Before Christopher Walken figured he could make more money in comedy, he dabbled in B-movie horror. I remember something about archangel Gabriel wanting to create Hell on Earth and blah blah, whatever. But something else stuck out even more, this Charles Manson looking mo fo shows up a couple times, identifies himself as Lucifer and seems perturbed at the competition. He also ends up eating Walken’s heart. He doesn’t take a little bite like it’s filet mignon, he eats that thing like a lion tearing into a big kill. The totally unselfconscious animal noise of satisfaction makes the whole piece of crap movie worth one drunken viewing. Years later I discovered who this bad ass Satan was; Evil Viggo to the max.

He played Satan, and he played him well. Is this still the man you want rescuing your children?

G.I. Jane (1997)

Demi Moore looks crazy in G.I. Jane, but not crazier than the Master Chief who wants to tear her a new asshole. Mortensen adds on to the legacy of vein throbbing military shouters as the perpetually pissed off, seemingly chauvinistic Master Chief John James 'Jack' Urgayle. Anyone with a name that long is bound to be trouble. His peak of evil comes near the end of the film, during a final intense exercise in which the future SEALS are engaged in a capture/torture simulation. Annoyed that O’Neil has made it this far into training, and sensing the newfound respect her fellow male trainees feel for her, Urgayle very convincingly threatens to rape her in order to break the whole team. This dastardly and totally below the belt move is quickly thwarted by Moore’s freakish manliness. The film ends with O’Neil’s triumph, and Urgayle exhibits a softer side by giving her a book of poetry or some crap. Unfortunately, their implied friendship/truce kills the fun of Mortensen’s character and reminds the viewer that they just sat through a film called G.I. Jane starring Demi Moore.

In his personal life, Mortensen seems like an interesting and upstanding individual. He’s a talented artist and poet, publisher, and father. His god-like visage, though superior to mere mortals, lacks the pristine glossiness that has accompanied other Hollywood gods. Mortensen looks like he cut through a mountain with his fists. He simply is not, and will never be the hero Hollywood wanted him to be. Thank hell.