Spoiler alert, this blog contains plots from the 2024 Day of the Jackal.
The Jackal is a mass murderer. Even worse than that he is a mass murderer who doesn’t do it out of any conviction but purely for money. A despicable form of humankind.
One of the characters he is trying to assassinate is trying to save the world. He’s an amazing man.
So why was it that when the Jackals bullet blew his brain out I was so pleased?
What is it about the baddies in any media depiction that makes us root for them, not all of them of course, but you know what I mean. Why is there an allure of rooting for the “bad guy”
The Jackal, portrayed brilliantly by Eddie Redmayne, is resourceful and enigmatic, making him captivating to watch. His meticulous planning and cool demeanour under the most giganteum pressure evokes admiration, even if his actions are morally wrong, he is the charismatic anti-hero.
Although he is the “villain,” the Jackal is typically up against a massive, well-funded intelligence apparatus. This creates an underdog dynamic, where viewers subconsciously root for the smaller, clever player to outmanoeuvre the larger force. Cleverly, the directors portrayed the intelligence operation as dysfunctional and untrustworthy. We are English, we root for the underdog after all.
It is the thrill of the chase. Jackal’s cunning moves and near misses make the story thrilling. The audience often wants the chase to continue, which means the villain must stay one step ahead as his killing spree accelerates. If he dies the fun stops.
As his character is fleshed out with a backstory, it humanizes him. Did it make his actions understandable if not justifiable? Viewers may find themselves connecting with the antagonist more deeply than the often stoic and duty-bound intelligence agents. This was a guy who blew his army colleagues for slaughtering an entire wedding gathering in the Middle East. Of course he could have reported them and got them court marshalled, but hey this action TV!
We empathise with him because although an absolutely nasty piece of work, he is a great husband and father, and just occasionally, if an antagonist is a peasant or the underclass, he will spare him or her; I mean, what a great guy!
Of course the Jackal is portrayed as hyper competent, stylish, and unflappable, this appeals to our admiration for mastery and skill, regardless of the moral implications.
It emerges towards the end the skulduggery of the intelligence service as they morph into the baddies, I mean the Jackal just wants to get back to his wife and family, poor bloke, as the deaths at his hands mount up.
Ultimately, the compelling portrayal of the Jackal makes us root for his success, even as we grapple with the moral complexity of doing so. The narrative thrives on this tension, keeping invested in both sides of the conflict and ultimately rooting for the bad guy.
The Rights of Fans. 