The+Evil+Incarnate

The Evil Incarnate

The Evil Incarnate is a classic character in mythology and modern film. A character recycled many times throughout the years, The Evil Incarnate ranges from the run and gun badass to the homocidal maniac to even just a nasty stepmom. As time has gone by this character has been prevelent throughout film, represented by different people in different locations. For my project I found two examples of the Evil Incarnate in two different cultures and eras.

__**Antoine Chigurh**__ Our first example of the Evil Incarnate is found in the Coen Brothers' film //[|No Country For Old Men]//. The role is by [|Javier Bardem] as a European hitman named Antoine Chigurh who's mission is to track down the man with the large sum of money in his possesion. His presence on screen is absolutely chilling as well as eerie and you never know who he's gonna kill next. As a matter of fact, the Coen brothers have even stated that Bardem's character is supposed to represent evil in every sense, and many things contribute to that. Antoine's inability to die and near invincibility helps solidify this role. After being shot multiple times throughout the movie, being arrested, being in a nasty car crash and many other things, Antoine continues to walk away from every near death experience bruised and beat up but not dead. It's extremely frustrating to see someone so terrible get away at the end of it all, but that's what they were shooting for. Another thing that adds to Javier's persona is his armament. Antoine's weaponry seems to come out of nowhere and he always has the upperhand in that area as apposed to other characters in the film. He'll kill anyone just to get what he wants, and by the end of the movie I found myself wondering if he honestly wanted the money or if he was just running around killing for pleasure. I mean, even after he got his money he went and killed the man who had the money in his possesion's wife. Antoine Chigurh really was the first to come to mind when I though of an "Evil Incarnate" and I think many would agree that he is a perfect example. There is nothing nice about him and he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He kills anyone who is in his way and his recklessness is only hidden by his quiet and straight-faced demeanor. He's insane. I honestly chose the evil incarnate as my archetype just so I could put Javier Bardem's role in it. Everything about the character is just scary. His bad haircut, wierd cow killing device, silenced shotgun, scary strength and total coldbloodedness... it's all just scary. I sometimes even wonder if someone so evil really can exist because I can't comprehend being that evil. It just sucks. Anyways, throughout the movie the man kills so many people you can't even keep count and towards the end it's easy to realize that he's just psychotic. Although Antoine's pure evilness prevails at the end of it all, there still is a good archetype balance. [|Tommy Lee Jones] helps balance Javier Bardem's role by playing an old sheriff trying to find his way through his last days on the police force but at​ the same time that's where the title gets it's name. By the end of the movie the sheriff realizes if he keeps chasing down Chigurh then he'll just end up dead himself.  __**Ringwraiths**__ Ringwraiths are evil characters from all of the Lord of the Rings films who hunt after Sauron's ring. They always are causing problems and killing people. Frodo, being the one who has to bear the ring, deals with these creatures on a personal level many times. The legend is that they cannot be killed by any man, but at the end a woman named Eowyn finally manages to kill one. There evil is in that they really have no emotions. They never show their faces and are programmed to just kill until they finally find the ring that they seek. The Ringwraiths also go by the name [|Nazgul], and there are nine of them. They are also known as Beast Riders because they have massive dragons that they fly on to get from place to place.

__**Louhi**__  Louhi is a character of Finnish mythology. She promised a smith Ilmarinen her daughter in exchange for a magic mill called the Sampo. It's ability to grind out out grain, salt, and money was very desirable to her but she proves treacherous to Ilmarinen and he steals the Sampo back and tries to escape by setting sail out to sea. Louhi got angry and grew wings and claws and chased after them. In the fighting and confusion The Sampo got knocked off the ship to the bottom of the sea where it still grinds out salt to this day.

__**The Evil Incarnate Explained**__

I believe the psychological implication of the evil incarnate has many different parts. In some aspects, I believe in order for people to believe in good, or even in a hero figure there has to be a counterpart. That's where the evil incarnate comes in. I also think that since many people don't necessarily deal with true "evil" on a personal level they try to make up or envision their own versions of evil incarnates to try and personify them and bring it into the light. Often times people want to obsolve themselves from evil behavior by pinning it on the characters they make up, and that is where the evil incarnate is born.