Russians: American Film Antagonists Posted by Jenya on May 13, 2014 in Culture, History, language
From the time I was old enough to watch TV, I have loved movies: action (боевик), drama (драма), comedy (комедия), horror movie (фильм ужасов) – you name it, I used to like them all. As I got older, one interesting thing became apparent to me: many of the villains in the American movies I liked were Russian. The heroes were Americans. This was nothing to be surprised by considering the political climate of the 80s and 90s.
Movies like Rocky IV, Red Dawn, Rambo, Rounders, Air Force One, and many others possessed the ultimate bad guys. The Russian Mafia, the KGB, and even some of their allies would serve the role of antagonist very well. They were always cunning, at first unbeatable, and finally made to lose the conflict.
In Rocky IV, Apollo Creed, whom we grew to love in Rocky III, comes out of retirement to fight a newcomer from the Soviet Union – Ivan Drago. The Russian was quite tall, very muscular, wore the coolest haircut on the planet, and even used a dark silver mouthpiece just to look a bit more menacing. Simply put, he was a pugilist, yet he was the villain because he was too strong for Apollo and happened to grow up in the Soviet Union. From the first minute of the film you get this sense that it’s USA against USSR. The God-fearing, honest, and humane, United States of America versus the evil, cold-hearted, deceitful, Soviet Union. Any student of U.S. history knows this to be a very gross exaggeration of the truth, however, not in the world in which Rocky Balboa lives.
Though I could go on and on about how some of the best villains in the movies I like are Russian, I cannot help but wonder how this came to be? Was it because of Communism? Stalin? The Cuban Missile Crisis? The Cold War? Weren’t the Russians and the Americans fighting together to defeat the Axis powers in WWII? As a Russian myself, I always wondered why we were made to be the “bad guys.” The stereotypes portrayed in these movies acted as an effective propaganda tool indoctrinating those that watched them. I recently spoke with an American friend with similar movie interests as me and he stated , “Even though I had never had any dealings with Russian citizens when I was younger, because of what I saw in some of these films, I saw them as a little less good – after all, I was quite young, naive, and very impressionable.”
I have never seen a Russian-made movie that depicted Americans with the same level of vitriol, though I am sure they must exist. As I have been living in the U.S. for 11 years now, it has become much easier to watch Russian films; even Netflix now has the Battleship Potemkin, and here is a link to a selection of subtitled Russian movies. I have shared it before & I will share it again 🙂 . It is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to practice. Press “Показать еще” at the bottom of the screen to see more movie titles.
If anybody has seen any Russian-made movies that depict the Americans as the “bad guys,” I would love to hear about them.
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About the Author: Jenya
Born in Russia, I spent the first twenty years of my life in Orenburg, Russia and Mogilev, Belarus. For the last eleven years, I've lived in New Hampshire and Michigan, US. While I continue to absorb and adapt to American culture, I am always thrilled to share my Russian heritage with those who find it interesting. Travel, photography and art play a special part in my life. Twitter: @iamnx2u
Comments:
Marie-France Homier:
Hi Jenya,
I am from Quebec, Canada (I am french canadian) and two years ago I fell in love with Vitas the wonderful russian singer. And since then I tried my best to learn bits of russian and things about russian society.
There is one thing I can tell: russia and russian people are very puzzling and intriguing. 🙂 I remember my high school year during the last part of the Cold War (In the 1980s)… I was scared stiff of Russia.
Last year, I had the chance to go to Germany to personnaly meet Vitas… during that time, I met some of the most wonderful people in the world.. they were from Moscow. It changed a bit my way of seeing Russia as they seem so eager to know me and communicate (although not very well). I could feel that they had a heart that big! 😉
Your blog is very interesting thank you for you very pertinents comments. It helps to clarify certain facts… especially in these bad times (Ukraine).
I hope to visit Russia in 2015… I dream to see St-Petersburgh and I want to meet again those lovely ladies from Moscow I met in Berlin!
thanks you again! Spaciba!
Jenya:
@Marie-France Homier Marie-France, what a lovely name 🙂
Thank you for sharing! I am familiar with Vitas’ songs. If I am not mistaken, he changed his image quite a bit in the last few years. When he first started, he was way out there with costumes and really high pitches 🙂 I think he toned everything down quite a bit. He is definitely unique 🙂 I would love to meet him too; I think you were pretty fortunate 🙂 . I hope you travel to Russia in 2015, I wish you the best of luck!
David Roberts:
A very leading question! No doubt in my mind – the powers that be in the capitalist countries were always dead against communism and socialism. These concepts go against the “American dream”, i.e. the idea that anyone can become rich and successful (in capitalism these are more or less the same thing) – neglecting to consider that this will be at the expense of the many more people who aren’t talented enough or lucky enough or ruthless enough to “make it”. The basic socialist ideal of “from each according to his means, to each according to his needs” is anathema to capitalism. Unfortunately, from the communist/socialist perspective, the actions of the USSR leadership at various periods did not portray communism in a very good light (putting it mildly).
I think the reality is that Russians, Americans, Brits, Germans etc are all the same mixture of good, bad and indifferent, and we can all get on with each other. Governments and media
are different!
You can guess which side of the political centre I am!
Jenya:
@David Roberts David,
Thank you for your comments. I am of the opinion that every country is messed up in its own way. Communism/socialism certainly didn’t do much for people of Russia in the end. I believe the root of all problems is in human nature (another doozy to define); capitalism, communism, socialism, or any other system is bound to take advantage of one in favor of another. Unless we redefine humanity’s values all together, we will be perpetually out of sync with nature and the divine.
David Roberts:
Jenya, you’re so right. Evolution has made our species both co-operative and competitive at the same time – so we can’t live like ants and we can’t live like polar bears. I loved your sentence “I am of the opinion that every country is messed up in its own way.” Inspired by Tolstoy’s first sentence in Anna Karenina, ne tak li? (Vse schastlivie syemyi poxozhi drug na drugie, kazhdaya neschastlivaya syemya neschastlivaya po svoemu).
Jenya:
David, I hate to admit but no, Anna Karenina wasn’t my inspiration. My response was shaped by the experience of living in 2 radically different countries and ability to see for myself that grass isn’t always greener on the other side 🙂 .
Jennifer Gleason:
Hi Jenya,
Your topic today was an interesting one. I began to make friends in Russia through a penpal website, starting about two years ago. This hobby helped me to realize that I knew so little about this country, and that the little I did know was influenced by just such stereotypes as you described in this blog. I have enjoyed my friendships with Russians, and also the perspective on world events that they have brought to me. Especially of late, I have been grateful to have a friend in Odessa, and ethnic Russian who has explained to me what is really going on in the Ukraine. The news in the West is definitely biased! Good to know.
About your question at the end of the blog, I thought I could mention that the movie Brother 2 (Brat 2) has quite a strong anti-American bias. One of my penpals really believes that movie, and is convinced that the corruption in Russia has it’s roots in the Chicago mafia. I find there is a lot of misunderstandings of America by Russia as well as the other way around. It’s kind of sad.
Sally:
Many bouquets for this!
USans can be absolutely *vile* people in relation to their ‘enemies.’
But ‘communism’ and Stalin bad?
I don’t think so – ‘communism’ was a world historic advance for Russia (and will be an even greater positive when it is extended throughout the world), and, while I have many quibbles with Comrade Stalin, I have yet to receive a satisfactory explanation of how we would not now be living in a tripartite world (The Reich, the Japanese Empire and the hyper-capitalist ‘American Republic’) had Stalin not pursued the policies of accelerated industrialization and agricultural collectivization that he did.
David:
I think, at the end of the day, Russians as bad guys in US films were not supposed to be jabs at Russia, or suggestions that Russia=bad. It was more that filmmakers needed a bad guy, and Russia is o the other side of the world, a place where the majority of their ticket-buying audience had never been, and probably would never go. Russia is a big country in physical size, so it makes a perfect “opponent” for the USA in the eyes of directors. The Russian bad guys in movies are rarely explained beyond having a Russian accent. We therefore have two things that the USA audience can oppose. A voice different form their own, and a country bigger than theirs, basically turning the United States and Russia into a David and Goliath thing, and the USA gets to play David, as the little guy overcomes the behemoth to save the day. So, in conclusion, I think if you sat down and talked to the directors and writers of these Rocky-type brainless action films, they would praise many famous Russian musicians, scientists and figures. They’re making a movie, after all. At the end of the day, I really don’t think it’s for propaganda as much as entertainment. Rocky can’t fight aliens from outer space, he has to fight Goliath, and Russia just happens to be one of the few countries on Earth that can be presented as such against the Unites States.
Jean-André Kearney:
Hollywood movies portraying Russians as the bad guys seem to have had a peak in the last 4 years as well. Here is a quick list:
Sadistic ex-K.G.B. agent (“The Avengers” 2012)
Crooked Russian officials (“A Good Day to Die Hard” 2013),
Russian hit men (“The Tourist” 2010),
Russian spy (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” 2011),
Russian-American loan shark (“Limitless” 2011)
Russian-backed invasion of U.S.A. (“Red Dawn” 2012)
Russian gangsters (“Jack Reacher” 2012)
Russian gangsters (“Safe” 2012)
Russian gangsters (“A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas” 2011)
Russian army art looters (“The Monument Men” 2013)
Target on Ukraine in a scene (“X-Men 1st Class” 2011)
Russian satellite debris (“Gravity” 2013)
Jenya:
@Jean-André Kearney Jean-Andre, this is a very detailed list! Thank you for your input 🙂 !
Anthony:
American here. Grew up as a kid worrying that our president would start a nuclear war with the USSR. For anyone who hasn’t grown up during the Cold War, it’s harder to understand the rich mythos of the Russian “threat” in this country.
One obvious thing I’ve noticed with many film in which Russians are the antagonists: They’re always clever, determined, and resourceful. In fact, no class of villain matches them in terms of sheer threat. They may be cold and ruthless; they may be the bad guy – but they must be respected – a “worthy” enemy.
There’s an interesting article on Vocativ that covers an ad campaign for Russia Today. RT’s ads maintain that it offers a “second opinion” for those who maybe have been misinformed by Western media. This “second opinion” argument is, in my view, very deeply Russian and representative of many Russian viewpoints, from the Cold War to today.
A less obvious undercurrent in the way Russia has been covered by Western artists is this ALTERNATIVE position. These Russian characters see that not all the world is with them, but they know that they have power, and that the West cannot warm everyone’s heart. Their calling, then, is to be the alternative. Like some kind of fallen angel, misunderstood by it’s enemies, but meant to play an indispensable part.
Russians therefore are also seen as very BRAVE. They fight to maintain this alternative to the West, because there always must be an alternative. It’s their place to keep that alive, even in the face of economic hardship and constantly being the underdog.
This relationship is a love affair really. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Good Shepherd, Eastern Promises, The Hunt for Red October…all movies that capture the West’s NEED for a counterpart – a capable, worthy alternative.
Brian Powers:
Great article!
I’ve noticed over the years that not only are Russian vilified in American films, they are also often the antagonists in American video games – especially military shooters. Often these are simply historical fiction depicting a “hot” war between the US and USSR, but other times it depicts a future debacle between two superpowers over resources.
Even today – despite there being no cold war – Russia is still vilified in the West – no doubt a product of Eastern European conflict in Ukraine, anti-gay policies and a general disdain for Putin and his unwillingness to work with the West.
A certain mystique surrounds Russia for many of us in the US. It seems like a cold, impenetrable country with plenty of secrets and clandestine activities. There are even protagonists – such as Natasha Romanov (Black Widow) in the Avengers series. Despite being a protagonist she is portrayed even by her (American) allies as dark, secretive and maintains an air of sexy but dangerous mystique.
I think her character perfectly embodies American perception of Russia. This dark, dusky but intriguing and alluring place full of seductive but deadly assassins, vice and corruption.
Russian protagonists are often included today in American movies, but they are always different. They never quite fit in with the rest of the group despite honorable intentions.
Great article! Thank you.
Anya:
Born American but most of my formative years were spent in the former USSR (93-01). I watched a lot of American movies with Russian villains, but I guess knowing about and identifying so much with Russians neutralized the affects of the vilifying stereotypes. I knew them to be ridiculous characterizations and was surprised when I moved back to the US and met some Americans who actually viewed Russians that way. But having spent a number of years shattering Russian stereotypes about Americans, I was up to the reverse task in this country. :p
Jenya, from the comments it appears that your topic has touched some nerves– apparently the misunderstanding and mis-perceptions between the Russian and American people extend even to today, even though the propaganda is long gone and the trend exists mostly in the movies. So it’s good to get people recognizing and talking about it. Kudos for that. Both cultures still have much to understand about the other.
Anya:
Also, I forgot to comment that I think the real problem with American media’s portrayal of Russia is not the presence of so many Russian antagonists: it is the absence of more Russian protagonists. I’d be interested to see a list of American movies that have lead or secondary protagonists who are Russian. I can’t think of any other than Hunt for Red October, and that movie is over a decade old.
EEJinLV:
Alexander Nevsky
EEJinLV:
The anti-Russian films are old news. I yearn for the days of Russia as the villain, The Russians would never launch a nuclear first strike, they were and are more rational than Al-Qaeda, ISIS.