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Rami Malek's Safin (SPOILERS)

peterpeter Toronto
in No Time To Die Posts: 9,511
Full apologies if there is a thread that's specific to Safin....

I LOVED this character for being a dangerous psychopath because he was a pathetic incel. After avenging his family's execution (at the hands of White), and then later Spectre and Blofeld, he should ride off in the sunset as having got his pound of flesh, but instead he wants to own Madeleine (afterall, the virgin saved a young girl's life (ugh, he's gross), and she is the closest to giving him any attention at all)...

Thoughts on this disgusting character?

Comments

  • Scaramanga1974Scaramanga1974
    Posts: 744
    Very well acted imo
  • peterpeter Toronto
    edited October 2021 Posts: 9,511
    @Scaramanga1974 -- agreed. After his meeting with adult-Madeleine his presence hung over the film like a dusty and ghost-like cloak
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,916
    Continuing the Spectre theme of who understands whom, assassin and associate.

    Extended to the childhood loss of a parent or family, and its effects as played out through Safin, Madeleine, Bond. Paths taken. And then there is Mathilde, unless the cycle is broken.

    "Parents"? Kids!

  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,511
    I've heard you @RichardTheBruce ... The parents of these broken adults paved their tragic paths
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 13,916
    Well there's nurture and nature and events and choices made.

    Safin mocks free will. But few view themselves as Gods of Olympus and heroes in tragedies of their own making. For those, they can assemble self-fulfilling prophecies.

  • sworddevil1sworddevil1 USA
    Posts: 526
    Safin was...
    1. Dull
    2. Vague
    3. Weird
    4. Bland
    5. Unremarkable
    6. I could go on, but I think you get the point. (Top 5 worst Bond villain).
  • 00Heaven00Heaven Home
    edited October 2021 Posts: 575
    Mm... It's a difficult one. I feel like while his motives may be "simple" I think they get diluted a lot and they tried a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none approach.

    On one hand he's a very bitter, angry little armpit of a man who is probably jealous of what Bond has created... In the end with his "insurance policy" it's classic "If I can't have her then no one can." It's unbelievably cruel and awful... and strips him of any humanity, dignity or decency he could have had in his dying moments. Bond literally puts him down like the dog he is.

    On the other hand he wants to kill a lot of people. I could have just done with one without the other.

    He may be a little let down here by the writing. He's creepy and I don't understand his motives fully (which is why it's terrifying - there's nothing you can grasp onto to empathise with him). I think this may be why people struggle with him so much as a villain. He's twisted beyond belief and you can't put yourself in his shoes because it makes no sense. It's not meant to. But it makes perfect sense to him so that's what drives him.

    In the end... Rami did what he could with the role and Safin isn't one of my favourites.
  • M16_CartM16_Cart Craig fanboy?
    edited November 2021 Posts: 541
    Rami Malek's performance is good; one of the better Bond villain performances. He's threatening, creepy, has a bit of a charm to him, reminiscent of classic Bond villains.

    Criticisms about the character.
    * Not enough screentime.
    * His motivations not very well explained
    * His infect the world and 60's world domination plot feel very dated and cliche; whereas other Craig era villains have been modern and believeable.
    * But all of these things are more of a writing problem - not his performance.
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