Psychiatrists Watched 400 Films And Identified The Most Realistic Psychopaths In Cinema

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Real psychopaths don't giggle. Manic laughter can only be heard in movies. If you want to see a realistic embodiment of a psychopath on the screen, start with Anton Chigur's character in No Country for Old Men (2007). He just quietly approaches, a moment - and the person is dead. This is the conclusion of forensic psychiatrist Samuel Leystedt, who interviewed and diagnosed true psychopaths, people he describes as having no empathy for others. “They are cold-blooded,” says the psychiatrist. "They don't know emotions."

Belgian psychiatry professor Samuel Leystedt and his colleague Paul Linkowski have watched 400 films in three years in search of realistic portraits of psychopaths. He says that he personally watched all 400, some even several times. This means that he had to observe not only "Psycho", but also the "Teng Ways". Everything in the name of science. At first, psychiatrists discarded clearly unrealistic characters, such as those with supernormal powers and ghosts. As a result, 126 psychopathic characters were identified from 400 films made from 1915 to 2010: 105 men and 21 women. A team of 10 forensic psychiatrists and film critics participated in reviewing and evaluating the diagnoses.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" has become part of a trend in the film market, represented by films about the so-called "successful psychopaths." The painting came out after this list was compiled, but Leistedt says the story of the real-life rogue Jordan Belfort is an interesting basis for the portrait. "These guys are greedy, manipulative, they lie, but they are not physically aggressive," says Leistedt. Gordon Gekko from Wall Street (1987) is an example of a realistic, successful psychopath in film. “He is perhaps one of the most interesting, manipulative, fictional psychopathic characters to date,” the researchers write.

Hollywood has been obsessed with such successful psychopaths in recent years. Leistedt and Linkowski attribute this wave of popularity to financial crises and high-profile lawsuits, for example, over Bernard Madoff. Apparently, vicious stock brokers have become the new horror stories of our time. Only instead of gutting their victims, they gut their bank accounts.

Regardless of the subtype, one thing is clear: psychopaths are the people we meet in our nightmares. And sometimes at workshops. They are both enchanting and repulsive, so it's no surprise that psychopathic movies have so many fans.

The character diagnoses in Leistedt and Linkowski's study are based on the classification described by forensic psychologist Hugo Herve and psychiatrist Benjamin Karpman.

Primary versus secondary psychopaths: Primary psychopaths are born with a lack of empathy, which may indicate a genetic basis for the disorder. They are characterized by heartlessness and lack of guilt, therefore, the primary is often called the psychopathy of "successful". Primary psychopathy is more common for business representatives, heads of organizations, politicians and, in general, those whose work involves access to power. In secondary psychopaths, the syndrome is caused by the environment, possibly by childhood abuse. They tend to have more fear and anxiety, lack of control over their actions and risk behavior. It is these psychopaths that tend to go to jail.

Classic / idiopathic: low levels of fear or anxiety; complete lack of sympathy or remorse; external calm, but the ability to extreme cruelty.

Manipulative: uses victims through charm, seduction and deception; the most common crimes are related to fraud and abuse of trust; extremely skillfully wears the "mask".

Pseudo-psychopath: has some characteristics of psychopathy, but primarily suffers from other disorders such as psychosis; prone to outbursts of anger.

Macho: intimidating with threats, using violence; impulsive, often becomes impatient; it is relatively easy to identify; most often ends up in prison for drug or assault crimes.

Leistedt co-authored with Paul Linkowski an article entitled "Psychopathy and Film: Fact or Fiction?" Which was published in the Journal of Forensic Science. In general, over time, portraits of psychopaths have become more realistic, they summed up their research. Instead of giggling assassins with twitching faces, at least some of the modern characters are depicted in greater depth, giving "a compelling view of the complexity of the human psyche."

Top 3 most realistic psychopaths:

1. Anton Chigur (actor: Javier Bardem), No Country for Old Men (2007)

This assassin shoots a door lock and a human head with equal ease. Leistedt says Chigur is his favorite portrait of a psychopath. He does his job and can sleep peacefully. “In my practice, I have met several of these people in India,” says the psychiatrist. In particular, Chigur reminds him of two real professional killers with whom he spoke. "They were cold, smart, without guilt, without anxiety, without depression."

Diagnosis: primary, classic / idiopathic psychopath.

2. Hans Beckert (actor: Peter Lorre), "M", 1931

Beckert is a child-killing maniac. His character goes against the widespread portrayal of psychopaths in those years. Outwardly, this is a normal person, but with the urge to kill. It is "a significantly more realistic depiction of what is ultimately known today as a violent sexual predator, most likely psychotic," write Leistedt and Linkowski.

Diagnosis: secondary, pseudopsychopath, psychosis was additionally diagnosed.

3. Henry Lee Lucas (actor: Michael Rooker), "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" (1990)

In this film about a guy who enjoys finding new ways to kill people, the main interesting topic is the chaos and instability in the life of a psychopath, the researchers write. Henry lacks discernment, has a strong lack of empathy, emotional poverty, and a well-illustrated inability to plan for the future.

Diagnosis: primary, classic / idiopathic psychopath.

Top 3 most unrealistic psychopaths:

1. Tommy Udo (actor: Richard Widmark), Kiss of Death (1947)

A great example of an early depiction of a mad character suffering from psychopathy. Udo became famous for his eerie chuckle. It is known that actor Richard Widmark was later repeatedly asked to record this maniacal laugh on a disc.

2. Norman Bates (actor: Anthony Perkins), "Psycho" (Psycho, 1960)

In 1957, the real serial killer Ed Gin was arrested, whose case was accompanied by cannibalism, necrophilia and a troubled relationship with his mother. After that, horror films appeared, in part inspired by Gin, which featured a loser with a usually sexual motivation to kill. One such picture is Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock. Norman Bates's behavior is closely related to psychopathy, but Gin was more likely to be psychotic, which means disconnected from reality. Psychosis, being a completely different diagnosis from psychopathy, is often accompanied by delusions and hallucinations.

3. Hannibal Lecter (actor: Anthony Hopkins), "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)

Yes, he is terribly scary. But Lecter's near-superhuman intelligence and cunning are simply not typical of any environment, let alone psychopaths.

Lecter is a great example of an elite psychopath who became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. It is not in vain that Silence of the Lambs was awarded five Oscars in the most prestigious nominations. This is a calm, reserved type with sophisticated tastes and manners, exceptional skill in killing and full of conceit, with an almost feline behavior, the researchers write and add: "Such traits, especially in the aggregate, are usually absent in real psychopaths."

Full list of studied movie characters:

Male characters

1. Aaron Stampler / Primal Fear (1996) / Secondary / Manipulative / NA
2. Anton Chigur / No Country for Old Men (2007) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic.
3. Al Capone / The Untouchables (1987) / Primary / Macho / No
4. Alex DeLarge / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
5. Alonzo Harris / Training Day (2001) / Secondary / Manipulative.
6. Amon Goeth / Schindler's List (1993) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
7. Angel Eyes / The Good, the Bad, the Ugly (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, 1966) / primary / classic / idiopathic.
8. Archibald Cunningham / Rob Roy (1995) / Primary / Manipulative
9. Aurik Goldfinger / Goldfinger (1964) / Primary / Macho /
10. Bartel / Torment (Calvaire, 2004) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Psychosis.
11. Benoit / Man Bites Dog (C'est arrivé près de chez vous, 1992) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
12. Bill / Kill Bill (2003 & 2004) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
13. Bill "The Butcher" Cutting / Gangs of New York (2002) / Secondary / Macho.
14. Billy Loomis / Scream (1996) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
15. Bruno Daver / Guillotine (2005) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
16. Cal Hockley / Titanic (1997) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
17. Cardinal de Richelieu / The Three Musketeers / Secondary / Manipulative.
18. Castor Troy / Face / Off (1997) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
19. Charles Lee Ray / Chuck / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / Paraphilia.
20. Charlie Venner / Straw Dogs (1971) / Secondary / Macho.
21. Dr. Christian Schell / Marathon Man (1976) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
22. Clarence Boddicker / RoboCop (1987) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
23. Clyde Barrow / Bonnie and Clyde (1967) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
24. Arthur "Cody" Jarrett / White Heat (1949) / Primary / Macho.
25. Colonel Nathan Jessep / A Few Good Men (1992) / Primary / Macho.
26. Colonel Stewart / Die Hard 2 (1990) / Secondary / Macho.
27. Colonel Walter I. Kurtz / Apocalypse Now (1979) / Secondary / Manipulative / Psychosis.
28. Commodus / Gladiator (2000) / Secondary / Manipulative.
29. Cyrus Grissom / Con Air (1997) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
30. Dale Massey / Cold Creek Manor (2003) / Secondary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
31. Damon Killian / The Running Man (1987) / Primary / Manipulative / NA
32. Dani Klein / 36 Quai des Orfèvres (36 Quai des Orfèvres, 2004) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
33. Denis Peck / Internal Affairs (1990) / Primary / Manipulative.
34. Richard "Dick" Jones / RoboCop (1987) / Primary / Manipulative / NA
35. Dick Lecter / Pootie Tang (2001) / Primary / Manipulative / NA
36. Earl Grace / California (Kalifornia, 1993) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
37. Eric Quaylen / Cliffhanger (1993) / Primary / Macho.
38. Fernand Mondego / Le Comte de Monte-Cristo / Secondary / Manipulative.
39. Francis Dolarhyde / Red Dragon (2002) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Psychosis.
40. Francis "Franco" Bagby / Trainspotting (1996) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
41. Frank Booth / Blue Velvet (1986) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
42. Fred Podowski, The Weasel / The Last House on the Left (1972) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / Paraphilia.
43. Judge Claude Frollo / The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) / Secondary / Manipulative.
44. George Harvey / The Lovely Bones (2010) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / Paraphilia / No.
45. General Francis Ex. Hummel / The Rock (1996) / Secondary / Macho.
46. Gordon Gekko / Wall Street (1987) / Primary / Manipulative / NA
47. Hans Beckert / "M", 1931 / secondary / pseudopsychopath / psychosis.
48. Hans Grubber / Die Hard (1988) / Secondary / Macho / No
49. Harry Lime / The Third Man (1949) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
50. Hatcher / The Rundown (2003) / Secondary / Macho.
51. Henry Lee Lucas / Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990) Primary / Classic / Idiopathic.
52. Henry Potter / It's a Wonderful Life (1946) / Primary / Manipulative / NA
53. Howard Payne / Speed (1994) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
54. Hugh Warriner / Dead Calm (1989) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Psychosis / No
55. Inspector Richard / Kiss of the Dragon (2001) / Secondary / Macho.
56. Ivan Korshunov / "The President's Airplane" (Air Force One, 1997) / Secondary / Macho.
57. Jackal / The Jackal (1997) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic
58. James Gumb, Buffalo Bill / The Silence of the Lambs (1991) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Paraphilia.
59. Jaws / The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
60. Jimmy Markum / Mystic River (2003) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
61. John Doe / Seven (1995) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Psychosis / No
62. John Herod / The Quick and the Dead (1995) / Primary / Macho.
63. Bud Corliss / A Kiss Before Dying (1991) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
64. Joshua Foss / Sudden Death (1995) / Secondary / Macho / No
65. Raj Raghunath / The Tramp (Awaara, 1951) / Secondary / Manipulative / NA
66. Stillo's Circle / The Last House on the Left (1972) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
67. Lasener / Children of the Paradise (Les Enfants du paradis, 1945) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic.
68. Luis Mazzini / Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
69. Marcellus Wallace / Pulp Fiction (1994) / Secondary / Macho / No
70. Martin Burney / Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
71. Matthew Poncelet / Dead Man Walking (1995) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
72. Max Cady / Cape Fear (1962 & 1991) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
73. Max Zorin / A View To A Kill (1985) / Primary / Macho.
74. Michael Corleone / The Godfather, Part 2, 1974 / Secondary / Macho.
75. Mike Taylor / Wolf Creek (2005) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
76. Mickey Knox / Natural Born Killers (1994) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
77. Mitch O'Leary / In the Line of Fire (1993) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
78. Mr. Blonde / Reservoir Dogs (1992) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
79. Nicky Santoro / Casino (1995) / Primary / Macho.
80. Noah Cross / Chinatown (1974) / Secondary / Manipulative / No.
81. Norman Bates / Psycho (1960) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Psychosis
82. Norman Stansfield / Leon (1994) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / Substance Abuse.
83. Patrick Bateman / American Psycho (2000) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
84. Peter Stegman / Class of 1984, 1982 / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
85. Professor Brese / Sept Morts sur ordonnance (1975) / Secondary / Manipulative.
86. Randle Patrick McMurphy / One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
87. Preacher Harry Powell / The Night Of The Hunter (1955) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
88. Roger "Chatterbox" Quint / The Usual Suspects (1995) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
89. Sam "Ace" Rothstein / Casino (1995) / Secondary / Macho.
90. Sergeant Robert "Bob" Barnes / Platoon (1986) / Secondary / Macho.
91. Sheriff of Nottingham / Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves / Secondary / Macho.
92. Silas Lynch / The Birth of a Nation (1915) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / NA
93. Simon Gruber / Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) / Secondary / Macho / NA
94. Stu Mayher / Scream (1996) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
95. Caller / Phone Booth (2002) / Secondary / Manipulative.
96. Tom Ripley / The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / Psychosis.
97. Tommy DeVito / Goodfellas (1990) / Secondary / Macho.
98. Tony Montana / Scarface (1983) / Secondary / Macho.
99. Top Dollar / The Crow (1994) / Secondary / Macho.
100. Uncle Charlie / Shadow of a Doubt (1943) / Secondary / Manipulative / NA
101. Viscount de Valmont / Dangerous Liaisons (1988) / Secondary / Manipulative / NA
102. Don Vito Corleone / The Godfather (1972) / Primary / Macho.
103. Walter Finch / Insomnia (2002) / Secondary / Manipulative / No
104. William Wharton / The Green Mile (1999) / Primary / Classic / Idiopathic / Paraphilia / No.

Female characters

Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell. A still from the film Basic Instinct.

1. Alex Forrest / Fatal Attraction (1987) / Secondary / Pseudopsychopathy / Borderline Personality Disorder.
2. Annie Wilkes / Misery (1990) / Secondary Psychopathy / Pseudopsychopathy / Psychosis.
3. Baby Jane Hudson / "What Happened to Baby Jane?" (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane ?, 1962) / secondary psychopathy / manipulative.
4. Little Firefly / The Devil's Rejects (2005) / primary psychopathy / classical / idiopathic / psychosis.
5. Bonnie Parker / Bonnie and Clyde (1967) / Secondary Psychopathy / Pseudopsychopathy.
6. Catherine / Black Widow (1987) / Primary Psychopathy / Manipulative / No
7. Catherine Tramell / Basic Instinct (1992) / Primary Psychopathy / Manipulative / No
8. Eunice / Butterfly Kiss (1995) / Secondary Psychopathy / Pseudopsychopathy.
9. Heather Evans / Final Analysis (1992) / Secondary / Manipulative / Borderline Personality Disorder.
10. Heady Carlson / Single White Female (1992) / Secondary Psychopathy / Pseudopsychopathy / Disorder.
11. Mallory Knox / Natural Born Killers (1994) / Secondary Psychopathy / Pseudopsychopathy / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
12. Marquise de Merteuil / Dangerous Liaisons (1988) / Secondary / Manipulative / No
13. Mona / Romeo Is Bleeding (1993) / Primary Psychopathy / Classical / Idiopathic.
14. Mrs. Aislin / The Manchurian Candidate (1962) / Primary Psychopathy / Manipulative.
15. Peyton Flanderst / The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) / Secondary / Manipulative / No.
16. Phyllis Dietrichson / Double Indemnity (1944) / Secondary / Manipulative.
17. Rachel Phelps / Major League (1989) / Secondary / Manipulative.
18. Sadie / The Last House on the Left (1972) / Primary Psychopathy / Classical / Idiopathic / Paraphilia.
19. Jeanne and Sophie (prototype - sisters Papen) / "Ceremony" (La C'er'emonie, 1995) / secondary psychopathy / pseudopsychopathy / psychosis.
20. Thelma Dickinson and Louise Sawyer / Thelma & Louise (1991) / Secondary Psychopathy / Pseudopsychopath / Dissocial Personality Disorder.
21. Faith / Detour (1945) / secondary psychopathy / manipulative.