51 GREATEST FICTIONAL BAD GUYS
#13. NOAH CROSS from CHINATOWN
Of all the malignant, heartless bastards on this list, Noah Cross is the most degenerate. He not only rapes the law, the land and people’s livelihoods, he literally rapes his own child (and from the way he paws his daughter/granddaughter in the final act, one can deduce he plans to continue his diseased proclivities). I love John Huston, but never have I wanted more to see his over-ripe, prune-like face decimated by a two-handed rock, only to fear that the resulting gape would release whatever biblical pestilence swarms inside it.
Cross reminds us of the hypocritical nature of some men with power and privilege. His wealth affords him the ability to bribe judges and cops. Those he can’t buy, he roughs up with hired goons. And while he does so, he sits on his throne, gladly telling you why you’re the parasite to society. I’ve got nothing against capitalism (getting rich is good!), but these are the businessmen I see on TV who self-congratulate themselves on corporate welfare and dodging harsh sentences running institutes deemed too big to fail. Bankers who tank the economy to fatten their wallets; politicians who stir the pot declaring homosexuality a sin then get caught trading hand-jobs in airport restrooms. The American Dream is described as an equal opportunity for everyone to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Noah Cross and his ilk are the dark backward of that sentiment.
Noah Cross: “You see, Mr. Gittes, most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and the right place, they’re capable of ANYTHING.”