51 GREATEST FICTIONAL BAD GUYS

#32 HANS LANDA from INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS 

I like to think in the weird, wooly esotericism of shared cinema universes, Hans Landa is a relative (if not the direct reincarnated soul) of Hans Gruber.  Both are intelligent, proud of their sadism and German (isn’t that really enough of a connection?).  What’s more, they’re both charlatans, fueled by personal opportunism: Gruber pretends to be a “freedom fighter” while five-finger discounting bearer bonds; Landa uses his SS knowledge to save his own skin, holding no iron-clad vow to the Führer.  And he does so with a shit-eating grin and a rear-end bounce that would make Tigger proud.

What’s more, I’ve never seen two actors (except perhaps Peter Lorre) sum up a career in villainy so well.  Alan Rickman went on to play the baddie in Quigley Down Under, Harry Potter and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.  A case could be made for Love Actually (no one should break Emma Thompson’s heart).  So far, Christoph Waltz’ legacy of scoundrels includes Horrible Bosses 2, Water For Elephants, Green Hornet, The Legend of Tarzan and Specter (why the hell didn’t Rickman ever play a Bond villain?!)  Waltz even followed Rickman into disappointing husband territory by suppressing Amy Adams in Big Eyes.  In this, Rickman will forever win the rogue-off: Waltz may have stolen his wife’s artistic credit, but not even he is so cruel to give her a Joni Mitchell CD as a present.

Landa: Oooh, that’s a bingo! Is that the way you say it? “That’s a bingo?” 

Aldo Raine: “You just say “bingo.” 

Landa: Bingo! How fun! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTFdjs_QGWc