The protagonist is often the starting point, the determining factor, or the single most important aspect of any work of fiction. That’s what makes it so strange and impressive when a creator decides to remove one of their most important characters' most important means of conveyance.
There are many stylistic reasons why a filmmaker mightmake their lead character silent. Maybe they’re canonically mute. Maybe they need to maintain an air of mystery. Maybe they’re meant to be an avatar for the viewer. Or, maybe they just don’t have much to say. Either way, a silent cinematic protagonist is a risky gambit that could ruin a project, or turn it into an oddball success.
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Hardcore Henry
Of course one of the largest films ever to use this storytelling device was designed from the ground up to feel like a video game. First-time director Ilya Naishuller, who later went on to directthe Bob Odenkirk action filmNobody, crafted this action-packed thrill ride.Hardcore Henryhad a long and strange road to the big screen, including multiple transfers of ownership and a successful Indiegogo campaign. It wasn’t particularly successful once it got there, but the film has a certain lovable novelty that ensures a somewhat substantial cult fanbase.
Hardcore Henrytells the story of the eponymous Henry, a cybernetically enhanced warrior who must kill his way through multiple armies to rescue his wife. He awakens from an unknown disaster with his fresh new limbs and no voice to speak of. Henry doesn’t speak a word in the film, leaving most of the talking to a perplexing ally named Jimmy, portrayed by Sharlto Copley. Like many games before it,Hardcore Henry’s silent lead allows the viewer to place themselves firmly in the excellent action.
Willy’s Wonderland
This controversial horror film asks the slightly memey question;what if Nicolas Cagefought his way throughFive Nights at Freddy’s. The film is fairly simple, a leather jacket-clad stranger finds himself stranded in the middle of nowhere. A slimy gentleman offers to fix his car in exchange for a night spent cleaning the eponymous children’s restaurant and arcade. The unnamed hero finds that the establishment is haunted, and its already creepy animatronics contain the souls of long-dead killers who continue their grim work in their new forms.
The hero must survive the night, largely by killing the robotic monsters, one by one.Cage’s performance in the lead roleis the main draw of the film, as his unique celebrity status brings a certain unhinged energy to the proceedings. He remains silent throughout, instead, conveying his character through strange mannerisms and physical violence.
Mute
Duncan Jones' follow-up to the spectacular sci-fi classicMoonisn’t anywhere near as well-liked, but there are still some interesting aspects of this grim action thriller. Though a lot of critics savaged this film, there was one aspect that rarely went without praise; Alexander Skarsgard’s silent performance in the lead role. Skarsgard portrays Leo, a bartender rendered mute by a childhood accident who must enter a futuristic Berlin’s seedy underbelly to save his beloved girlfriend.
The film underwent adifficult stay in development helland came out somewhat less than the sum of its parts, but it’s one of the best examples of a silent protagonist in any film ever made. Some critics even wound up wishing that more of its characters were unable to speak, but the film still has its moments.
Valhalla Rising
Nicolas Winding Refn ofDrivefame andMads Mikkelsen ofHannibal, Casino Royale, Another Round, and much more come together to make this masterful Viking epic. Mikkelsen portrays a mute Danish slave, nicknamed One-Eye by another character.
One-Eye leads a violent rebellion against his captors and guides a doomed voyage towards a supposed holy land, assaulted on all sides by hardships and grim visions.
This is a tone poem, tinged with some of the most powerful on-screen violence in a modern film. This film is a bit of a hidden gem, reviewed very highly by most, but extremely unsuccessful at the box office. Even without words,Mikkelsen is a dynamic performer, and fans of his need to see this film.
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Park Chan-wook’sVengeance Trilogyis uniquely best known only for its second entry,Oldboy, one ofthe best Korean filmsever made. While the first of the films does not rise to the towering standards of its follow-up, it’s still a well-directed thriller with a haunting approach to violence. Shin Ha-kyun stars as Ryu, a deaf-mute factory worker who is embroiled in a nightmarish vengeance quest in order to save his dying sister.
There’s almost nothing that can be said about the film’s plot without giving the game away, it’s a network of gory twists and turns. The film was heavily overshadowed by the director’s stellar follow-ups, butSympathy for Mr. Vengeancestill deserves a look back.
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