Analyzing Evil: Colonel Jessup From A Few Good Men
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- Опубліковано 22 лис 2022
- Hello everyone and welcome to the one hundred fourth episode of Analyzing Evil! Our feature villains for this video is Colonel Jessup and his cronies from A Few Good Men. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for watching. If you have any feedback or questions feel free to let me know below!
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#jacknicholson #tomcruise #afewgoodmen - Розваги
Hey everyone if you notice that the music cuts in weirdly towards the beginning of this video that's because this video was originally sponsored by Kamikoto and I cut it out for reasons which are explained in this video: ua-cam.com/video/Gc7owae31YI/v-deo.html sorry about that!
Hey Vile. As a suggestion, could you do an analyzing evil episode on Dodge and the Children of Leng from the Locke and Key comics. Specifically the comics because I feel like how Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez handled him/her is much more interesting and insidious than how the Netflix show handled him/her.
"Cut it out" lol love the un-intended pun
Hey Vile! Been a subscriber for the longest! Great work! I have some suggestions for some Evil videos for you to consider:
Wendy Byrde from Ozark
James St. Patrick (Ghost) from Power (or Tommy Eigan)
Shane Walsh from the Walking Dead (just his episodes)
Commandant from the movie Beasts of No Nation
O-Dog from the movie Menace II Society
Bishop from the movie Juice
Frank Underwood from House of Cards (also Claire Underwood). Doing a couple one would be dope.
Not sure if you’ll see this but I would love to see these ones over time. Keep up the AMAZING work
I was in the military and I know the doctor who is serving on the base and the higher-ups knew what was going on with this guy. Because my command knew exactly what was going on with my health the whole time I was in. so they killed him.
David Cox was the hazer, not the hazed. You make it sound like he's the victim, but William Alvarado was actually the victim of the code red.
The ending always got me with how Jessup, even after confessing can't even comprehend why he's being arrested.
Hm.
If he thought he was going to get arrested, he wouldn't have confessed.
@@flockinify True.
True.. He's delusional thinks he's above the law
@@HILAL19564 So true
Out of all the evil characters you have gone over Jessup is arguably the scariest as people like him exist in real life in positions of power.
but is he evil? he didn't actually want Santiago dead
@@cliffbooth4826 Jessup might not explicitly say he wanted Santiago dead, but he was fine with the fact that it happened. He did say “Santiago’s dead, while tragic, probably saved lives.” He had no regard for life, Santiago’s or anyone else, on grounds that he was a ‘substandard marine.’ Guy is evil alright - in an institutionalized way
@@cliffbooth4826 i still think he is evil to the core. did he want Santiago dead? no, did he play a part in the murder and try to cover it up? yes.
While i dont think he harboured any ill feelings towards Santiago and just wanted to toughen him up i dont believe that beating an already broken man in order to make him stronger is effective. He tormented and bullied him and other marines in order for them to be at his will and this is why i believe that he suffers from a sort of god complex as he himself never carries out the orders and instead commands others to do as he pleases.
Narcissists and sociopaths are AT LEAST 10% of the population and higher in the military. I had a sergeant in the Army that started out being decent and then became a real ball busting ahole. The guy before me told me there was something wrong with him. It took me about 30 years before I figured out what a narcissists and sociopaths are and then everything made sense. I was also married to a covert narcissist. No shortage of these people around.
He reminds me of col. Russel Williams of the Canadian forces
I like the part when Colonel Jessup was like I'll be addressed as Colonel I've earned it. I don't know what hell of a kind of outfit you're running. And the judge was like you will address the court as your honor I'm sure I've earned it.
You're everywhere.
“Your honor or Judge…”
He says me...not "the court"
you got to give respect to a man in robe or else ...can t see why so much trans culture now ....
@@jessicalacasse6205 what??
Jessup also had a low key god complex as when the judge had to reprimand him for respecting his rank, just as he himself did to the lawyer and he was erked by it
Judge had the best snap back in the whole movie.
Okay lowborn. Cope with children story fictions well into adulthood. 😂
That doesn’t seem to be anywhere close to even being a partial god complex.
Excuse me for nitpicking, it’s just genuinely frustrating how words and terms with clear definitions have been loosing their meanings because they get over used at random, in situations that they don’t apply to what so ever.
@@notsoberoveranalyzer8264 He thinks that he cannot be touchhed beasucally, by anybody including the judge. He talks down to EVERYBODY while not once before the judge incident is he shown be submissive to a superior. His court room rant cements this untouchablity and thats what makes me think this is a god complex.
This movie was woke crap. Latino soldier bullied by wasp officers and accidently kiilled by redneck half-retard and black marine who was also his guardian angel all the time. Defence are : jew, woman and pretencious white pencil pusher.
How cute :)
This movie was hell of a ride, loved every second of it, and Jack nicholson's speech never gets old.
Colonel Jessup's abuse of power is more vile to me nowadays. This film really dives into the degradation of soldiers in the military. Colonel Jessup very much reminds me of higher ups in the Canadian Armed Forces, who covered up crimes like hazing and sexual assault. The higher ups don't have the guts to actually take accountability.
"We train young men to drop fire on people. But their commanders won't allow them to write 'fuck' on their airplanes because it's obscene!"-Col.Kurtz, Apocalypse Now
Jack Nicholson really sold Jessup's obsession with maintaining his status quo.
It's truly kinda depressing how every day I learn more bad things coming from Canada.
My country is not some perfect bastion of good. We nearly destroyed the Indigenous population, locked Japanese citizens in work camps, and our rate of poverty is despicable.
@@michaelkaduck1915 My reasons are my own personal ones but yeah, no country is perfect. It's just...sad. That's all. And I'm not gonna dance on it like some other assholes on the internet.
@@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319 you belong in Canada beta boy. Weak & sad excuse for a hetro male. Anyone ever looked at you for confidence and male character traits? NO WAY
@@michaelkaduck1915Light cannot exist without the Dark in Nature and in Human Nature. Everyone has the potential for both, and in some the Light is eclipsed by the Dark. But even as when the Sun is eclipsed by the Moon, and we lose sight of it, the Sun's light remains, although obscured.
The real reason why Santiago was murdered was because he told his fellow marines that crayons weren't supposed to be eaten
His fellow marines were smart enough not to tell their fellow marines that crayons were not supposed to be eaten. I think that made them smarter than Santiago.
This is the sad and true reality 😢
Tragic and true…I think the orange ones taste best…
My favorite part of the movie is how Colonel Jessup says constantly "We follow orders or people die", but by enacting a Code Red; he didn't follow orders and people (Santiago) died.
The irony is definitely there
Another layer of irony: Dawson and Downey followed orders; and someone still died
The famous rant by Colonel Jessup is relatable. Anyone who ever did a favor for an ungrateful jerk could feel Colonel Jessup's anger, even though in his case, Colonel Jessup was not entirely justified.
That’s the scary part. You can almost sympathise with him.
Almost.
It’s kind of scary that people do since it’s obvious that Jessup
is seriously deluded as to what he does.
He’s basically guarding the backyard, far from any real threat but considers himself the first line of defence.
@rustkarlMichael Pirenti likes this
UA-cam: “DID YOU ANALYZE COLONEL JESSUP’S EVIL?”
The Vile Eye: “YOU GOD DAMN RIGHT I DID!”
"YOU-TUBE CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!"
The ‘YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH’ scene was one of Jack’s BESTEST Performances EVER!!!!!!🤗🤗🤗
I’ve been in the Army for 20 years. Went from PVT to SSG and then from WO1 to CW4. I’ve been to Iraq/Afghanistan x4. I’ve never once had to “haze” a Soldier to get the best out of them. I’ve never insulted them or put hands on them. If you take care of people, they take care of you. To me, I don’t want systematic drones on my team. I want men and women, who buy into our mission and want to be here. To do that, you create the atmosphere where people enjoy serving, no matter how shitty the situation.
You are 110% in your assessment. It doesn’t take a military leader to figure this out.
I like your attitude but I also feel that certain men need a little extra "motivation" to become effective. No that doesn't mean torture them, but this world has become way too soft and fake.
@@flightofthebumblebee9529 If one can't motivate "certain men" then those folks are simply not cut out for the mission or whathaveyou presented. Yes, laziness and carelessness is dangerous, but not to the extend of doing harm unto unwilling people. Simply relieve them of their duties and find other fields of work for "those certain men" or permanently remove them from the military (and or similar fields of work).
Harm is never the answer.
@@fj8264 I agree and I was never saying that Jessup was justified. But embracing the hard decision is one of the burdens of command. America wouldn't be here if we had Santiago's on the front lines. As I said I do NOT agree with harming him or especially killing him (which was accidental right? I forget). There is most often a compromise with ANY situation. But say Santiago got some kushy job in an office far away from combat, then what stops the next guy from seeing that and saying "all he had to do was complain and he got that job? Ok mine turn". I am saying we have a lot of that going on today and it's ruining America. Government was created as a last resort. As a safety net. Not a comfortable hammock. I am liberal and conservative, right and left, black and white. God bless. Let's all do our part to make life for everyone better.
I was 11bravo. I was stationed in Germany. I deployed to Iraq twice. Served from 08/05 to 02/10. Hazing, abuse, and torture were still a thing then. Another of NCOs and officers we're like this. Rank got to their heads they took all their stress out on us. Pvts were injured, put on I.Vs and insulted. I was a spc4 and I was treated worse. To this day I have a lot of pain from the abuse and torture SSG Midkiff and SGT kloos did to me. Their are days where I have trouble just walking. They were handing article 15s out like candy and for the dumbest shit. Midkiff was completing with the other leaders about who could smoke their guys so bad were doc had to give em an I.V. The worst part was we had to sit there and take it. My squad leader use to come in to PT drunk and get away with it. 2nd platoons PSG did it all the time. I could go on but you get the point.
@@flightofthebumblebee9529 I see what you’re trying to say, but if you dont condone harm to people, what would be your answer to this? Creating an environment where ppl want to work doesn’t mean being soft. So i simply can’t see what “extra motivation” you could be talking about.
Military leaders like Jessup are almost always under the delusion that the rules don't apply to them, that their rank gives the privilege to ignore them...irony...one of the 1st things they beat out of you in boot camp.😶
I've read that the military is high in people with narcissistic traits.
Can see that to a certain degree.
Are you speaking as a vet or currnetly enlisted man or as a person who watches films etc and has the believe he understands the military. Not being a dick...Im genuinely curious is all. cheers.
@@warborn_inc. Did a stint in Army infantry right after school.
Most were good guys; and of course, there always are those few you would rather not see again.
@@stringfellowbalk2654 problem is those few - in the military or elsewhere - always seem to have a psychological hold over others - so there’s still too many assholes like them so to speak
@@stringfellowbalk2654 Right on man.
Hot take; the Jessup we meet in the movie is a pogue. Maybe sometime back in the past, he was at the tip of the spear, but now he's just a careerist bureaucrat sitting in his office pushing paper. His only concern is how his current job will position him for his next job. That next job is to the NSA to push more paper, not to stand up MARSOC or be the operations officer at 2nd MarDiv.
If he actually walked his walk, he'd have told the investigators "This is a dangerous business we've chosen, and unfortunately, sometimes people accidentally die training for it. But we train that way so fewer die when actual rounds start being fired downrange." He tried that a little bit, but only after lying and throwing others under the bus for an hour.
All he cared about was his career. He made Dawson take the fall for the fence line engagement. He was repeatedly willing to have others make sacrifices to advance his own selfish interests.
But he was never willing to put himself on the line, only his subordinates. He was all talk and no action. He was a coward.
I was in the military (Army). The worst people get promoted. The most petty, bratty man-children get to positions of authority, and then they reign over helpless grunts because their daddy never told them they were special. Colonel Jessup would fit right in to my experience.
I heard it said, never trust anyone above lieutenant colonel, because if you're a honest person who truly wants to serve, that's the highest you'll rise.
Sounds just like corporate
Jessup's speech at the end sums it up perfectly. In it, he says deep down people don't want to know what men like him have to do to defend the country. It's only when they learn this they become appalled, but that's to clear their own conscience. Every citizen is guilty of indifference to evil because it takes evil to preserve the country. Warfare is evil. The greater good is the best defense for wars, but such a mindset could often be used to justify evil.
I truly think this is Jack Nicholson at his most intimidating.
This or in The Departed?
my favourite role of his
@@Saveyourbs this, at least he was jokey in The Departed
@@thevideocommenter3061 I can agree with him being jokey in the departed. But you could always tell he was dead serious too.
@@Saveyourbs Departed.
Even before I saw this movie, I knew of Colonel Jessup's outburst of "You can't handle the truth!" It speaks a lot of the film, it's writing, and Nicholson's acting.
Thank you for covering this character as I've been asking for him for a while. Jessup's evil goes beyond ordering the "training" of Santiago. He bullies Lt Col Markenson into agreeing with his version of events and humiliates him further by pointing out that despite having both joined the corps at the same time, Jessup has been promoted quicker. Markenson is so disgusted by what they have done that he takes his own life, rather than take the witness stand and contradict Jessup's version of events even though he would almost certainly have saved Dawson and Downey. I would lay responsibility for that death, directly at Jessup's door Then there is the humiliation of Caffey and Galloway at Guantanamo bay. As a suggestion for another villain. how about "Chef" from "The Menu" which I saw recently, a great performance by Ralph Fiennes and definitely worth a video.
I think that analyzing J. K. Simmons' character from the HBO show OZ would be super interesting. He played the lead of the Aryan prison gang and was super evil. The things he did to other prisoners and their families were super messed up. Also his son ends up in the same prison and their interactions would also be interesting to dissect.
Yes. This would be a great analysis
I would also recommend an analysis of Ryan O’Reily too, he was basically the modern day version of Iago.
@the_k_space9:04 gus t renegade ans neely Fuller were right
I’m surprised there hasn’t been an analyzing evil episode covering Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker aka Jack Napier from Batman (1989). The man has played tons of iconic villains and roles over the course of his acting career.
Or do a super episode comparing the different Jokers throughout Batman TV shows and movies.
Well, that version of the Joker is very one-note. He's a cold-hearted monster, and that is all.
Max Shreck from BATMAN RETURNS is a much better candidate. The novelization of the movie by Craig Shaw Gardner goes into detail about his philosophy, which is Social Darwinist, with rich industrialists surviving while everyone else is financially ruined. The Shrecks also strike me as a perverted version of the Taggarts from Ayn Rand's ATLAS SHRUGGED, and in fact Gotham Plaza, which the Shreck tower overlooks, is decorated with steel statues that look a lot like the images often used to illustrate the cover of that novel.
Actually, plenty of Walken villains would be good candidates for these video essays: Max Zorin, the Nazi-bred computer software tycoon in James Bond's A VIEW TO A KILL, for example, and James Houston, a corrupt cotton plantation owner who starts a race riot in the little-seen historical drama VENDETTA.
@@SEAZNDragon Cesar Romero's would be interesting, since unlike other Jokers he is not a habitual murderer, and his pathology seems to be selfish, childish mischief.
Agreed. The joker, Jack Torrance, Col Jessup, Frank Costello. The man has played some superb villains
@@SeasideDetective2 Romero’s portrayal is largely due to the censorship of the time. The character as well as the series was able to get darker as time went on. Another reason for a comparison video.
Jessup is the worst kind of evil, a man who is genuinely convinced that he and he alone knows what is right, and that he alone is righteous.
Narcissism is a disease
Unfortunately we have many people like that in a place of power & elites. I would even dare to say this narcissistic evil people know what they did would be considered evil in any shape or form, but their egos walled off & refused such thinking so they come up with many excuses to deflect their evil actions/policies.
Like Jack Smith.
Jessup was so intimidating. Nicholson played the character perfectly. Dude was so scary his 2nd in command killed himself to avoid backlash. What a wild movie.
@ Captain Dishman
I agree. I do think he felt guilty of his omission.
This script is very well-crafted. I'm five minutes in and my interest is rising by the second.
It was written by Aaron Sorkin who is amazing
Jessup's crime wasn't killing Santiago, it was being unaccountable to his superiors. A capital crime in any military.
Exactly, one example would be General Douglas MacArthur who thought he knew better than his President Harry S Truman in the Korean War. MacArthur was insubordinate and disrespectful to a man (Truman) who was only an Army Captain in WW1 while he (MacArthur) had been a Major General at the time and felt the former was inferior. MacArthur wanted to expand the war by attacking China but Truman had no desire to expand the war and as a result MacArthur tried to whip up public support by questioning his Commander in Chief and was supesqently releived of command. Imagine if Kaffe was President and Jessup was told by the former to stop treating the marines under his command who didn't live up to Jessup's standards with code reds?
@@Knight860 Mac was right. Korea would be a lot different region then it is today. Truman was soft.
@@clearlycaribbeanreb2895 Easy to be hardass until you need to ask the Senate for money and explain how you'll spend it to other men your age.
@@clearlycaribbeanreb2895 The irony of your comment being posted for a video about analyzing fictional evil people must be lost on you.
"Mac was right the world would be a lot different had we nuked everything"
Not sure if you're trying to be edgy or just a naive fool.
@@cyrussilver8230 I love how you quoted me using your words to fit your narrative. The only irony is we have to defend people like you too.
I believe that Jack Nicholson kept in good shape for this role because he was also a Fire Fighter. He also did military service in the California Air National Guard.
In Legal Eagle's review of A Few Good Men, the ex-JAG Attorney he had alongside him adds an important piece of context, that in the 1990's Guantanamo Bay, for all its later notoriety, was not really the front line of anything. It was the post-Cold War honeymoon period and the base was not under siege or about to be invaded by Cuba. This puts Jessop's view of how the men under his command could be killed by a weak link, while conceptually true if they were ever deployed to active operations, in a rather harsh light, and makes his espousement of such views feel more like a cover for what his real problem with Santiago: He made Jessop look bad by being a failure. There wasn't the kind of pressure or time constraints that other options to deal with Santiago's subpar performance just couldn't be considered, but washing him out is a blemish on Jessop's ego.
The setting in the original play is 1986
@@kylebradley3 and the story the play was extremely loosely based on before that. And it's really stretching to connect this movie to real events anyways, as the Marines really were marine scout snipers, the kind of elite soldiers that don't ask questions, and the instant things started to go wrong, they took the man to a medic, he was fine, but they would never have said they were ordered to haze someone, because I doubt you would have to ask those kind of men to motivate someone, they would take it upon themselves, nor would they out their commanding officer, because that would be a bond I don't think civilians like myself understand, and if they were not devoted to said officer, then they wouldn't have been serving with that officer and vice versa.
Love the coverage, one of Nicholson's best performances. I suggest an Analyzing Evil covering Long John Silver from the original Treasure island novel and the closest treasure island spinoff novels
Interesting, looking on Wikipedia, there are quite a few spinoffs, though not by the original author. Might still be good reads though.
Israel Hands, was the most honest and outspoken in his views that I recall, of materialism and self interst.
“For thirty years,” he said, “I’ve sailed the seas and seen good and bad, better and worse, fair weather and foul, provisions running out, knives going, and what not. Well, now I tell you, I never seen good come o’ goodness yet. Him as strikes first is my fancy, dead men don’t bite, them’s my views-amen, so be it."
Though Long John was as well, I suppose,
But as he was so often engaged in persuasion, it could be difficult to gauge his true thoughts and preferences, he would speak as others would want to hear,
Though of course having his own goals apparent, by his choices, willingness to sacrifice people to achieve them, self interest apparent.
@@vinaris6885
There's a ton of interpretations of Silver out there, the closes spin-offs usually try and keep the original spirit intact, they're definitely worth picking up
@@dirkechoes1377 I was looking through my UA-cam comments for a specific comment,
But happened across this one.
Just wanted to say I read Porto Bello De Gold, some time ago, by Arthur D. Howden Smith, using Project Gutenberg.
One of the prequels written about Treasure Island,
I enjoyed it greatly.
Murray reminded me of the Machiavellian concept, of it being important not to be hated.
The best villains never see themselves as such, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
To add to your point, everything they say has a kernel of truth in it and everything they do is somewhat grounded in reality. As distasteful and over the line Col. Jessup was, he was right when he was ranting on the stand....to a degree. What we ask of our military is Hell and men like Santiago must be either leave or shape up. We're he went wrong was not chaptering him out of the military. From what everyone statements about Santiago it is obvious he wasn't cut out for the Marine Corps and should've been chaptered out. Unfortunately Col. Jessup's ego was so large that it blinded him to this fact.
@@joeclaridy He slipped and went overboard with his Code Red. That's what actually made him evil. He could had just expelled him from the Marines. But nooo he had to crose the line.
I think the Doctor has a bit to answer for also.
Jessup and Kendrick could argue that they believed they could treat Santiago like the other Marines, because they had no idea of his heart condition.
Depends. If his many screenings and evaluations never hinted at his sickness then no, the doctor is in the clear.
The Doctor was likely influenced by the Colonel.
NINO BROWN from NEW JACK CITY.
He's the perfect personification of "lawful evil"
While I always love your analyses, I find that I appreciate even more the good movies you give me to watch before diving in to these analyses. I’d been wanting to watch this one for a while, and this gave me a compelling excuse, so thank you for that.
Would love to see an Analyzing Evil video on Catherine Tramell from Basic Instinct!
If this episode reaches one million views, I'll be responsible for 500,000 of them.
Only your one view per one device is actually counted just FYI.
Is that the truth? I CAN'T HANDLE IT!
You are slacking...
@@jonbourgoin182 ....I'm going in, *hacks system to change that, gets caught, banned* sh*t
@@seanbrazell7095 🤣
Villian suggestions:
1.) Vic Mackey=The Shield
2.) Man in Black=Lost
3.) J.R. Ewing =Dallas
Col. Jessup was more than willing to throw his subordinates under the bus for carrying out his orders, so much for "Code and Honor".
Truth. Hypocrisy, egoism, sadism
Jessup was a careerist. He would do anything to advance himself.
@@graceskerp A lifer for sure, but more like the E-5 sadist that should have never went past E-4, but now that he's there he will never go past that but he doesn't care because he is happy in his sick power focused way.
@@artemismoonbow2475 I'll have to disagree. A lifer is someone who's going for the 20 or more. They're not as a group careerists. A careerist has no respect for his or her subordinates; they're either useful gofers or problems to be thrown under the tank.
Unfortunately they can and do advance up the greasy pole. Jessup could have gotten away with his crimes, but his arrogance finally caught up with him.
@@artemismoonbow2475 Touche;.
Jessup also disobeys orders as he is ordered to stop code reds which proves it was never about any of that and is just about his ego
Ok, I literary just watched this film for the first time last night. This is like an early Christmas gift, thank you.
It doesn't take a military background to know the difference between cruelty and discipline, between amending and seeing to human weakness and being so repulsed by it, that it causes one to resort to acts of needless brutality that goes against the very principles of defending those who cannot defend themselves, in an overzealous effort to eradicate it.
I was Airborne Infantry and a SGT, bottom line: If you can volunteer in, you should be able to volunteer out. If you are conscripted in and cannot make the cut, you should be let go. Cruelty over those that cannot keep up is not about their well-being, it is the misguided belief that if you are not cruel to them then others will not try as hard as is necessary to keep up. It is deterrence and retribution twisted to the service of evil and fear as the primary focus of life and courage. And whether you are of the persuasion that believes in deterrence and retribution (I no longer am) or not, the purpose is to stop evil, not perpetuate it. If in an attempt to end suffering you create suffering, all you have achieved is the creation of suffering.
As a veteran, I think it is of supreme importance that we not allow sadistic practices among the service members of our armed forces. If they engage in sadistic behaviors, even towards the goal of good order and discipline, they are much more likely to treat prisoners of war sadistically, as well. It is a point of pride to me, and should be for our nation, that in World War II, enemy soldiers considering surrendering all seemed to agree that if they surrendered to the Americans, they would be well-treated. This had the added benefit of encouraging soldiers to lay down their arms rather than fight to the death. This ended up saving many Americans lives as a result. I know from first-hand experience that military life can be tough and grueling, and requires exceptional discipline. But fostering and maintaining that discipline needs to be in line with the behavioral patterns of a civilized people.
I fully believe this is one of Tom Cruise’s best ever performances in a film.
Analyzing Evil for Vic Mackey, Wilson Fisk, Ben (Bullseye) Poindexter, Ramsey Bolton, and Angelus would be awesome videos
I've been asking for Vic Mackey for ages, but it would have to be a very long video given how long "The Shield" ran for. Angelus from Buffy?
Vic Mackey for sure, hell of a complex character!
Ramsey Bolton would make a good episode
Jamie Lannister would be a good one too, could make the argument for and against him being evil
Vic Mackey showed how evil he truly was when he lied to Ronnie and left him to rot in prison while he had a three-year contract with the Federal Government and full immunity.
Excellent pick!! Now I'm going to go back to waiting for Christian Szell from Marathon Man.
This is one of those movies that the line between good and evil is blurred so heavily you can find yourself legitimately understanding the reasons for which led to the evil act being committed. It's true, one can't possibly imagine the responsibilities someone like Colonel Jessup has. One would find it difficult to imagine the things they have witnessed and seen in their time. And that's fundamentally the problem, that with time, the brutality that you seek to destroy inevitably becomes the same operation that you enact in order keep away brutality. Eventually there is no distinction made, and you return to a simple transaction of evil for evil.
1 unforgettable drama movie that has a main villain which is Colonel Jessup that believes the ends just the means.
Christmas came early. A thousand thanks, Vile Eye. This has been one I’ve anticipated for awhile.
Also for a future analysis I think a fun one would be Jordan Belfort from The Wolf of Wall Street.
I have a theory about this movie. It takes place in an alternate universe where the military never invented the process of “chaptering”- administrative separation. It’s so ironic that IRL there’s a completely LEGAL way they could have dealt with Santiago once and for all.
USMC Training Command on Hazing: "Hazing, as defined by the reference, is any conduct whereby a military member or members, regardless of Service or rank, without proper authority causes another military member or members, regardless of Service or rank, to suffer or be exposed to any activity which is cruel, abusive, humiliating, oppressive, demeaning/ or harmful" … "Actual or implied consent to acts of hazing does not eliminate culpability of the perpetrator." … "encouraging another to engage in illegal, harmful, demeaning or dangerous acts" … "requiring excessive physical exercise beyond what is required to meet standards".
One thing missing in your analysis: the Joint Chiefs of Staff had issued an executive order prohibiting "Code Red" forms of discipline. This means while Col. Jessup was offended by Santiago's breach of the chain of command, he did not respect the chain of command either.
He was given an order by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and he willfully disobeyed it because his ego convinced him that he knew better how to discipline his troops - and when it went bad he sought to dodge responsibility for his disobedience by throwing his troops under the bus.
I believe you did miss the biggest factor of the evilness. Colonel Jessup putting the blame solely on two underlings and lying about his order of code red.
I am so baffled by people saying that "he had good reasons to treat his soldiers like he did, he just wanted the best for them"
It's just the same as justifying a parent beating up their child because "it's tough love"
I've always thought it was a culture of sadism that forced Santiago to remain as a Marine on Guantanamo Bay rather than have him transferred.
Former Hospital Corpsman here. The culture of abuse and hazing to "toughen" service members out is a large reason as to why people get out with mental trauma.
I have seen a few ex-marines review this move, some where officers and one was a JAG officer. They said a Colonel, on his way to being a General and a huge promotion, does not care if a private can run a mile or if he rats out a Lance Corporal. A Colonel is not going to risk his career over any of this. Jessup is going to blame this all on Kendrick and say that he misinterpreted what he meant when he said "Train" Santiago.
Very great nuanced analysis. This type of evil is very tricky, and you articulated it perfectly!
This movie has never been more relevant than now. In these times. Because its that normalization of evil that makes people do evil and believe its the right thing.
Brilliant as always Vile.
In the play, when Jessup is discussing Santiago's letter with Markunsen and Kendrick, Markunsen points out that not just Santiago, but several other Marines at Gitmo, have requested transfers due to Kendrick's methods.
I've watched this movie a dozen times. Great movie. Good analysis.
I thought about this the other day, but I would like to see Vile do a video on Montgomery Burns of the Simpsons. I don’t know if you can actually call Mr. Burns “evil,” as opposed to greedy, but he is the resident villain of the Simpsons universe. It might seem silly, but I’d love to view Vile’s take on the character…even if it’s just for fun.
I am a former nuclear power plant operator on US Navy submarines. This required two very different trials one must go through.
First is a two year training program involving being immersed in physics, mathematics, chemistry and several other topics. During the process, anyone not passing is initially placed on mandatory study periods of up to 40 hours per week in addition to the normal 40 hour classroom time. If one still fails, he is removed from the program and given whatever job the Navy needs for the rest of his six year active duty enlistment. At the end of the two years of training, you are given an oral board covering any and everything you have been taught during those two years. If you fail, you are out of the program.
Second was a minimum of four years on a submarine. Here one was required to pass both a qualification to actually operate a nuclear power plant and a qualification is submarines. This generally took one year to complete. Again anyone falling behind is given mandatory study hours. The nuclear plant operator must pass an oral exam given by the Captain of the submarine. The submarine qualification requires passing an oral board made up of officers and other qualified enlisted personnel. If one fails in qualification or just doesn't fit into the submarine environment, they are removed from the program and sent to fill the Navy's other needs.
As for Santiago, if he successfully passed bootcamp and training yet could not fulfill the requirements of a line unit, in is unlikely any further punishment would make him up to that task. He should have been removed and place in another MOS. There are lots of mundane jobs in the military that people with minimal skills or ability can be given.
Power, corruption, bullying, narcissistic behavior. Col. Jessup is the total package. The themes of this film are very relevant today. Always remember that we are ruled by sociopaths.
As someone that's in the armed forces this act of evil exists in units accurately..
Perhaps the question becomes. What drove the Colonel to give the order? The motivation was mentioned by his 2nd in command. The ambition to rise in rank and status. Very likely Jessup has visions of himself as a General, maybe a position on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Eventually leading to a political future. perhaps the presidency. To leave no stone unturned in that path, a sign of one stopping at nothing to succeed. Murder simply becomes another necessary means to an end. The public shuns the act. But in the Colonel's mind, those in position to promote him sees it as a man committed to his duty. In the Military the ambition to rise in rank will induce those in the chain of command to follow the leader without question. To prove loyalty. To prove loyalty to a commander, to a Country, to a god, the means to that will be rationalized. This can lead to unspeakable horrors committed by those in power and their devout followers. And when those who followed the orders are put to question. They just state they did as ordered. Which was the theme at Nuremberg.
I think it's likely that the events of this movie would not have occurred if Santiago's transfer request was granted. Jessup was an insane micromanager, that's the fact. Even a single marine under his auspices being penned as a "non-hacker" and possibly discharged would've been a mark on his record that he would not allow, despite Santiago performance not being his direct responsibility. Everything from official filing procedures to the cleanliness of the latrines was something that Jessup viewed as a reflection of his leadership.
Speaking of evil Jack Nicholson characters, it’d be amazing if you covered Frank Costello in The Departed or even better, his iconic portrayal of the Joker in Batman ‘89.
I'd rather see a comparison between Frank and his counterpart Hon Sam (Infernal Affairs), and see where one works where another doesn't.
Frank Costello isn't even close to the most evil person in that movie.
One of your best ones. Very insightful. What do you call a marine who cannot make the grade like Santiago? A civilian. Jessup failed to appreciate this. He should have let the man leave... not all of us are capable of making that sacrifice.
Not to apply real life details to the movie, but I feel someone in the chain of command was aware of Santiago's health condition . I was in the Marines for 8 years, and they would engage in all types of shady activity.
They would push through waivers for people who had significant medical issues.
They also would force you to sign unnecessary write ups for violations you didn't commit.
I’m a former Marine and I gotta say this; Colonel Jessup had a higher image of his importance than it actually was.
He wasn’t in the front line in Afghanistan or Iraq back in 2006.
It was Guantanamo Bay.
That’s why I always chuckled when he said Lt Kaffe put America in danger by arresting him.
That was nothing but Colonel Jessup’s galactic narcissism and ego.
That being said, I was stationed in Camp Lejeune in the late 80s and early 90s and I gotta tell you that the “Code Reds” were very common when I was at Camp Lejeune.
I've seen men like Jessup before during my service and they are some of the worst kind when they're in a NCO position instead.
How about covering Sweeny Todd from Sweeny Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street? One of Johnny Depp's best roles as a wronged man that turns to murder and cannibalism in his quest for revenge.
I'm still mad that my grandmother spoiled the ending to this movie for me quite a few years back. But this was a damn fine movie all the same.
It’s heartbreaking to know that this happened to someone in real life. And while I agree with the colonel that fighting men need to be tough and capable beyond the average man to defend those who can’t defend themselves, I also believe that it’s possible to make a man into a warrior without stripping him of his humanity, without beating them into the ground and without killing off the weak. Santiago was a terrible marine but he still signed on the dotted line to serve his country all the same. The way to deal with a man like him is to put him where his talents outweigh his faults. Perhaps he could’ve been a truck driver. Maybe he could be a clerk or sanitation or a cook. There’s more to the marine corp than just combat roles. Maybe if the colonel had taken the time to retest the guy and transfer him elsewhere they both could have walked away clean. Maybe Santiago would end up being the best supply truck driver the corp ever saw and maybe through his actions and need to prove himself he could’ve gotten a convoy through a major conflict to reach entrenched men in need of resupply? But instead he was killed due to the colonels ego. Something that any soldier or marine of any experience can tell you is the quickest means to getting yourself and your men killed.
Jack Nicholson gave Jessup a much better look than he deserved.
I was in the military, and if a Soldier or Marine was really that bad, they would just fire him/her (General Discharge)
It's hard for me to think of Col. Jessup as evil. I think of him more as a coward - someone who made a terrible mistake and then did everything he could to keep anyone from finding out.
I believe this is one of the best comments I've read. I say I believe, because I agree. But I think he could be considered evil. I think the paradox is three-fold.
First, Jessup's a battle hardened Marine, so to call him a coward seems weird, but correct.
Second, Jessup did what he believed to be right within the culture of this film, which makes things a bit confusing.
But in the context of Col. Jessup not owning up to his mistake and pinning the repercussions on the two lowest ranking subordinates (at the very least), is really cowardly, in a really calculating way. Being scared isn't evil, but being scared, calculating, then throwing others in your charge 'under the bus', is really evil and really cowardly.
@@amante2443 Exactly. He was a coward in that he became overly fearful about being embarrassed. He was so proud that he couldn't bring himself to admit he was wrong.
Evil isn't always deliberate. A lot of evil is done or allowed purely out of cowardice.
Don’t forget that during the time this movie takes place, Guantánamo Bay was not in active conflict or at war. Jessop claiming his actions were necessary to keep the peace we enjoy in USA falls apart since the marines there would be running drills and cleaning guns while not at war. However, just as you should always treat a gun as a loaded gun even if it’s not loaded, military should be held to the same standards when at war and not at war. But I personally see Jessop as nothing more than narcissist and bully. We do need men on the walls to protect us. We don’t need murders and their accomplices falsifying reports (pretty guilty behavior) killing subpar marines for not being good enough.
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE ALGORITHM!!! :)
You should do a video on Henry Evans from The Good Son. It's perfect material to cover on your channel and there aren't a lot of videos out there analyzing this character.
He was the original "We Need To Talk about Kevin." He depended on all the other characters either being complete morons or too afraid of being in Mark's place if they don't act clueless.
very true!
Nicholson is one of the best actors of all time.
Plain and simple: Jessup is your classic person with narcissistic personality disorder. If you don’t think so, watch the scene in a few good men where Jessup, Kendrick, Kaffee, Galloway, Weinberg and Markinson are having lunch at Guantanamo. Pay attention to his tone and demeanor.
Thanks! I’ve been asking for Jessup in the comments of other videos for a while. Thoroughly enjoyed it
It wasn’t cox who was assaulted with the Code Red; it was Alvarado (who actually survived the Code Red after some recovery time). Cox was one of the marines who carried out the Code Red and claimed it was ordered and was later murdered under mysterious circumstances.
I also find it saddening that Aaron Sorkin's sister - who was a JAG and who was a part of the David Cox case - relayed this information to him when she probably really shouldn't have. I also believe it is a possible reason or impetus for Mr. Cox's eventual disappearance and subsequent death. Nothing better than to get rid of someone who is a thorn in your side asking for compensation for a story you had no business telling...
Hey TVE I just thought I’d let you know Kamikoto and Established Titles (both recent sponsors of yours) have been recently outed as pretty suspicious companies and would warrant some research on your end before continuing your relationship with them. Been enjoying the videos as of recent, keep up the great work!
Even if the act isn't considered Evil, the cover-up absolutely was
I just wanted to say I enjoy your videos and how you breakdown the villains methods and reasons if they have any. I have learned alot and look forward to your next video.
Once again, another classic. Thank you SO much for covering this!
Good analysis as always, Vile, however, it would have been nice if you could have made the distinction between Colonel Jessup, Lt. Colonel Markinson and Lt. Kendrick's characters a little more. You barely mention more about Markinson than his name, and he's clearly not fond of his colleagues in this film.
Love the video, another army villain I would love to see you cover is gunnery Sgt Hartman from full metal jacket such a underrated villian
Except Hartman isn’t a villain. He’s harsh, foul-mouthed, and ruthless certainly but he is as he introduces himself “hard, but fair”. Probably harder than a Senior Drill Instructor should typically be, but, that’s Hollywood. He was just doing his job, Col Jessup on the other hand, decides to play by his own rules and causes the death of one of his own Marines.
Hartman is one of the few morally good men in that film. That's the joke.
For the heart of man is deceitfully wicked above All things
Denying a man food for seven days is unacceptable. You can restrict it but you can't completely stop all food. The denial of food is a forbidden punishment and anyone discovered doing that to someone can be arrested and sent to military prison.
Great video as always, this film is truly one of a kind and the brutality of military life be truly heartbreaking
I'm not sure if there's anything there but I noticed you have not covered General Shepherd from Modern Warfare 2 (original). It was one of the first video game villains I ever encountered growing up that is a betrayer with complex motivations.
David Cox was the hazer, not the hazed. You make it sound like he's the victim, but William Alvarado was actually the victim of the code red.
Analyzing Evil: Deebo from Friday
@The Vile Eye, Cox was NOT the one who was hazed, he was the one doing the hazing.
He’s evil?! I knew I couldn’t handle the truth!
Jessup and Gordon Gecko are what I called "good evil" mostly due to how "good" their motivations are. In Gecko's "Greed is good" speech Gecko was criticizing a company's bloat. With greed for profits the bloat will be cut and profit for the stockholders will come. Not to mention greed as a general motivator in life. With Jessup there was his "You can't handle the truth" speech. Tough, dangerous jobs needs tough, dangerous men who do tough, dangerous training.
I had been on the receiving end of hazing while an enlisted Marine (thankfully not to the level of Santiago's treatment) and loathe it to my core. But that speech gets me every time- then I have to remember that Jessup order's led to the murder of a junior enlisted Marine and he tried to cover up his involvement. But Gecko and Jessup are held up as examples as bad asses but people forget the amount of personal and unnecessary destruction they did.
To them the amount of destruction is collateral damage that is necessary to keep the nation safe.
Is it strange to on one hand be sickened by Col. Jessup while on the other hand admire someone like him? I just can't get out of my head his rant about the dangers our nation face and the type of soldiers & Marines needed to fend them.
@@joeclaridy I once heard "everyone is the hero in their own story" and it's often applied to story antagonist. They don't think they are the villain, they are doing what they need to do to help their people or accomplish their worthwhile mission. Likewise I can see on Jessup's uniform ribbons showing he had been on multiple deployments, earn medals for valor, and achieved qualification badges. He's been around the block a few times; been there, done that. So for him to say "You need me on that wall" it doesn't sound like an ego trip but a sad reality.
I have waited for this day. Thank you so much.
Yes!! Thank you very much Evil Eye. Been requesting this for a while.