JAVIER

JAVIER BARDEM REVELS IN MORAL AMBIGUITY OF SCREEN CHARACTERS

by PETER THOMAS BUSCH

Ghosts lurk everywhere within humanity, tempted by evil in the shadows as must as by the good in the light.

Javier Bardem passes into the more challenging silhouettes of humanity to play morally compromised characters that spend time hiding their true intentions behind a layer of ordinariness.

These dark angel characters are often convinced in their own righteousness.

In Bond, Bardem plays the evil genius motivated by a sense of betrayal. The modus operandi is to use his knowledge and experience having worked as an agent for MI6 to take down the very same spy organization.

Bardem infuses the character Silva with a bit of esprit, like the guy is not afraid of dying as long as everyone around hm dies as well. Silva has a highly rationalized explanation for his intentions which makes him all the more sinister since he seems more determined to succeed.

Bardem can also control the spirits by chanelling that power into justification for leading a rebellion.

In Dune (2021), Bardem plays Stilgar, the leader of a nomadic army during the Desert War. Bardem channels the inner balance of power into being a great warrior who shares his knowledge with Paul Atreidis while providing refuge to him and his mother, after the House of Atreidis is wiped out by a surprise attack.

Bardem has a more substantial role in Dune: Part Two as the Desert War unfolds and Paul Atreidis develops his prescient powers. With the ability to see into time, Paul becomes a more compelling leader of the Fremen, but only after Stilgar’s stewardship.

Bardem returns as Stilgar in Dune: Part Three, which is to be released in theatres this December.

The characters Bardem creates are compelling because of the ambiguity between good and evil that allows for a shifting moral tide from film project to film project.

The ability to stay pure and true to the cause is not an easy task. Bardem plays a Catholic monk who must resist all temptations during the Spanish Inquisition in Goya’s Ghosts (2006). Lorenzo has an important position within the church, but he is not as influential as he had hoped.

The inability to sway the court to release a young woman falsely accused of practicing Judaism only leads to more trouble as the monk has his way with her during his secret visits to her in prison meant to comfort her and provide her family with some respite.

Lorenzo must flee Spain as the Inquisition turns on him. Bardem shows how circumstances and institutions can change a person’s character when Lorenzo returns to Spain as a member of Napoleon’s Revolutionary Army.

This good man cannot avoid the past, though, and Lorenzo’s worlds falls apart again, as if unforgiven by church and God, and civilized humanity.

Bardem seems an odd casting for Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos (2021). But the pairing with Nicole Kidman, as Lucy, lightens the screen persona’s usually darker visage.

The camera goes behind the scenes to show how Desi and Lucy put together the episodes of the most popular sitcom on American television. The costars costar in their own show while balancing family life together. Bardem learns to teach his character to smile a lot in most scenes even when engaged in difficult arguments with Lucy.

Desi Is not entirely innocent either, spending many nights away from his wife until the loss of trust is so great that the couple can no longer function together.

The smile is not exactely the same smile Silva gives to James Bond when he believes in having the upper hand. If you put him alongside a racecar, Ruben is the owner of a failing F1 racing team.

Bardem has a distinct voice, and he doesn’t try to hide the accent. Instead, the actor changes the tone and intensity to suit the character and the circumstances in which the character finds himself.

Talking sweetly to Lucy is more of a song, while being patronizing to James is more of a dissertation in the darker arts of social engineering.

In Mother! (2017) director Darren Aronofsky uses Bardem’s ability to play either side of the moral divide to an advantage as the psychological thriller builds tension by creating ambiguity as to perceptions. Is the new mother perceiving the world incorrectly or is her husband and unexpected guests purposely tormenting her.

In Loving Pablo (2017) Bardem hides behind the coldness of a calculating notorious drug trafficker. Pablo Escobar can be family oriented with a sense of loyalty to those who are loyal to him, but the tribalism also harbours the instruments of a ruthless killer to shore up his hold on the Columbian drug cartels.

Bardem shows how Escobar unflinchingly ordered an urban guerrilla war against the government police, and then against the other cartels. The role shows with greater clarity both sides of the moral ambiguity.

Bardem has strayed not too deep in the black arts of moral ambiguity, which allows him to switch back and forth but also to play a well-balanced personality.

In F1 (2025) Bardem plays the owner of a Formula 1 racing team who has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the building of very expensive cars and losing races, and rebuilding even more expensive cars.

Ruben Cerventes is at a loss because with just 9 races left in the season Ruben must win at least one race otherwise the investors will sell the team. So, Ruben looks up an old racing buddy who just won 24 Hours at Daytona.

Bardem creates a well-balanced sports executive type, with a lot of money on the line, who knows the politics of playing sports at the elite level. More interestingly though, Ruben’s only real sin is wanting to win and wanting other teams to lose at his expense.

This character leaves Bardem open to the possibility of playing someone really sinister next, which he does for the Apple Original Series, Cape Fear (2026).

Bardem’s character is released early from prison and begins to stalk the attorneys who put him there. The character gradually works his way into the personal lives of his victims, with them never really knowing for sure who is doing what to them.