History BlackAndGrayMorality / Film

* The ''Film/JamesBond'' movies ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' and ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' explore this, with Mathis even giving a short speech about heroes and villains being indistinguishable in far too many cases, and many bits of the latter shed light on the extents to which governments and agencies have to go to in order to ensure their continued survival. Still, [[BigBad Le Chiffre]], [[DiabolicalMastermind Greene]] and [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Quantum]] are all evil, no doubt about it. In fact, the more recent ''James Bond'' films such as ''Film/GoldenEye'', ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' have [[WhyWereBummedCommunismFell taken this]] direction, with nebulous groups wanting to fill the EvilPowerVacuum left behind by the crumbling Soviet Union, and Bond sometimes questioning his morality, which isn't pretty as while he's licensed to kill, the people he has to murder are hard-core sociopaths.

* The ''Film/JamesBond'' movies ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' and ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' explore this, with Mathis even giving a short speech about heroes and villains being indistinguishable in far too many cases, and many bits of the latter shed light on the extents to which governments and agencies have to go to in order to ensure their continued survival. Still, [[BigBad Le Chiffre]], [[DiabolicalMastermind Greene]] and [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Quantum]] are all evil, no doubt about it. In fact, the more recent ''James Bond'' films such as ''Film/GoldenEye'', ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' have been taking this direction, [[WhyWereBummedCommunismFell given the post-Cold War situation]], the rise of new threats such as {{Rogue Agent}}s and terrorists that want to fill the power void left behind by the crumbling Soviet Union, and Bond sometimes questioning the morality of what he does, which isn't pretty as while he's licensed to kill, the people he has to murder are hard-core sociopathic monsters.

* Oh, boy, ''Film/GodsNotDead''. These films have portrayed "athiests", or anyone who's not a Christian in general, as God-hating monsters who are hell-bent at destroying Christianity, [[{{Naytheist}} albeit such portrayal]] [[{{Demonization}} is inaccurate]]. However, the Christians aren't any better than the non-Christians, [[TheFundamentalist including Josh]], as they themselves have [[{{Hypocrite}} no qualms insulting those who don't believe in God]], [[MoralMyopia saying how inferior they are in terms of morality, among other things]].

** The original trilogy's BlackAndWhiteMorality is changed to this in ''Film/RogueOne'', for focusing on [[DuringTheWar "war in the stars"]] aspects. TheEmpire, totalitarian, ruthless and dictatorial, is still the worst side. But the RagtagBunchOfMisfits Rebel Alliance are shown to be an ArmyOfThievesAndWhores with some extremist sides, at least until the [[Film/ANewHope Battle of Yavin]] changed their fortunes. One of the main characters kills his informant, is given hidden instructions to kill the man his squad is supposed to rescue (he changes his mind... but the higher-ups still send an air strike upon the target), and later admits that everyone in the Alliance's hangar has commited some terrible things in their past.

* [[AntiHero John Constantine]], of the [[Film/{{Constantine}} eponymous film]] (and the [[ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}} comic]] that inspired it), is a foul-mouthed, [[DrivenToSuicide suicidal]] [[BadDreams sonuvabitch]]. And he's one of the good guys. [[spoiler:Not that [[FallenAngel Gabriel]] was [[HolierThanThou much better]].]]

* ''Wheels of Fire'' is a post-apocalyptic movie where a group known as The Ownership is willing to do unethical things in order to rebuild civilization. The Ownership's rivals are Scourge and his hordes of rapists and murderers.

** ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' is another example, with the exception of [[spoiler: Orange]] everyone of import is a criminal, but Mr. White and Mr. Pink draw distinctions between themselves (who try to avoid killing people if at all possible, but will if they must) and Mr. Blonde (who goes on a senseless killing spree during the heist)

* The Film/JamesBond movies ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' and ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' explore this, with Mathis even giving a short speech about heroes and villains being indistinguishable in far too many cases, and many bits of the latter shed light on the extents to which governments and agencies have to go to in order to ensure their continued survival. Still, [[BigBad Le Chiffre]], [[DiabolicalMastermind Greene]] and [[NebulousEvilOrganisation Quantum]] are all evil, no doubt about it.
** In fact, the more recent ''James Bond'' films such as ''Film/GoldenEye'', ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' have been taking this direction, [[WhyWereBummedCommunismFell given the post-Cold War situation]], the rise of new threats such as {{Rogue Agent}}s and terrorists that want to fill the power void left behind by the crumbling Soviet Union, and Bond sometimes questioning the morality of what he does, which isn't pretty as while he's licensed to kill, the people he has to murder are hard-core sociopathic monsters.

* Almost ''anything'' made by Creator/QuentinTarantino at least when its not EvilVersusEvil.

* ''Anything'' made by Creator/QuentinTarantino.

** ''Film/KillBill'': The villains are ruthless assassins (though in the present, most are retired) and attacked The Bride at her wedding rehearsal, slaughtered everyone present, before mercilessly beating her. The Bride herself is also an assassin, merciless, and has a sadistic streak. This trope is best summed up by Bud, who is the one of the only ones to admit that what they did was wrong, "That woman deserves her revenge. And we deserve to die. But then again, so does she."

** ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' (though it may seem downplayed, dealing with [[AcceptablePoliticalTargets Nazis]] [[ThoseWackyNazis and whatnot]]). Nevertheless, the title characters do have their moments of excessive violence, perpetrating what would amount to war crimes against their enemies. The fact that the German soldiers themselves have a few {{Punch Clock Villain}}s in the mix doesn't help matters either.

* ''Wheels of Fire'' is a post-apocalyptic movie where a group known as The Ownership is willing to do unethical things in order to bring order to the world. The Ownership's rivals are Scourge and his hordes of rapists and murderers.

** Because most of the characters are merely amoral in ''Film/PulpFiction'', the only time this seems to kick in is when Butch (a boxer running for his life) and Marsellus (the gangster who wants him killed) end up in a pawnshop... and the owner locks them in his basement, calls his partner to rape one, and it's heavily implied both would be beaten and\or killed if Butch didn't manage to break free. Although Marsellus himself could also be seen as a shade of black ([[IncrediblyLamePun not literally]]), since he ''is'' an unrelenting crime boss whose only redeeming quality is (grudgingly) sparing someone who saved his ass. (literally) His wife is also pretty nice, if a bit of a sociopath.

* Oh, boy, ''Film/GodsNotDead''. These films have portrayed "athiests", or anyone who's not a Christian in general, as God-hating monsters who are hell-bent at destroying Christianity, [[{{Naytheist}} albeit such portrayal]] [[{{Demonization}} is inaccurate]]. However, the Christians aren't any better than the non-Christians, [[TheFundamentalist including]] [[DesignatedHero Josh]], as they themselves have [[{{Hypocrite}} no qualms insulting those who don't believe in God]], [[MoralMyopia saying how inferior they are in terms of morality, among other things]].

* ''Film/KillBill'': The villains are ruthless assassins (though in the present, most are retired) and attacked The Bride at her wedding rehearsal, slaughtered everyone present, before mercilessly beating her. The Bride herself is also an assassin, merciless, and has a sadistic streak. This trope is best summed up by Bud, who is the one of the only ones to admit that what they did was wrong, "That woman deserves her revenge. And we deserve to die. But then again, so does she."

** ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' (though it may seem downplayed, dealing with [[AcceptableTargets Nazis]] [[ThoseWackyNazis and whatnot]]). Nevertheless, the title characters do have their moments of excessive violence, perpetrating what would amount to war crimes against their enemies. The fact that the German soldiers themselves have a few {{Punch Clock Villain}}s in the mix doesn't help matters either.

* Oh, boy, ''Film/GodsNotDead''. These films have portrayed "athiests", or anyone who's not a Christian in general, as God-hating monsters who are hell-bent at destroying Christianity, [[Naytheist albeit such portrayal]] [[Demonization is inaccurate]]. However, the Christians aren't any better than the non-Christians, [[TheFundamentalist including]] [[DesignatedHero Josh]], as they themselves have [[Hypocrite no qualms insulting those who don't believe in God]], [[MoralMyopia saying how inferior they are in terms of morality, among other things]].

* Oh, boy, ''Film/GodsNotDead''. These films have portrayed "athiests", or anyone who's not a Christian in general, as God-hating monsters who are hell-bent at destroying Christianity, [[Naytheist|albeit such portrayal]] [[Demonization|is inaccurate]]. However, the Christians aren't any better than the non-Christians, as they themselves have [[Hypocrite|no qualms insulting those who don't believe in God]], [[MoralMyopia saying how inferior they are in terms of morality, among other things]].

* Oh, boy, ''Film/GodsNotDead''. These films have portrayed "athiests", or anyone who's not a Christian in general, as God-hating monsters who are hell-bent at destroying Christianity, [[Naytheist albeit such portrayal]] [[Demonization is inaccurate]]. However, the Christians aren't any better than the non-Christians, as they themselves have [[Hypocrite no qualms insulting those who don't believe in God]], [[MoralMyopia saying how inferior they are in terms of morality, among other things]].

** ''Anime/GodzillaPlanetEater'' has Godzilla Earth, explicitly hostile to humanity to begin with, and now vengeful over them killing his son Godzilla Filius. But even though he seeks to wipe humanity off the face of the earth, he ends up being the situational "good guy" when [[BigBad Ghidorah]] comes in, who seeks to ''destroy'' the planet which Godzilla claims as his own.

* The ''heisei'' era of ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' films occasionally border on this. Godzilla is, once more, a bad dude, but he's all that defends us from creatures like [[Film/GodzillaVsKingGhidorah King Ghidorah]], [[Film/GodzillaVsSpaceGodzilla Space Godzilla]], and [[Film/GodzillaVsDestoroyah Destoroyah]], who are downright diabolical. Meanwhile, the minds in control of [[Film/GodzillaVsMechagodzillaII Mechagodzilla]] are extremely iffy, and [[Film/GodzillaAndMothraTheBattleForEarth Battra]], [[Film/GodzillaVsBiollante Biollante]], and Rodan are very very insane.

* ''Franchise/StarWars Episode III: Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' alludes to Black and Gray by hinting that the Jedi Order were on the brink of falling to the Dark Side as they tried to take over the Coruscant court for themselves even though their intention was to eradicate the Sith Lord from ruling the galaxy.

* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' (moreso in the sequels). [[TheHero Will]] and Elizabeth are slowly turned into lying, stealing, killing pirates, although all in the name of saving their skins from the undead and the corrupt. Jack Sparrow is a bullseye grey AntiHero who cares enough about freedom to free slaves (BackStory) and save his friends, but cares more about himself than anything. It tries to avert the trope by having the gray villains and harmless lackeys around. But then there's Beckett, the epitome of repressive order and the only person in the whole trilogy (except his Dragon, Mr. Mercer) you can properly hate, who [[KickTheDog kicks various dogs]] and doesn't stop for two movies. [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides The fourth movie]] has Jack caught between various antagonistic groups in search for the Fountain of Youth, namely the ruthless pirate Barbossa, Jack's LaughablyEvil frenemy Barbossa, and ChurchMilitant Spaniards bent on destroying the thing. [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales The fifth movie]] tries to finally return the white from the original movie with Will's son Henry and his love interest Carina.

** In fact, the more recent ''James Bond'' films such as ''Film/GoldenEye'', ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' have been taking this direction, [[WhyWereBummedCommunismFell given the post-Cold War situation]], the rise of new threats such as {{Rogue Agent}}s and terrorists that want to fill the power void left behind by the crumbling Soviet Union, and Bond sometimes questioning the morality of what he does, which isn't pretty as while he's licensed to kill, the people he has to murder are hard-core sociopaths.

* ''Film/{{Goodfellas}}'': Henry Hill is a proud gangster who never kills anyone and is sympathetic through most of the film, but his associates and enemies are nasty customers.