| 1 | %% |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them. |
| 4 | %% |
| 5 | %% |
| 6 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 7 | |
| 8 | !!The Suspects |
| 9 | [[folder:Michael [=McManus=] ]] |
| 10 | !!Michael [=McManus=] |
| 11 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/StephenBaldwin |
| 12 | |
| 13 | ->''Top notch entry man. Crazy, though.'' |
| 14 | ---- |
| 15 | * AlliterativeName: '''M'''ichael '''M'''[=cManus=]. |
| 16 | * {{Angrish}}: Feigns it when it's his turn to say his line in the lineup scene. |
| 17 | * AxCrazy: In the original script, he goes completely berserk during the attack on the boat, shooting and stabbing everyone he finds while screaming like a maniac the entire time. |
| 18 | * BackStab: [[spoiler:Killed with a knife to the back of his neck.]] |
| 19 | * BeardOfEvil: An amoral criminal with a dark, scraggly beard on the lower half of his face. |
| 20 | * ClickHello: When he ambushes Kobayashi in the elevator and kills his guards. |
| 21 | -->'''[=McManus=]:''' Don't move. Press 20, do it now. |
| 22 | * ColdSniper: During the opening phases of the shootout at the dock. |
| 23 | * CoolShades: During the second job in the parking garage and when the gang goes after Kobayashi. |
| 24 | %%* FourPhilosophyEnsemble: The Cynic. |
| 25 | * FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric. The most leader oriented member of the group. |
| 26 | * GunsAkimbo: During the jewel heist, he aims two pistols and gets kill shots on two different targets who are both grappling with his accomplices. Notably, he hesitates for several seconds trying to line up both shots and the others look at him incredulously. |
| 27 | * HairTriggerTemper: He's usually the first to start cursing up a storm when things go wrong. |
| 28 | * HeterosexualLifePartners: With Fenster. [[spoiler:He is the one who requested that Fenster be buried]]. |
| 29 | * ImprobableAimingSkills: Manages to hit two targets with GunsAkimbo as they struggle with Hockney and Fenster and manages to thread it between the struggling men. |
| 30 | * InformedAttribute: Verbal tells everyone that [=McManus=] is "crazy", but the only time [=McManus=] acts even a little weird is [[spoiler:after Fenster dies]]. Verbal may be exaggerating [=McManus=]' temper or eccentricities. |
| 31 | * ItsPersonal: [[spoiler:Wants revenge on Kobayashi after Fenster's death.]] |
| 32 | * {{Jerkass}}: Even if you overlook his job, he's not a nice person. |
| 33 | * TheLancer: He backs Keaton up the most. |
| 34 | * LargeHam: Deliberately in his turn in the lineup scene, complete with hand motions, wild-eyed expressions and head lolling. |
| 35 | -->'''[=McManus=]:''' ''(with finger gun)'' Gimme your fuckin' keys, you fuckin' cocksucker motherfucker-[[{{Angrish}} aaaaaahhhhh]] ''([=McManus=] starts wagging his head in all directions, his tongue lolling around)'' |
| 36 | * PetTheDog: He rubs the head of a dog as he enters the boat during the climax [[spoiler:and it is shown that he actually cared about longtime partner in crime Fenster, even requesting that he be given a proper burial on the beach.]] |
| 37 | * PosthumousCharacter: As with the majority of the main cast. |
| 38 | * SirSwearsALot: Seriously, just read some of his dialogue. |
| 39 | * WalkingArmory: For the climactic shootout, he brings a sniper rifle, submachine gun and a Browning Hi-Power. |
| 40 | [[/folder]] |
| 41 | |
| 42 | [[folder:Dean Keaton]] |
| 43 | !!Dean Keaton |
| 44 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/GabrielByrne |
| 45 | |
| 46 | ->''Keaton was the real prize for them, for [[DirtyCop obvious reasons]].'' |
| 47 | ---- |
| 48 | * AssholeVictim: Kujan's opinion about his death. |
| 49 | %%* TheAtoner |
| 50 | * ChronicVillainy: People keep assuming that his attempts to walk the straight and narrow path are simply a smokescreen for some other criminal conspiracy, which ultimately drives him into the arms of the Suspects. His true intentions may never be known, as the only living witness who might have known [[spoiler:is the notably untrustworthy Verbal Kint]]. He asks Verbal Kint to give her his last message: |
| 51 | -->Tell her I tried. |
| 52 | * CutLexLuthorACheck: In Kint's story, he returns to crime because he couldn't get a legitimate occupation. However, staying out of crime has earned him a beautiful hot-shot attorney for a girlfriend. As long as he's with her, he won't need a profitable career. It's really his vanity that drives him back to crime. |
| 53 | * DespairEventHorizon: Seems to hit this by the time of his death, given that the rest of the Suspects (bar Verbal) are long dead, along with the knowledge that none of them were ever meant to get out alive of the coke heist and that he'll never get to see Edie again, who, if Verbal's narration is reliable, [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes he did truly care for.]] The realization that [[spoiler:Verbal, who he is also demonstrated to supposedly have actually cared for and trusted is actually the crime lord Keyser Soze]] certainly couldn't have helped matters either. |
| 54 | * DetectivePatsy: Played with. [[spoiler:He was picked partly to draw attention from LE and recruited to vouch for Kint. He was Kint's ultimate sucker no matter what interpretation you have of the film; even if you believe 95% is lies told by Kint.]] |
| 55 | * DirtyCop: He was on the police force before he turned to crime, and still has insider knowledge he can use for heists. (Also helpful is the fact that a lot of the guys still on the force are also dirty.) |
| 56 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: The only two people he's demonstrated to truly care for throughout the film are Edie Finneran, his girlfriend, and Verbal Kint. (Though it's unknown if [[spoiler:[[UnreliableNarrator Verbal's]] narration of Keaton's behavior is actually accurate.]]) |
| 57 | * FaceDeathWithDignity: Carries on a mild conversation with Keyser Soze, with his only final request being to ask for the time before closing his eyes and waiting for him to carry out the deed. Considering that his death at the beginning of the movie (which isn't subject to Verbal's UnreliableNarrator status) is near identical to the way that Verbal ([[spoiler:who ''is'' Soze]]) tells it near the end, it's implied that even ''his killer'' found it rather impressive. |
| 58 | * FakingTheDead: He's infamous within the New York underworld for having faked his death to dodge a murder rap. When the cops confront him with this, Keaton claims he did no such thing. He is living in the same city, using the same name and the same face, it has nothing to do with him that the cops messed up and thought he was dead. [[spoiler:Towards the end of the story, Kujan believes that Keaton has done this a second time, and Keyser is either him or a smokescreen.]] |
| 59 | %%* FourPhilosophyEnsemble: The Optimist. |
| 60 | * FourTemperamentEnsemble: Melancholic. He's very quiet and bitter about his RedemptionFailure and is generally quite withdrawn and depressed. |
| 61 | * GunsAkimbo: He uses two pistols during the shoot-out on the boat. |
| 62 | * HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: See ChronicVillainy. He wants to give up the life of crime (or so he claims), but he can never seem to manage it. |
| 63 | * HiddenDepths: Despite being a rumbled ex-DirtyCop and ex-con, Keaton is revealed to live in an aggressively artsy apartment, suggesting that there's more to him than just crime. |
| 64 | * InformedAttribute: Kujan states Keaton is a "cold-blooded bastard", informing Verbal of the ex-cop's murderous past. However in the movie, Keaton is reluctant in killing a jeweler, and cares for Verbal and Edie. |
| 65 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He does care for Edie and for Verbal's safety [[spoiler:(or so Verbal says)]] but when you look into his past he seems just as bad as the other characters. [[spoiler:Which is another sign that Verbal's story isn't what it seems.]] |
| 66 | * LawmanGoneBad: Keaton used to be a cop, but Kujan's summary of Keaton's past makes it sound like Keaton went bad as soon as he joined the force, as he was apparently under investigation or being indicted constantly during his time as a cop. He was eventually kicked out of the NYPD and became a career criminal. (Unless you believe Verbal's story that Keaton was trying to put his criminal past behind him.) |
| 67 | * TheLeader: Kind of the boss of the group. |
| 68 | * OneLastJob: He claims robbing the New York Taxi Service was this. No-one believes him; and Verbal says it only took a day of badgering from [=McManus=] to convince him to take on another job. |
| 69 | * OnlySaneMan: The most rational of the criminals. |
| 70 | * PosthumousCharacter: He dies in the opening scene. The rest of the movie consists of flashbacks leading up to his death. |
| 71 | * RedemptionFailure: At the beginning of the film, he's trying to persuade some investors to fund a restaurant that he wants to open, only for the cops to show up. |
| 72 | * ThenLetMeBeEvil: He claims that he is really in love with Edie and was trying to set himself up as a legitimate restaurateur. However, when the police bring him in for the line-up right at the beginning of the movie, arresting him at dinner with his potential investors, he realizes that his investors are going to back out of doing business with an ex-con, and he will never be able to set up a legal business. So, since the police will never let him put his past behind him, he might as well embrace it. |
| 73 | * ThouShaltNotKill: More pragmatic than moral. He believes a job is highly successful when nobody be it on his team or the victims get hurt. However if it happens, he doesn't bat an eye at it. |
| 74 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Probably the least evil of the gang. |
| 75 | * VillainousBreakdown: When he realizes “[[PunctuatedForEmphasis There is! No!]] [[PrecisionFStrike Fucking!]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Coke!]]" |
| 76 | [[/folder]] |
| 77 | |
| 78 | [[folder:Fred Fenster]] |
| 79 | !!Fred Fenster |
| 80 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/BenicioDelToro |
| 81 | |
| 82 | ->''A real tightass, but when it came to the job he was right on. A smart man.'' |
| 83 | ---- |
| 84 | * AlliterativeName: '''F'''red '''F'''enster. |
| 85 | * BoomHeadshot: [[spoiler:How he was killed]]. |
| 86 | * DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Poor Fenster dies even before the final act.]] |
| 87 | * ElectiveUnintelligible: He chews up his words so badly sometimes even [[HeterosexualLifePartner McManus]] can't understand him. |
| 88 | %%* FourPhilosophyEnsemble: The Apathetic. |
| 89 | * FourTemperamentEnsemble: Sanguine. The most energetic and flamboyant member of the group, having an eccentric accent and a [[LargeHam hammy]] sense of showmanship. |
| 90 | * HeterosexualLifePartners: With [=McManus=]. [[spoiler:[=McManus=] requested that he be buried on the beach]]. |
| 91 | * InformedAbility: Verbal refers to Fenster as a "smart man". Fenster never does anything particularly smart during his screentime. |
| 92 | * LargeHam: Del Toro basically added this characterization himself. The character on the page was pretty flat and nondescript. [[spoiler:WordOfGod says that he did this because he was supposed to be the token RedShirt of the movie. He wanted his character to stand out more.]] |
| 93 | * MauveShirt: Despite wearing a physical RedShirt in his opening scene, Fenster is one of the main characters [[spoiler:until he is killed at the end of the second act.]] |
| 94 | * PosthumousCharacter: [[spoiler:He gets killed off in the middle of the film, and the film is told in flashbacks.]] |
| 95 | * RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Fenster's an amoral criminal who wears a red shirt with a black suit jacket to the lineup. |
| 96 | * SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:According to Benicio Del Toro, Fenster is this.]] |
| 97 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:Killed for trying to pull this off.]] |
| 98 | * SharpDressedMan: Has managed to work RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver into a nice club-hopping ensemble. |
| 99 | * SirSwearsALot: He swears a lot. |
| 100 | * TheUnintelligible: Benicio del Toro thought the character was too boring on the page and came up with a bizarre accent (Chinese and Hispanic, by his account) to spice things up. He drew inspiration from Mumbles in the ''Film/DickTracy'' film. Creator/BryanSinger told the other actors to make him repeat himself if they ever couldn't understand him. This happens a few times in the film. [[spoiler:WordOfGod [[http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/18/bryan-singer-the-usual-suspects says]] that he did this because he was supposed to be the token RedShirt of the movie. He wanted his character to stand out more.]] |
| 101 | * WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Even in-universe, characters have trouble making sense of his slurred English. Benicio del Toro decided he was playing "a black Chinese Puerto Rican Jew". |
| 102 | [[/folder]] |
| 103 | |
| 104 | [[folder:Todd Hockney]] |
| 105 | !!Todd Hockney |
| 106 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/KevinPollak |
| 107 | |
| 108 | ->''Good with explosives. Without a doubt, the one guy who didn't give a fuck about anybody.'' |
| 109 | ---- |
| 110 | * TheBigGuy: Well, he's smallest in height, but Hockney is the one always willing to pick a fight, as well as an expert with explosives, which more than makes up for his stature. |
| 111 | * CausticCritic: Enjoys screwing with people by criticizing them. |
| 112 | * DeadpanSnarker: |
| 113 | ** While he's being interrogated by the police: |
| 114 | --->'''Todd Hockney:''' You guys don't have a fuckin' leg to stand on.\ |
| 115 | '''Interrogation Cop:''' You think so, tough guy? I can put you in Queens on the night of the hijacking.\ |
| 116 | '''Todd Hockney:''' Really? I live in Queens. Did you put that together yourself, Einstein? What, you got a team of monkeys working around the clock on this?\ |
| 117 | '''Interrogation Cop:''' You know what happens if you do another turn in the joint?\ |
| 118 | '''Todd Hockney:''' ''[shrugs]'' Uhhh, [[PrisonRape fuck your father in the shower]] and then have a snack. Are you gonna charge me, dickhead?\ |
| 119 | '''Interrogation Cop:''' I'll charge you when I'm ready. |
| 120 | ** Later: |
| 121 | --->'''Fred Fenster:''' A guy had his finger up my asshole tonight!\ |
| 122 | '''Todd Hockney:''' Is it Friday already? |
| 123 | ** And, to Verbal, who has been silent this whole time: |
| 124 | --->'''Verbal Kint:''' ''(about his nickname)'' Roger really. People say I talk too much.\ |
| 125 | '''Todd Hockney:''' Yeah, I was gonna tell you to shut up. |
| 126 | * DemolitionsExpert: An expert for explosives. |
| 127 | * DressingAsTheEnemy: He twice fools the Hungarian mooks, taking advantage of the fact that they don't know all the Argentinians; the first time by casually waving his submachine gun, the second time by shouting in Spanish. |
| 128 | %%* FourPhilosophyEnsemble: The Realist. |
| 129 | * FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric. A more aggressive version of this than [=McManus=]. He's without a doubt, the most violent of the group and has a short temper as well as a loud mouth. |
| 130 | * GangstaStyle: In the standoff with Redfoot's men. He also aims at Kobayashi this way during their first meeting. |
| 131 | %%* HairTriggerTemper |
| 132 | * InTheBack: [[spoiler:Shot in the back when he finds the money. He turns around to apparently see his attacker and is promptly shot in the head.]] |
| 133 | * {{Jerkass}}: The biggest one of the group. Constantly criticizing others and insulting them. Verbal even {{lampshade|Hanging}}s this. |
| 134 | -->'''Verbal:''' "Without a doubt, the one guy who didn't give a fuck about anybody." |
| 135 | * MajorInjuryUnderreaction: [[spoiler:His reaction to being shot is to flinch and blink, then turn around blank-faced to see his attacker before being shot once again.]] |
| 136 | * TheNapoleon: Hockney's the shortest of the group at 5'5" and the most aggressive. |
| 137 | * PosthumousCharacter: [[spoiler:Like the others (except Verbal).]] |
| 138 | * TheReveal: [[spoiler:Halfway through the film, it turns out that Hockney hijacked the truck containing gun parts that the suspects were originally brought in for.]] |
| 139 | * SirSwearsALot: He swears a lot. |
| 140 | [[/folder]] |
| 141 | |
| 142 | [[folder:Roger "Verbal" Kint]] |
| 143 | !!Roger "Verbal" Kint |
| 144 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/KevinSpacey |
| 145 | |
| 146 | ->''It didn't make sense that I'd be there. I mean, these guys were hardcore hijackers. But there I was. At that point I wasn't scared, I knew I hadn't done anything they could do me for. Besides, it was fun. I got to make like I was notorious.'' |
| 147 | ---- |
| 148 | * ActuallyIAmHim: [[spoiler:Possibly the most famous example in film history, if not pop culture in general]]. |
| 149 | * BadassBoast: "Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me... is Keyser Söze". |
| 150 | * BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible: Inverted, as Verbal spills a lot of the suspects' exploits to Kujan [[spoiler:until you realize he's only telling the story to buy time until his release, and that most of it was a big fat lie.]] |
| 151 | * BewareTheQuietOnes: "Verbal" Kint gets his ironic nickname from the fact that he rarely says anything and has a generally meek, retiring demeanor. There is much more to him than meets the eye. |
| 152 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: While a criminal, Verbal comes across as a fairly, mild-mannered and ultimately harmless person. [[spoiler:In reality, he is Keyser Söze]]. |
| 153 | * BringNewsBack: Keaton's final orders to Verbal are to take the money and find Edie to bring down Kobayashi. |
| 154 | * ConMan: Verbal's specialty when it comes to crime. One particular con, the one he is accused of by Mr. Kobayashi, involved scamming one of Keyser Söze's men out of $62,000. |
| 155 | * ConsummateLiar: [[spoiler:The Mind Screw really sets in when you realize that everything you think you know about Keyser Söze potentially comes from Keyser Söze himself.]] |
| 156 | * DeadpanSnarker: An inevitable side effect of being played by Kevin Spacey. |
| 157 | * DeepCoverAgent: [[spoiler:He may or may not be a cover identity. If it's a cover, it goes back some considerable time, likely years -- Keaton refers to having met Verbal "once or twice" prior to the events of the movie, with the conversation implying that this was not particularly recently. Of course, this is all assuming that Verbal is actually telling the truth about this scene...]] |
| 158 | * TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler:Exploits Kujan's belief that Keaton was Keyser Söze by playing up his physical and mental capabilities]]. |
| 159 | * EstablishingCharacterMoment: When Verbal is first brought into Sgt. Rabin's office, as he's sitting there alone, he's looking around the office as if he's bored or just killing time. [[spoiler:He's actually taking in all of the details on the bulletin board so he can use them as part of his story for Kujan]]. |
| 160 | * EvilAllAlong: While not being a good person to begin with, he comes off as a sympathetic character. [[spoiler:Turns out he actually is the BigBad Keyser Söze]]. |
| 161 | * FiringOneHanded: Does this a lot due to his cerebral palsy. |
| 162 | * FourTemperamentEnsemble: Phlegmatic. The most calm and rational member of the group, and also the most easy going. [[spoiler:Or so he seems.]] |
| 163 | * FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler:In a similar example to ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'', he includes himself on a list of transgressions the Suspects have committed against Keyser Söze.]] |
| 164 | * IronicNickname: He's chatty in the interrogation, but in the flashbacks he's very reticent. He doesn't utter a word before introducing himself, saying, "People say I talk too much." Hockney quips, "Yeah, I was just about to tell you to shut up." |
| 165 | * KubrickStare: He gives one to the (offscreen) interrogators when he reads his line. |
| 166 | * LineOfSightName: [[spoiler:Many details from Verbal's story turn out to be taken from objects in the room. Verbal is seen looking around the room before his interrogation, and a later shot even shows him looking up at the bottom of Kujan's coffee cup.]] |
| 167 | * MeaningfulName: [[spoiler:Keyser Söze is either German or Turkish. Kaiser, a homonym of Keyser, is the German word for emperor, and Söze means "talks too much" in Turkish, making Keyser Söze "Emperor Talks Too Much," a hint that he is "Verbal" Kint, who says he's accused of talking too much.]] |
| 168 | * NonActionGuy: Not that he's averse to using guns but Verbal's disability means he's unable to be as physical as the other guys. [[spoiler: At least this what he appears to be]]. |
| 169 | * ObfuscatingDisability: [[spoiler:His limp and crippled arm is just an act to make him seem more harmless; in the film's final scene, both disappears in a single stride.]] |
| 170 | * ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler:He pretends to be a weak-willed and crippled sap who was taken advantage of by Dean Keaton, rather than the diabolical crimelord he is.]] |
| 171 | * PersonalEffectsReveal: [[spoiler:The golden watch and cigarette lighter given to Kint as he leaves the police station are the same items that Söze is shown to possess at the beginning of the film.]] |
| 172 | * TheQuietOne: Ironically, he says very little during the flashbacks. |
| 173 | * RidiculouslyAverageGuy: He's an average, unassuming guy who you'd almost forget about if you were in a room with. [[spoiler:He's also the main villain of the film]]. |
| 174 | * SayingTooMuch: [[spoiler:Verbal actually does admit to killing Keaton, although it is fairly unintelligible due to Kujan's yelling, and he quickly shades the slip-up by covering it with, "I did see Keaton get shot."]] |
| 175 | * ScheherezadeGambit: [[spoiler:He uses his tale-spinning talent to outwit his captors and not only to gain time: He continually changes his story until he finds the correct one to convince Kujan of his InUniverse ConfirmationBias so he would release Verbal]] |
| 176 | * SeamlessSpontaneousLie: [[spoiler:His entire story.]] |
| 177 | * SelfProclaimedLiar: He's not only an admitted con artist, but there are several scenes where he will say something Kujan doubts, admit to lying, and then revise his story. |
| 178 | * TheSmartGuy: Being a con man, relies more on brains than the others, who are mostly hijackers. Redfoot lampshades this when he calls Verbal "the man with the plan". |
| 179 | * ThrowingOffTheDisability: [[spoiler:In the most famous shot of the nineties, Verbal limps at first but gradually shows he can walk normally when he leaves the police station.]] |
| 180 | * UndercoverWhenAlone: |
| 181 | ** [[spoiler:Despite the fact that Verbal and Keyser are the same person, this is actually averted. Verbal is constantly showing facial expressions that contradict what he is saying when he is talking to Kujan, and only when Kujan isn't looking. In addition his first reaction when Keyser is mentioned is anger, which he then pretends is fear. This is also averted in flashbacks as Verbal is never alone and obviously telling the story.]] |
| 182 | ** A very subtle version of this: When Verbal is alone (in flashbacks) his manner of holding a cigarette to his lips varies from one culture's to another — the German manner, the Russian, the Turkish. But in the company of the others, it's always American. |
| 183 | * UnreliableExpositor: Detective Kujan suspects that he knows more than he told the grand jury. Boy, is he right. |
| 184 | -->'''Verbal:''' Back when I was in that barbershop quartet in Skokie, IL, the baritone was this guy named Kip Diskin. Big fat guy. I mean like, Orca fat... |
| 185 | * UnreliableNarrator: [[spoiler:Kujan constantly accuses him of lying, and ultimately Verbal confirms Kujan's preconceived notion that Keaton was Keyser Söze. Of course, Verbal wanted him to think that all along.]] Also, [[spoiler:Kint narrates things he wasn't actually there to see. Unless he was Söze.]] |
| 186 | * VillainousBreakdown: When Kujan tells him [[spoiler:that Edie was killed [[SubvertedTrope until it turns out he is the killer in the first place, and just acting]]]]. |
| 187 | * VillainousWidowsPeak: Verbal tries to disguise his thinning hairline (Spacey was already balding here) with backcombing. |
| 188 | * WalkingSpoiler: As you've probably figured from all the white spaces, it's difficult to talk about Verbal without giving away the ending. |
| 189 | [[/folder]] |
| 190 | |
| 191 | !!Other Criminals |
| 192 | |
| 193 | [[folder:Keyser Söze]] |
| 194 | !!Keyser Söze |
| 195 | !!!'''Played By:''' [[spoiler:Creator/KevinSpacey]] |
| 196 | |
| 197 | ->''Keaton always said, "[[{{Naytheist}} I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of Him.]]" Well, I believe in God. [[TheDreaded And the only thing that scares me is Keyser Söze]].'' |
| 198 | ---- |
| 199 | * AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: The sheer willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve his ends, Keyser Soze rose to limitless power. |
| 200 | * AxCrazy: [[spoiler:Söze's backstory told by Kint portrays Söze as this. It turns out that when Kint is detailing all of this to Kujan, he's really talking about himself, so in hindsight, either Kujan has an authentic, first-hand account of Söze's exploits, or a highly exaggerated account from the actual person so that he can build himself up while Kujan does not know the truth.]] |
| 201 | * BadBoss: His minions are disposable and most unaware that they are working for him. |
| 202 | * TheBadGuyWins: [[spoiler:He successfully manages to escape the police as Verbal by making up almost the whole story of what happened.]] |
| 203 | * BarbarianLonghair: In flashbacks, he's got long flowing hair all the way down his back. |
| 204 | * BigBad: [[spoiler:The one behind everything in the film.]] |
| 205 | * ButHeSoundsHandsome: [[spoiler:A lot of Kint's terror of him, in retrospect, was likely just boasting about being TheDreaded.]] |
| 206 | * CallingCard: Two GangstaStyle gunshots to the head. This is how he kills Keaton, Arturro, [[spoiler:and Edie]]. The killing of Saul Berg [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadows]] TheReveal. |
| 207 | * CardCarryingVillain: [[spoiler:Most of his dialogue is describing what a terrifying, unstoppable monster he is]]. |
| 208 | * CoatHatMask: Söze appears in the opening and flashbacks, but his face is concealed by a dark overcoat and fedora hat. |
| 209 | * TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:Anything that happens in the movie is because he planned it, from the "American confront" to his arrest and eventually release.]] |
| 210 | * DamnItFeelsGoodToBeAGangster: Most of his personal effects are solid gold. |
| 211 | * DiabolicalMastermind: An [[ShroudedInMyth almost-legendary]] crime lord who, if he exists at all, works through layers upon layers of proxies. [[spoiler:Except in the occasional case where hiding in plain sight as one of the supposed "proxies" works to his advantage.]] |
| 212 | * TheDreaded: He's a legend among criminals. Most of them fear him, some doubt his existence, but ''everyone'' has heard his story. |
| 213 | * TheFaceless: In flashbacks. [[spoiler:Subverted - he's actually one of the first people we see.]] |
| 214 | * FakeNationality: [[invoked]][[spoiler:Kevin Spacey is not Hungarian or German like Keyser Söze.]] |
| 215 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: He went from being a small-time dope dealer to a legend of the criminal underworld. |
| 216 | * GangstaStyle: How he disposes of his victims, including [[spoiler:Keaton]]. |
| 217 | * HeKnowsTooMuch: Söze kills everyone tangentially involved with the witness's murder, including the hijackers and Keaton's girlfriend, and the only surviving eyewitness dies from his burn injuries. Only Kujan remains. |
| 218 | * HiddenInPlainSight: The BigBad sits in front of the investigator but the latter doesn't recognize the UnknownCharacter. |
| 219 | * HiddenVillain: After his rampage following the death of his family, Keyser Söze went underground, working to grow his criminal empire and exact further vengeance through proxies and clueless pawns. His appearance remains hidden throughout the entire movie [[spoiler:until the very end.]] |
| 220 | * KarmaHoudini: He's never apprehended for any of his crimes. [[spoiler:At the end, Verbal Kint manages to talk his way out of his prison time. They both turn out to be the same person.]] |
| 221 | * LegacyCharacter: [[spoiler:He might be, based on your interpretation as to whether or not Verbal is old enough to be the character of legend.]] |
| 222 | * LivingLegend: He's considered the bogeyman of the underworld by even the toughest of criminals, who shiver when his name is spoken. |
| 223 | * MasqueradingAsTheUnseen: He's never seen during Verbal's account, and he interacts with the characters through an intermediary. This may become an inversion though, when it's revealed [[spoiler:that Verbal is Söze]]. |
| 224 | * MasterActor: [[spoiler:He fools ''everybody'' as the timid, easily manipulated Verbal Kint, affecting a limp, a twisted foot, and a partially paralyzed arm, all of which disappear when he finally drops the act at the very end. And he's apparently been playing this character for ''years''.]] |
| 225 | * TheMobBossIsScarier: This seems to be the case when Kujan brings him up and Verbal reacts with stark terror. [[spoiler:Subverted at the end when it's revealed that Verbal ''is'' Keyser Söze.]] |
| 226 | * MultipleChoicePast: We only ever see one version of his story, but it's clear there are several. The version we see is simply the one Verbal says he believes. |
| 227 | -->'''Verbal:''' "He's supposed to be Turkish... some say his father was German... Nobody ever believed he was real. Nobody ever knew him or saw anybody that ever worked directly for him. But to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Söze. You never knew; that was his power. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. One story the guys told me, the story I ''believe'', was from his days in Turkey..." |
| 228 | * MurderIsTheBestSolution: Söze is infamous for disposing of his treacherous henchmen in the most excruciating way possible. Failing that, he will execute not only the traitor, but his friends and loved ones, as well. What began as a personal vendetta (the men who attacked his family) became part of his myth. |
| 229 | * OffingTheOffspring: He murdered his wife and children. |
| 230 | * OneManArmy: He's described as having murdered dozens of people in revenge for his family, presumably single-handed. |
| 231 | * OnlyBadGuysCallTheirLawyers: [[spoiler:Averted, because the police had absolutely ''no idea''...]] |
| 232 | * PapaWolf: Subverted. He has a beautiful wife, three adoring children, and he's big and hairy and aggressive- then his family is taken hostage. [[spoiler:He killed his wife and both surviving kids himself rather than allow his enemies to do it. That way, he explains to the surviving enemy mook, they won't have to live with the humiliation.]] |
| 233 | * RoaringRampageOfRevenge: In the backstory, semi-mythical criminal mastermind he's faced with other gangsters who try to take over his business by threatening to kill his family. Instead, he kills his family himself, then the gangsters, then their wives, children, friends, and anyone else even tangentially associated with them, and then vanishes into legend. |
| 234 | * SatanicArchetype: Is believed by many to be the Devil himself. |
| 235 | * ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: He's able to manipulate police departments to a truly disturbing extent. [[spoiler:Despite admitting (as Verbal Kint) to a raft of crimes, the most the police can hit him with is a minor weapons charge. Rabin says he's "protected from up on high by the prince of darkness."]] Later on, Kint's story includes Kobayashi saying that Söze arranged the line up to gather up the five crooks whose crimes had interfered with Söze and get them to repay their "debt". |
| 236 | * SexierAlterEgo: Verbal imagines him as a long-haired adonis. [[spoiler:In reality, he's just short, skinny, balding Kevin Spacey.]] |
| 237 | * ShroudedInMyth: A larger-than-life criminal mastermind who never appears in public and acts mainly through intermediaries and subcontractors. He's apparently powerful and ruthless enough that his name [[HorrifyingTheHorror scares the hell out of the ruthless Hungarian mob and all sorts of other criminals]]. The last man to know what he looks like dies about midway through the movie, though not before giving a description to a sketch artist. Every other detail we learn about him comes through Verbal Kint, who could only have learned about Söze and his reputation second-hand. [[spoiler:Unless, of course, he ''is'' Keyser Söze...]] |
| 238 | * SignificantMonogram: [[spoiler:Shares his initials with the actor who ultimately plays him]]. |
| 239 | * ASinisterClue: A DiabolicalMastermind who wields his gun left-handed in the flashback. |
| 240 | * SlaveToPR: He shot his wife and children, unwilling to let them live another day knowing he'd been brought low by home invaders. |
| 241 | * TheSpook: He was something similar to this. The nature of the movie made his shadow-ness even more obscure and vague. But even with the things confirmed by the police interrogators, Söze was someone who has never had a confirmed sighting, regarded as a myth, has [[MultipleChoicePast multiple versions of his backstory]] and you don't know what is fact or fiction about him. |
| 242 | * TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: Referred to as "The Devil", but looks just like a normal man, albeit an extremely dangerous one. [[spoiler:This is why Verbal would have been the very last person on Earth that Kujan would have suspected to be Keyser Söze.]] |
| 243 | * TwoAliasesOneCharacter: [[spoiler:He goes by "Verbal" for most of the film.]] |
| 244 | * TheUnfettered: ''Nothing'' can stop him once he decides he's going to do something. ''Nothing''. |
| 245 | -->''Söze looks over the faces of his family. Then he showed these men of will what will really was.'' |
| 246 | * UnflinchingWalk: During Verbal's exposition about Söze, we see the latter with a DeterminedExpression on his face walking away from a house he just set on fire without him looking back. |
| 247 | * UnknownCharacter: Very few people have ever met him firsthand and lived to tell about it -- the only one the police have tracked down is a mutilated Hungarian mobster babbling nonsense. We see him with his FaceFramedInShadow, but even that is only within the {{flashback}}s of a [[UnreliableNarrator questionably-reliable narrator]]. We hear his OriginStory, but it's the kind of unlikely, mythologised tale you'd expect of a FolkHero. The only contact he has with any character is via TheDragon, Kobayashi. The final [[TheReveal Reveal]]? [[spoiler:The narrator ''is'' Keyser Söze, so far as such a man exists.]] |
| 248 | * UnstoppableRage: He killed his wife and children to stop the home invaders from using them as hostages, then killed all but one of the invaders (so he'd go tell his associates), then went out and killed everyone connected with the people who did the home invasion of his house, including people whose only connection was that they owed money to them or had dealings with them. |
| 249 | * UnwittingPawn: According to Kobayashi, most of Söze's mooks never know who they are really working for. |
| 250 | * WalkingSpoiler: You do see how much of this section is highlighted, right? |
| 251 | * WildHair: Has long, tangled hair in the flashbacks. |
| 252 | * YouCanKeepHer: In the origin tale, the Hungarians who raided his house slit the throat of his daughter to "let him know they meant business". Söze responded by shooting his spouse and remaining child, turned his gun on the knifeman, then told the remaining crook to tell everyone what had transpired at the house. Odds are, nobody ever troubled him again. |
| 253 | [[/folder]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | [[folder:Mr. Kobayashi]] |
| 256 | !!Mr. Kobayashi |
| 257 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/PetePostlethwaite |
| 258 | |
| 259 | ->''[[WhamLine I work for Keyser Söze]].'' |
| 260 | ---- |
| 261 | * AmoralAttorney: He works for a DiabolicalMastermind, it's kind of a given. |
| 262 | * AmbiguouslyBrown: Though played by a white actor (Creator/PetePostlethwaite), Mr. Kobayashi has a Japanese-sounding name (and Japanese letters on his office door), speaks with what sounds like an Indian accent and has swarthy though Caucasian-looking features. [[spoiler:Of course, we later discover that Kobayashi isn't even his real name.]] |
| 263 | * AnOfferYouCantRefuse: His first appearance in the film has him deliver marching orders to the Suspects on behalf of his boss, Keyser Söze. The job; a near-suicidal raid on a ship docked in San Pedro during a drug buy, with an implicit death threat if they don't comply. He makes good on said threat by killing Fenster when he tries to back out, then threatening the remaining Suspects' loved ones when they try to retaliate. |
| 264 | * BaldOfEvil: No hair on the top of his head and one of the worst people in the film. |
| 265 | * BoomHeadshot: What he did to [[spoiler:Fenster.]] |
| 266 | * DissonantSerenity: Sees his two bodyguards shot from either side of him, yet still keeps his cool, even when Mc[=Manus=] proceeds to point a gun at his head. |
| 267 | * TheDragon: To Keyser Söze, of TheConsigliere type. He handles the day-to-day business for Söze and occasionally the dirty work, such as [[spoiler: murdering Fenster.]] He must be very valuable to Söze, [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness since Söze usually has henchmen who are no longer useful murdered]]. |
| 268 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: [[spoiler:Uses this as a ploy to blackmail the Suspects if they don't cooperate by disclosing that he knows the whereabouts of their closest relatives.]] |
| 269 | * EvilBrit: His ethnicity is never confirmed, although "Kobayashi" is a Japanese name, which is contrasted by Postlethwaite giving the character a British-Indian accent. [[spoiler:And then there's the fact that Verbal's entire story was fabricated, so "Kobayashi" is not even his real name.]] |
| 270 | * IHaveYourWife: He claimed to have men ready to kill the Suspects' loved ones if they don't do as they are told, specifically Edie, Hockney's father, Verbal's uncle Randall, and [=McManus=]' nephew David. |
| 271 | * KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Gets away with everything he does in the film]]. |
| 272 | * ManipulativeBastard: With orders from Söze, he cons the Suspects into [[spoiler:stopping the dope deal on the Hungarian mob's boat]] by [[spoiler:presenting envelopes detailing every crime they have committed in the past, and threatening the lives of their loved ones. He also ordered the lineup and interrogation of the suspects at the beginning of the film.]] |
| 273 | * MouthOfSauron: He is Söze's mouthpiece. |
| 274 | * NoNameGiven: [[spoiler:No ''real'' name, in any case. Kint took the name "Kobayashi" from the bottom of a coffee mug.]] |
| 275 | * TheSociopath: Just listen to him giving out casual threats as if it's a normal day, particularly when he threatens to castrate [=McManus'=] nephew. |
| 276 | * TheStoic: ''Never'' shows any kind of emotion, even in the face of death. Of course, Keyser Söze will do something worse to him than simply [[FateWorseThanDeath death.]] |
| 277 | * WouldHurtAChild: When Keaton's crew has the drop on him, among the many loved ones Koybayashi threatens in order to get them to work for Keyser, including Edie. He makes it clear that he will ''only'' have [=McManus'=] nephew [[GroinAttack castrated.]] |
| 278 | [[/folder]] |
| 279 | |
| 280 | [[folder:Saul Berg]] |
| 281 | !!Saul Berg |
| 282 | !!!'''Played By:''' Carl Bressler |
| 283 | |
| 284 | * BeardOfEvil: He's got a beard and is a diamond ([[spoiler:really heroin]]) smuggler. |
| 285 | * BoomHeadshot: Shot in the head by Verbal. |
| 286 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: [[spoiler:His death is used as blackmail fodder by Kobayashi to force the suspects to comply.]] |
| 287 | [[/folder]] |
| 288 | |
| 289 | [[folder:Redfoot the Fence]] |
| 290 | !!Redfoot the Fence |
| 291 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/PeterGreene |
| 292 | |
| 293 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: When we first meet him, he seems like an amiable enough guy, carrying out the deal with minimal fuss, and setting up the main characters with another job. When that job turns into an utter shitstorm, however, Redfoot makes it clear that he really couldn't care less about the mess they've landed themselves in, and throws his cigarette in [=McManus'=] face for good measure. |
| 294 | * OnlyOneName: It's not made immediately clear whether Redfoot is his actual name, or some kind of alias. [[spoiler:It turns out it's neither -- Kint picked up his name from a newspaper clipping on the wall while spinning the story to Kujan]]. |
| 295 | * UnwittingPawn: It turns out that he was hired by Kobayashi to set the main characters up with a job that was destined to go wrong, with the intention of having Redfoot testify against them if it came to that. |
| 296 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He's never seen or mentioned after Kobayashi's introductory scene, but given Söze's habit of pulling a YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness on his subordinates, his survival chances probably aren't good. [[spoiler:Assuming he ever actually existed in the first place]]. |
| 297 | [[/folder]] |
| 298 | |
| 299 | !!Police |
| 300 | |
| 301 | [[folder:Dave Kujan]] |
| 302 | !!Dave Kujan |
| 303 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/ChazzPalminteri |
| 304 | |
| 305 | ->''You know the first thing they teach you in the academy? How to spot a murderer.'' |
| 306 | ---- |
| 307 | * AntiHero: UnscrupulousHero. He may have a strong sense of justice and have a great dedication to stopping crime, but he's a violent {{Jerkass}}, blackmails people, plants false evidence, is obsessive towards a man who is trying to go straight and assaults unarmed suspects. |
| 308 | * BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler:His constant taunting of Verbal's stupidity comes back to bite him big time when the TwistEnding arrives.]] |
| 309 | * FatalFlaw: His insistent on believing that Keaton and ''only'' Keaton could have been the mastermind of the heist allows [[spoiler:Söze to walk out of his office a free man.]] |
| 310 | * GoodIsNotNice: He's technically on the side of good, wanting to put criminals in jail and keep the streets safe. He's still an asshole. |
| 311 | * GutFeeling: He believes he already knows what happens and tries to get Verbal to confirm his suspicions. Early in the film, Verbal encourages this behavior by sarcastically asserting that, when a cop thinks the brother did it, he's usually going to be right. |
| 312 | * HeroAntagonist: He is this to [[VillainProtagonist Verbal]] [[ConMan Kint]]. Trying to get him to spill the whole story and bring down Keyser Söze. |
| 313 | * InspectorJavert: He's obsessed with arresting cop-turned-criminal Keaton. Trouble is, while there's little doubt that Keaton is a thief and murderer, he seems to be genuinely trying to go legitimate at the start of the movie. But Kujan's dogged pursuit lets Keaton's potential business partners know about his criminal background, torpedoing his career and sending him back to a life of crime. In Kujan's interactions with Verbal, we also see he's willing to break the law himself (including issuing death threats) if it means catching Keaton, and is so focused on that goal that he ignores any explanation that doesn't paint Keaton as the criminal mastermind behind everything. [[FatalFlaw This final detail]] is [[spoiler:what allows Verbal's lie to ultimately work - just tell him "Dean Keaton is Keyser Soze" and he will buy everything else hook, line, and sinker.]] |
| 314 | * JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: A [[IncrediblyLamePun Verbal]] take on this trope. He constantly threatens and blackmails Verbal into telling him what he wants to know. Becomes physical when he throws him on the ground and wordlessly threatens to beat him up. |
| 315 | * {{Jerkass}}: He thinks Verbal is stupid and is overly rough on him. [[spoiler:Then comes TheReveal...]] |
| 316 | * KickTheDog: |
| 317 | ** He humiliates Keaton during his dinner with his potential business associates by arresting him with a large group of agents and mentioning his criminal past. This also ruins Keaton's reputation. |
| 318 | ** There's also his haughty and borderline abusive behavior towards Verbal during his interrogation. |
| 319 | * MeaningfulName: His name is pronounced exactly like "coullione", an extremely vulgar french word for idiot. |
| 320 | * OhCrap: [[spoiler:His reaction at the end of the film when he realizes that Verbal's entire story was fabricated for his own benefit, and that Verbal himself is the true Keyser Söze.]] |
| 321 | * PetTheDog: A minor example when he helps Verbal light his cigarette near the beginning of the film. |
| 322 | * PoliceBrutality: Fiercely tosses Verbal to the ground in a fit of anger. |
| 323 | * RabidCop: Has a short temper and has an obsession with Dean Keaton, even if he's trying to pull a HeelFaceTurn. |
| 324 | -->"Not from ''me'', you piece of shit! ''There is no immunity from me.''" |
| 325 | * SecretTestOfCharacter: Agent Kujan tells Verbal that the best way to weed out a professional criminal is round up five guys and place them in a room together. An innocent man will be constantly fretting about what might happen, while the guilty party is going to be calm, trying not to give anything away, and resting as much as possible so he can be sharp when the police question him. [[spoiler:Hockney, who is revealed after the fact to be responsible for hijacking the truck from the start of the movie, is the only one not freaking out during the prison scene, and even starts getting upset at how worked up Fenster is.]] |
| 326 | * SmugSnake: A heroic version. [[spoiler:[[UnderestimatingBadassery His gross underestimation of Verbal]] and his overconfidence in his own intelligence proves to be his undoing.]] |
| 327 | * TooCleverByHalf: He condescendingly tells Verbal Kint, the prisoner he is interrogating, that Kujan is smarter than him, that Verbal is stupid, a cripple, weaker than the criminals he associated with, and that Verbal will not be free until he will tell Kujan exactly wants he wants to know. Cue BreakTheHaughty at the TwistEnding. |
| 328 | [[/folder]] |
| 329 | |
| 330 | [[folder:Jack Baer]] |
| 331 | !!Jack Baer |
| 332 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/GiancarloEsposito |
| 333 | |
| 334 | * GoodIsNotNice: While not as bad as Kujan in that regard, he's extremely brusque and dismissive of the hospital staff unless he gets what he wants. He's also dedicated to finding out the truth. |
| 335 | * JurisdictionFriction: Averted. While the FBI and Customs could clash over investigation of the fire and possession of witness Verbal Kint, he cooperates with Kujan's investigation. |
| 336 | * UnwittingPawn: He's the one who brings in the name "Keyser Söze", who Verbal is afraid to even talk about. [[spoiler:Or so he wants Kujan to think.]] |
| 337 | [[/folder]] |
| 338 | |
| 339 | [[folder:Sgt. Jeff Rabin]] |
| 340 | !!Sgt. Jeff Rabin |
| 341 | !!!'''Played By:''' Creator/DanHedaya |
| 342 | |
| 343 | ->''I'm telling you, this guy is protected from on high by the prince of darkness''. |
| 344 | ---- |
| 345 | * AgentScully: Doesn't believe Kujan's ideas at what really happened at the pier, and he's also skeptical of Baer when he brings up Keyser Söze, though he does allow them to pursue their theories. |
| 346 | * ArcWords: After Kujan has finished interrogating Verbal, and he and Rabin are sitting in Rabin's office: |
| 347 | -->'''Kujan:''' Man, you're a slob.\ |
| 348 | '''Sgt. Rabin:''' Yeah, but it all has a system, Dave. It all makes sense when you look at it right. You gotta stand back from it, you know? |
| 349 | ** [[spoiler:It's when Kujan does start to look at it right that he discovers TheReveal that Verbal cribbed a lot of his story from the bulletin board behind Rabin's desk, and that Verbal is Keyser Söze]]. |
| 350 | * JurisdictionFriction: Averted - he's reluctant to let Kujan question Verbal, but not because he doesn't want Customs getting involved; he just thinks Kujan isn't going to get anything out of Verbal. |
| 351 | [[/folder]] |
| 352 | |
| 353 | !!Others |
| 354 | |
| 355 | [[folder:Edie Finneran]] |
| 356 | !!Edie Finneran |
| 357 | !!!'''Played By:''' Suzy Amis |
| 358 | |
| 359 | * IronLady: In a court or other legal setting she's tough and no-nonsense; she was quickly able to force the NYPD to release Keaton and the other suspects, for example, and her immediate impulse is to push for further legal retribution. [[BeneathTheMask She shows a softer side when she's around Keaton]]. |
| 360 | * MealTicket: Hockney (and probably some of the other suspects) thinks of her as being one for Keaton. |
| 361 | * SpannerInTheWorks: Kobayashi mentions that his plan was to recruit the Suspects right after the interrogation and lineup, but Edie was a little too effective in securing Keaton's release, forcing Kobayashi to wait for another opportunity to blackmail the Suspects. |
| 362 | * StuffedInAFridge: Her death is revealed as a WhamLine for Verbal, which so devastates him that he finally turns on Keaton. [[spoiler:It's of course later revealed that he actually ordered her murder]]. She was the only main character killed [[KarmicDeath who was not involved in any criminal activity]], and her death serves no point beyond facilitating Verbal's VillainousBreakdown. |
| 363 | [[/folder]] |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Characters / TheUsualSuspects
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
