okay, so, maleficent. i was watching it and thinking things. it’s a fun movie and everything but… superfluous? i guess? in that for as fun as it is, i don’t feel like maleficent needed a hero back-story. part of her incredible flair as a villain is the sheer preposterous evilness that she basks in. she’s petty and dramatic and just plain fuckin bad, and that’s great. i love her that way. i love a lot of disney villains that way.
if i had to pick a disney villain to give a redemption story to, however???? easy pick, come on
listen, dr facilier is one of the greatest disney villains with his charisma and showmanship. but seriously, you can already argue he’s not even the movie’s reaaaal villain. unlike other ‘bad guy’ songs that loudly boast of the villain’s schemes and character, his song is called ‘friends on the other side’ and he credits all his supposed darkness to them. everything truly sinister he seeks to achieve is because he’s promised his ‘friends on the other side’ that he will procure power over new orleans - only to relinquish it to them. he, however, has no seeming interest in power. the only thing dr facilier is ever shown to desire is wealth. “big daddy labeouf” (a wealthy white sugar baron) and his fortune is a particular fixation (and frustration).
dr facilier is not wealthy, even remotely. he makes pocket change and his living shadow taunts him about it.
and speaking of the shadows that follow him, his ‘friends on the other side’?? he’s terrified of them. how many other disney villains have multiple breakdowns and “i’ll do it! i promise!” moments, long before the final confrontation? and yet, even in the midst of this terror, he isn’t weak or pathetic or helpless. at all. facilier is talented and clever and strong. his skill is renowned. he made these deals in the first place. he’s willing to do the work asked of him. they call him the shadow man and his reputation is well earned. we can see what he’s capable of.
but unlike a lot of disney villains, he is never once in a situation of real power. whether you mean his place in broad society or the shadow realm. the man is up to his neck in debt. the clock is ticking and he’s scared, and doing everything in his power to come through with his side of the bargain.
he’s not all that different from tiana, with big dreams in a world that kept knocking them down. facilier, however, seems to lack a support system and clearly walked himself into a situation he thought he could handle until it overwhelmed him and - well, come on, talk about one of the most terrifying villain deaths. he’s sucked into the shadow realm, kicking and screaming and clawing all the way, promising he can pay back his devils if they just give him a little more time.
i just find it silly that im being sold maleficent 2 and other lacklustre adaptations when there’s potential for a story about dr facilier in a turn-of-the-century new orleans trying to do more than make a living but fulfill huge dreams, ending up in a world of magic and shadows and devils, and uncovering his own inner darkness in the process.
(and while i’m here, leslie odom jr for young facilier, thanks thanks)
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