Review: Seven Psychopaths (2008).

Seven Psychopaths (2008). Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh.

[Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken.]

Seven Psychopaths is Martin's chance to understand his own style of storytelling, embracing the classic tropes of cinema and embellishing them with a fresh, witty take.

He has a strength for using this film as a commentary on the nature of storytelling itself. He understands the importance of genuine storytelling. Highlighting the importance of on-screen chemistry and balancing humour and emotional depth consistently.

McDonagh challenges the notions of what makes a good story, leaning into absurdity, he blurs the line between the writer's imagination and unpredictable reality. This interplay between fiction and reality reflects the struggles that writers often face when finding authentic and original stories.

His direction keeps the pacing engaging and the witty dialogue maintains a consistent level of dark humour throughout to contrast and break up his use of unapologetically stylized and gruesome violence that adds to the overall dark comedy theme.

Let's talk briefly about the plot as it is simple, condensed and is used as a vehicle for the characters to play. When Marty, a struggling screenwriter, begins a journey of exploring different types of psychopaths, he is dragged into a world of dog thieves and angry mobsters. As Marty writes his story, his reality starts to reflect that of the screenplay, events unfolding spontaneously and absurdly, giving him inspiration for his story.

So, what the hell is a psychopath? The media would have you believe that a psychopath is a particular individual who is innately evil, cruel, heartless and incapable of experiencing love. Pulling wings off of bugs and skinning cats, etc. Referring to someone as a psychopath has become a common way of emphasising a distaste or disturbance for their character, whether it be through direct or indirect interactions.

With classic examples of characters like Patrick Bateman- American Psycho, Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill- Silence of the Lambs, and Norman Bates in Psycho, we are conditioned to believe that psychopaths are the ultimate evil villains of both cinema and reality.

But as much as we would all love to believe that we are above psychopathy, that it is designated to a finite group of unredeemable individuals when it is actually very likely that we experience psychopathic tendencies to some degree, if not the condition itself. According to PsychopathyIs, as much as 30% of the population displays some degree of reduced empathy, risk-taking, and overly high self-regard.

There is no diagnostic category for psychopathy in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). this is due to both the fear that adding it will further stigmatize those who are diagnosed as well as the difficulty in accurately assessing these traits (callousness, cruelty, indifference, and disregard). Some of the nearest diagnoses symptomatic-wise is Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), one of nine personality disorders and focuses on the behavioural aspects of psychopathy like aggression or impulsivity rather than on personality characteristics like remorselessness and narcissism. Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) stems from a person who has experienced a neglectful or badly abusive situation as an infant or a young child. When one is unable to form healthy attachments with parents or caregivers. As a defence mechanism, a person with this condition needs to disregard their internal and unconscious fears and anger for the brain to cope with their trauma making it hard for them to relate to others or be willing to seek help for their condition.

Psychopaths don’t necessarily have a lack of compassion, but they certainly cause us to lose compassion for them. Seven Psychopaths plays on the fact that there is a universal understanding and distaste for people experiencing psychopathy. He allows the characters to identify and even point out instances where they feel one another is acting psychopathic.

These include moments where a character shows no sympathy, disregards human emotion, and acts heartlessly.

Seven Psychopaths shows how little the label of psychopathy actually matters as the characters branded as psychopaths engage in life and relationships with versatility- they are not heartless, sadistic beings at their core, they are capable of loving and forming romantic or friendly connections with others.

McDonagh chooses to focus on a variety of diverse psychopath archetypes, indulging in the stereotypical traits of violence and sadism and countering them with unexpected and unique tropes or interactions that highlight a core personality of deep love and devotion.

He provides humanising backstories and motivations that do not justify the actions of the psychos but gives a valid explanation that their experiences, traumatic events and life experiences are what have shaped their psychopathic tendencies. McDonagh aims to blur the lines between good and evil.

For the sake of accurate analysis, let's take a look at our psychopaths and their contribution to the plot.

1 & 7– Jack of Diamonds / Billy Bickle.

2 – The Quaker.

3 – The Vietnamese Priest.

4 – Charlie Costello.

5 – Zacharia Rigby.

6 – Hans Kieslowski.

The main character, Marty Faranan, (Colin Farrell) is an alcoholic struggling screenwriter attempting to write a screenplay for a film surrounding seven psychopaths. He is noncommittal and prioritizes his drinking over spending time working on his writing.

Marty battles the complications of storytelling as he is unable to organically connect characters and plots. This is a direct parallel to the conflicts filmmakers (and McDonagh) might experience during the drafting phase of writing. Marty is seeking a formulaic plot for his movie and it only starts coming together as his experiences influence his perspective.

Similarly, McDonagh’s screenplays are inspired by his personal experiences, understanding the importance of genuine storytelling and challenging the notions of what makes a good story.

At times, Marty exhibits his own traits of psychopathy and it is easily blamed on his drinking problem. He sees himself as better than the other characters because his personality is less obvious or on display. In reality, Marty has been on the brink of being branded a psychopath from the beginning of the film, easily displayed through his disregard for his girlfriend. By the end of the film, Marty is well aware that he is darker than he once thought, his actions are questionable and have altered the way he will act moving forward. It is definitely implied that Marty is actually the first psychopath.

What really drives the plot forward is Marty’s best friend, Billy (Sam Rockwell). Billy is an aspiring actor and a dog kidnapper, making money by collecting the financial rewards for helping find the owners missing dog. Billy is extremely invested in his friendship with Marty and becomes obsessed with helping him create this screenplay, going so far as to put an advert out for psychopaths to reach out to Marty and orchestrate crimes of his own under the pseduodnym of the Jack of Diamonds.

Billy is unpredictable and impulsive and serves as the manipulative mentor, pushing the story in unexpected ways. It’s his fault that he, Marty, and Hans- his partner in dognapping- end up in a life-threatening situation, orchestrating the direction of the story (influencing both Marty’s and McDonagh’s screenplays).

Billy is deemed a psychopath due to his eagerness to cause chaos and crimes and the ease at which he is willing to harm others in favour of remaining loyal and helpful to Marty and Hans. Completely contradictory, Billy’s actions, though heartless, are a display of his deep love and devotion to his friends.

Hans (Christopher Walken) is the wise guide. At his core, he is madly in love and compassionate withh his wife, Myra. Myra is Hans’ voice of reason and without her by his side, Hans is inclined to act with impulse and clouded judgement. With a dark past, Hans unintentionally inspires the character and story of the Quaker- the second psychopath in Marty’s story.

Hans has a calm and philosophical demeanour, using religion as a connection to his way of life. He counterbalances Billy’s impulsive nature and serves as a source of redemption for the other characters to bounce off of.

And then there’s Charlie (Woody Harrelson). Charlie is the primary antagonist, a ruthless gangster with the archetype of the classic psychopathic villain. Charlie becomes a key element in the story and is the catalyst for the escalation of violence. All because of a little Shih Tzu, Bonnie.

Charlie is painted as cruel simply by being a mobster, but his entire arc truly revolves around his love and loss of Bonnie. He proves that he is willing to do anything it takes to get him back and punish those who took him. His unwavering certainty of choosing to react with violence starkly contrasts his deep love for his dog.

The three remaining psychopaths are disconnected from the main plot, shown in snippets to expand our realm of psychopaths but not overshadow the importance of the main characters. The Quaker and Zacharia Rigby represent the avenging psychopath, seeking justice and revenge for the hurt and cruelty their loved ones experienced.

Their psychopathic tendencies are fuelled by dark and traumatic pasts.

The Vietnamese Priest is an unexpected character, but this only emphasises the wide range of psychopathy. Though his appearances are brief and scattered, his arc is extremely impactful and ends up highlighting the cyclical nature of violence and revenge. Essentially his story summarises the endings of the main characters. He serves to echo the cautionary tale of the consequences of violence.

Each psychopath has a personal arc that is subject to evolving through dialogue and interactions, resulting in the character redemption or growth of several psychopaths and often altering the plot as a whole.

Billy and Hans both undergo personal growth and come to terms with their violent paths and the consequences they have to face. This challenges the perception that psychopaths are incapable of change or self-awareness.

So, we can no longer rely on the notion that all psychopaths are purely evil and incapable of having any redeemable qualities. With diverse portrayals, a humanistic approach, and the exploration of complex motivations offering a nuanced perspective on psychopathy, we are encouraged to consider the intricacies of this condition and the human who might lie within.

Seven Psychopaths stands as a remarkable cinematic achievement that skilfully dissects and studies storytelling. We have delved into the film's multifaceted layers and have explored how Seven Psychopaths artfully deconstructs conventional storytelling tropes and challenges the audience’s perception of character archetypes and plot development.

McDonagh is an impeccable writer with a deep understanding of his craft, seamlessly weaving humour, tragedy, and thought-provoking themes into a compelling tapestry. Seven Psychopaths serves as a case study in how storytelling can transcend traditional boundaries. It is evident that McDonagh’s storytelling prowess extends beyond merely crafting a compelling tale. Instead, Seven Psychopaths becomes a vehicle for introducing and exploring the human condition, elevating a work of art beyond entertainment and leaving a lasting impact.

" You don't just give back a kidnapped dog. Defeats the entire object of the kidnapping."