If you’ve seen the Coen Brothers’ neo-Western, “No Country for Old Men,” based on Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel of the same name, you probably won’t be surprised to hear this. According to forensic psychiatrist Samuel Leistedt and his colleague Paul Linkowski (via Science News), Javier Bardem’s stoic and unnerving portrayal of Anton Chigurh is the most realistic depiction of a psychopath in a fictional movie.
Leistedt and Linkowski determined this after a three-year study that involved watching 400 movies (released between 1915 and 2010), looking for realistic depictions of psychopaths on film to develop tools that can help psychiatry students. Besides the Coens’ film, they also watched some of the best horror movies of all time, like “Psycho,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Kiss of Death,” “Henry: The Portrait of a Serial Killer,” and many more.
Leistedt (and his team made up of other forensic psychiatrists and film critics) said that Chigurh resembled a characteristically cold-blooded, remorseless, and heartless psychopath the most — one that would likely have a biological difference in his brain if he were real. “He does his job, and he can sleep without any problems. In my practice, I have met a few people like this.” Leistedt also added that the character reminded him of two real-life hitmen he interviewed before, who were “cold, smart, [with] no guilt, no anxiety, no depression.”
No Country For Old Men is a disturbing and merciless modern masterpiece
The film follows welder and Vietnam War vet Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) and hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) in Texas, after the former steals a suitcase of $2 million found in the desert while hunting. The stash is from a drug deal that went awry, and Moss soon realizes that his greed put him in a life-or-death situation as Chigurh and a group of cartel members go after him to recover the cash. Chigurh hunts Moss throughout the entire film and kills anyone who stands in his way. Meanwhile, local sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) investigates the failed drug deal and its victims.
There’s an inherent bleakness in “No Country for Old Men,” amplified by Chigurh’s pragmatic and matter-of-fact persona. He’s completely void of emotions, and the Coens mine his unfeeling aura and formidable presence to underline the source material’s main themes to great effect. Their movie is a brutal, listless, and remarkably merciless picture about right and wrong, life and death, and the never-ending cycle of violence. In addition to Bardem, Brolin, and Jones, “No Country for Old Men” also features Woody Harrelson, Garret Dillahunt, and Kelly Macdonald, among others.
The 2007 movie was a box office hit, garnering $171 million worldwide. It was also a critical darling, winning four Oscars in 2008, including best picture and best supporting actor (Bardem). No surprise then that it quickly became a modern classic and an often-cited masterpiece over the past two decades. It’s a must-watch for every Coen Brothers fan — and perhaps even for those who don’t like the Western genre.
