I've got my third proposal of the year. I know I said I was tired of WW2 villains, and after this I promise that whoever I propose next will not be another one (though I haven't decided who yet). There are currently three proposal active, with this being my seventeenth overall, and with my most recent one being twenty three days ago. I certainly didn't expect this film of all films to have a candidate, but that is the power of re watching films.
What is the work?[]
The English Patient is a historical epic set during WW2, directed by the late Anthony Minghella, and with an all-star cast of Ralph Fiennes, Kristen Scott Thomas, Juliet Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Jürgen Prochnow (who plays our villain) and others. Based on the 1992 novel of the same name. The film is about the titular patient, whose real name turns out to be László De Almásy (who was a real person, but the version of him depicted here is fictional) as his story is told in flashbacks, as we learn how he got where is currently, and the effort he made to save a woman he loved.
Who is Major Muller? What has he done?[]
The closest thing the movie has to a the main antagonist, but he is only in one scene himself so he shouldn't take too long. After Almásy gave maps to the Germans in exchange for fuel to find his love Katherine in time, they use this to carry out and attack on an allied base in the city of Tobruk. Our villain Major Muller appears to be the one leading the attack on the city, with the attack killing thousands of allied military. After the Germans capture the city, they have surviving military taken as prisoners of war, while the residents of the city are rounded up and forced to register under the occupation, with one women fearing for her son and another being horribly battered and abused by the guards. David Caravaggio tries to escape, but to no avail as the guards frighten the civilians before arresting Caravaggio.
Muller appears in person proper to interrogate Caravaggio, the latter of whom pleads for medical assistance of some kind, as he has been locked up and kept in horrible conditions for seemingly weeks, but he can't count as it has been that long. Muller then brings in a Muslim women that Caravaggio was having an affair with, and then toys with him by threatening to cut his fingers off in order to force information out of him, causing the latter to panic. When one of Muller's men receives a telegram and reminds him to remain within the Geneva conventions, Muller practically spits on this, and proceeds to have the women cut Caravaggio's thumbs off. Caravaggio states that he would later track down and kill Muller and the spy who took his photographs offscreen as revenge for his mutilation.
Redeeming Qualities?[]
No. He does make some minor attempts at sweet talking Caravaggio but that's it. Otherwise, nothing.
Heinous Standard?[]
General Standard[]
He leads an attack on a city that kills thousands, and puts even more in danger, (Caravaggio states that thousands of people could have died, and Almásy responds with "thousands did die, just different people", apparently referring to military deaths rather than civilian deaths, although civilians were still at risk) forces the civilians of the city to register under their occupation while beating or threatening any problematic ones, and perhaps most unique to him is his torture of Caravaggio by maltreating and then mutilating (or better yet, making a women do it even though she seems visibly uncomfortable with this) him. He clears easily.
In-Story Standard/System Standard[]
I'm gonna combine these two since they are basically one and the same here. While he is German military during WW2, he is the only prominent one to appear or be given any character or uniqueness. Erwin Rommel is mentioned a few times, and while he over arches Muller, Muller is still the hands-on heavy lifter here. Not to mention that he tortures Caravaggio even after being explicitly reminded not to by one of his soldiers, so no he is not just following orders. Hitler and Mussolini only get vague throwaway mentions in one scene (and not even by name) and that is it.
Interestingly enough, Almásy himself might be his best source of competition, as Almásy gave the Germans the maps that they needed to enter the city, but that was out of desperation to save a women he loved rather than active malice, with everything else being out of his hands. And while he and Katherine were in their dire circumstances because they had an affair and her husband found out, and took his own life in an attempt to kill her, this doesn't change the fact that neither of them could have predicted the negative results of their actions, and they wouldn't have had any real power over them.
Final Verdict[]
I'm a yes personally for a one scene wonder candidate.