In the cinema, the figure of the hero without fear and without reproach is very often highlighted. However, there is another category of protagonist that deserves to be highlighted: magnificent losers.
In the cinema, we very often give pride of place to intrepid and courageous heroes, ready to do anything to save the widow and the orphan. But we often forget a category of heroes, less flashy, less glamorous, that of the best losers of the 7th art!
In general, the latter are relegated to the rank of a funny role; We can thus find the friendly and clumsy friend of the hero, the lazy of the group who thinks only of eating and sleeping or the one who only does nonsense. These archetypes are created to enhance the protagonist of the work so that spectators can identify themselves more easily.
However, some filmmakers have managed to completely subvert this photo. Among these, we can cite the Joel and Ethan Coen brothers. In 1998, he offered us the king of the losers in the cinema, the great manitou of laziness, the emperor of the duvet, the laziness and the lifeless life: The Big Lebowski.
In this absolutely fabulous feature film, Jeff Bridges interprets one of the most memorable characters in the 90s, Jeff Lebowski. Named the Duke (The Dude), Jeff is a lazy who spends his time drinking strokes with his Walter boyfriend and playing bowling, a game of which he is fanatic. One day two thugs pass it to tobacco.
It seems that a certain Jackie Treehorn wants to recover a sum of money that Jeff's wife owes him. Only, Lebowski is not married, it is a mistake! The desired lebowski is a millionaire of Pasadena. The Duke then goes in search of compensation with his wealthy homonymous …
Working Title
The Emperor of Losers
Loser magnificent, the Duke is the total opposite of classic heroes. He is lazy, mowed, without professional ambition. He prefers to smoke joints, drink “white Russians”, listen to old rock and bowl with his cracked friends. However, he is the protagonist of an absurd film black intrigue woven by coen brothers inspired like never.
But then why do we love this character who, at first glance, may seem detestable? The Duke finally becomes extremely endearing because his inertia becomes a form of passive resistance to the chaotic world around him. It is the embodiment of a quiet refusal to play according to the rules of capitalism or dominant virility.
Thus, Jeff Lebowski opposes the classic male archetypes (like the Big Lebowski, played by David Huddleston, who embodies authority, wealth, claim). He only fights in the last recourse and knows how to remain cool, Zen, in all circumstances. The Duke is often next to the plaque, but he still remains strangely lucid. This paradoxically makes it more human, even wiser than a “traditional” hero.
Duke style style
With his long hair, his shaggy beard, his tapping and his powerful bathrobe, the Duke also invented the image of the magnificent loser, even in his outfit. Since 1998, fans around the world have been having fun imitating the hero's look in conventions or disguised evenings, anchoring the character in pop culture in the same way as Luke Skywalker or Tony Stark.
The Duke managed to create a real cultural identity. Fun Fact: All this has earned him to inspire a real cult: the “dudeism”, a pseudo-religion advocating the relaxation and acceptance of the world as it is.
Working Title The Duke -style look
In addition, at the end of the 20th century, the world faces a kind of post-cold cold war and the rise of neoliberalism. Bedwarded by these ideas, The Big Lebowski offers an absurd world, where no one controls anything. The Duke is like that time: disengaged, but not silly; Inactive, but not indifferent.
Ultimately, Jeff Lebowski is striking not despite his Loser status, but thanks to him. It crystallizes a form of passive rebellion, an ironic criticism of society, and an alternative model of life. By refusing the usual codes of success, it becomes a lasting cultural symbol. 27 years later, his inheritance is always significant and gives heart to the heart to all those who go through difficult periods.
