Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to come up with their favorite answer to a movie-related prompt tied to a recent release. This week, with the release of Monkey Man, we’re discussing some of our favorite movie masks! Let us know your favorites @SiftPop!
How does a mask become iconic and significant to the film it is featured in? There must be some narrative focus and purpose to make it meaningful to the story. This is certainly true of Salieri’s Black Mask of Death from Milos Forman’s Amadeus. First off, the visage of Salieri in his haunting black outfit, with a cloak, triangle hat, and (of course) the mask, delivers such an impactful feeling. But it is not just for the audiences — instead, it is meant to manipulate Mozart himself into believing a dark spirit is giving him a project to obsess with and lose himself too. The narrative purpose is one of the keys to the horrific fall of this brash, young genius at the hands of a jealous and mediocre “rival.” This might not be a mask that lives in the zeitgeist of our pop culture, but it is one steeped in meaning and effect to the story. Few masks are leveraged so well for manipulation that would cause great pain and suffering. That sounds like an iconic artifact for sure. (Shane Conto)
The mask looks awesome, what else can I say? The Dark Knight Rises is notable for how its depiction of Bane differs from the comics, and his mask is no exception. As Batman & Robin taught us, it can be difficult for us to connect with Bane’s humanity when his face is completely obscured, so it makes perfect sense why Christopher Nolan would opt for one which allows Tom Hardy’s eyes to remain visible. That said, if you are going to cover half your actor’s face with a mask for the entirety of your film, it had better be supremely compelling. The best thing that can be said about Bane’s metallic facehugger is that it’s simply an interesting design. The steel ribbed tubing of the mask evokes an air of mystery and intimidation that has since come to define Hardy’s interpretation of the character, and the vocal distortion it causes only adds to the mystique of one of the coolest comic book villains ever put to film. (Foster Harlfinger)
There are only a few masks in cinema history more iconic than Michael Myers’ in Halloween. You don’t even have to be a horror fan, or a movie fan for that matter, to recognise it and place it immediately; that’s how big of an impact it has had in our pop culture. What started as a cheap mask of James T. Kirk went through some simple modifications (because of the movie’s limited budget, they had to go back to basics) and became one of the scariest things you could see (not only) on Halloween evening. What also helps is the legacy behind the mask, as Halloween became a franchise with several different iterations and timelines. But no matter how you cut it, not a single movie came close to the brilliance of John Carpenter and the original Halloween film from 1978. Everything in it still works today, especially that opening sequence and the simplicity of that mask. The emptiness, the hollowness of it just works, and Michael Myers wouldn’t be such a legend without it. I always look forward to my annual Halloween rewatch on Halloween (yes, I am that basic). Simply put, this is one of the most recognizable movie masks of all time. (Luke Burian)
Iron Man’s helmet is brilliant. The hero’s heads-up display, or HUD, seen inside the helmet of different Marks of the Iron Man suit was revolutionary because for the first time that I can think of, we the audience was allowed inside, behind the proverbial mask, freeing Tony Stark to emote while being bombarded with visual sensory overload. The HUD shots of Robert Downey Jr. were a risky proposition at that time, and their success required moviegoers to believe in what was essentially an impossible shot that in reality would only appear in each eyepiece of the helmet, rather than projected in 3D space around Tony’s face. Though it all worked beautifully and created this never-before-seen virtual environment where Tony could have organic conversations with his A.I assistant, J.A.R.V.I.S. — voiced by the pleasing-to-the-ear accent of Paul Bettany, another reason why Iron Man’s helmet was so instantly iconic. What’s also fascinating about its functionality is how stakes and tensions could be effortlessly raised by the helmet taking damage or malfunctioning, or how powerful a combatant was could be portrayed by how easily they dispatched of it. Beyond the tech, though, Iron Man’s helmet of any Mark is just the dictionary definition of cool. From the first time it clamps down over Tony’s face as he steels himself for war in the original Iron Man, to serving as a last testimonial recording device in Avengers: Endgame, there exists no more quintessentially sensational mask, helmet, piece of tech, in all of cinema. (Jonathan Fedee)
Here’s the thing about movie masks: Why settle on one when you can have them all bundled into one? With Loki’s mask in The Mask, the wearer can be transformed to whatever they desire or need. We see a good number of characters come out of Stanley Ipkiss when he dons the mask, such as a Clint Eastwood impersonator, an old-timey bank robber, an actor giving their acceptance speech at the Oscars, a French seducer, and someone who plays by Looney Tunes physics. What is the most exciting of all of this is we really only feel like we scratched the surface of possibilities with such a small sample size in the media. With Loki’s mask, the possibilities are endless, and that is what makes it the best movie mask. As a bonus, it not only works on humans, but works on Stanley’s dog as well! (Aaron Schweitzer)
Sometimes a mask is more than just a way to obscure an identity; sometimes a mask becomes the symbol of the wearer and their ideals. About as effective as Clark Kent removing his glasses to transform into Superman, Don Diego de la Vega’s (Anthony Hopkins) black domino mask in The Mask of Zorro is more than just a way to obscure his identity — it’s a symbol of justice the sword swinging vigilante brings to the people of Las Californias. The wearer of the iconic black mask continues to protect the indigenous people and commoners of the pueblos even once it gets passed on to the next iteration of Zorro, his successor, Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas). This gives the local hero a supernatural quality, as he seems to be ageless in his quest to defend locals from government corruption, while providing hope to those he protects. (Patrice Downing)
Of all the masks on this list, none are more personal than what Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) has to go through in order to see his children more after his divorce. Mrs. Doubtfire doesn’t work unless Williams fully commits to the role, as he does with all of movies. It hasn’t particularly aged well with the court’s perception of crossdressing, but the audience feels the pain that Daniel has due to his being away from his kids. Mrs. Doubtfire is filled with hilarious moments that only Williams could deliver on. Rewatching this made me sad that younger generations will only get to see older movies by Williams, and not experience the joy he brought to everyone on screen. The real trick Mrs. Doubtfire pulls, though, is tugging at your heartstrings with beautiful moments between parent and kids. Also, it is one of the best portrayals of divorce in a movie. The pain and anger that both Daniel and Miranda (Sally Field) have with their failed marriage are beautifully expressed. As a child of divorce, this movie conveys all the feelings for both kids and adults in a way that made me feel understood. Because of this, it has a very special place in my heart. Mrs. Doubtfire is a one-of-a-kind movie that others have tried to replicate but can’t without William’s dynamic performance. (Mike Hilty)
Some masks are so iconic, they don’t even need to cover up an entire face to be absolutely terrifying. Case in point? Hannibal Lecter’s mask in The Silence of the Lambs. Required for use when Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) is being transferred, or when his cell’s being searched, the simple mask just covers his jaw — complete with an opening with bars around his mouth — to avoid similar attacks to the one he perpetrated on a poor nurse, with his pulse never getting above 85. The simplicity and reasoning behind the mask only makes it more unsettling. A bonus of its design? It allows Hopkins to still emote with his eyes and stare into your soul in a way that makes chills go down your spine. It’s so iconic, it’s been a plot point in the sequel and parodied and homaged to death. Unique and instantly recognizable, it’s a brilliant example of how a simple accessory can tell you all you need to know about a character. (Jake Bourgeois)
There are plenty of masks which immediately make you think of the movie they’re featured in, and there are a lot of movies which immediately make you think of a mask. But rare is the mask that is both inspired by the real world, and also has inspired the real world in kind. V for Vendetta features the anonymous character, V (Hugo Weaving), a revolutionary who means to overthrow a corrupt U.K. government. He does so whilst wearing a mask inspired by the likeness of Guy Fawkes, a member of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, an assassination attempt on the life of King James I. On the anniversary of the plot, bonfire night, Guy Fawkes is still burned in effigy whilst wearing a mask the likeness of which the mask in V for Vendetta was inspired by. In turn, the mask from the film became iconography for the online activist group Anonymous, which commits cyberattacks against organizations, corporations, and governments it deems to be corrupt. A feedback loop like this is rare, so rare I can’t readily think of anything of its like, and that alone would cement V for Vendetta as a film that’s become part of the cultural zeitgeist. For bonus points, it’s also just a very good film! (Chris Bakker)
The funny thing about Rorschach’s mask in Watchmen is that a lot of people wonder how it works. It has black ink blots constantly moving around on the front. This look is made possible with two thin layers of fabric and colored liquid trapped between them. Rorschach made it himself by cutting up some fabric using heated scissors. It is, however, only explained in the graphic novel. But a more burning question about this mask that isn’t explained in the novel or the movie is how he can breathe out of it; if it holds liquid, isn’t wearing the mask a bit like submerging your head in water? But I guess if you consider it your true face like Rorschach does, minor things like breathing aren’t necessary. Like a natural face, it expresses his genuine emotions at any time. There is one point in the movie where Dr. Manhattan teleports out of his workshop because he doesn’t want him there anymore, and the mask clearly shows a sad expression. It’s an amazingly original and creative way to transmit a character’s emotions to the audience, and it’s even more effective in the movie because you can see it moving. (John Tillyard)