Overlay: Being John Malkovich (1999) character analysis and plot details

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
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Errors (2)

The full name of the puppet show is 'Dance of Despair and Disillusionment'.fabricated-names Craig controls Malkovich for eight months, not years. The '7 years later' title numerical-error

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film Being John Malkovich (1999), which character does the audience root for, and which do they root against, and why (e.g. which of their actions cause the audience perception)?

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

In the surrealist classic Being John Malkovich (1999), audience sympathies are intentionally destabilized. The film is designed as a "metaphysical hall of mirrors" where characters who begin as relatable underdogs gradually reveal monstrous traits.

Generally, the audience's "rooting" shifts from Craig to Lotte as the story progresses, while Maxine and Malkovich occupy roles as the object of desire and the ultimate victim, respectively.

1. The Character the Audience Roots Against: Craig Schwartz (The Protagonist)

While Craig (John Cusack) starts as the film's "sad-sack" protagonist, the audience eventually roots against him as he descends from a struggling artist into a manipulative villain.

Initial Perception: At first, the audience roots for Craig. He is an unemployed puppeteer whose "Dance of Despair" demonstrates his talent and internal pain. He is an underdog in a "7 ½ floor" world that literally and figuratively keeps him down.
The Shift (Why they root against him):
- Enslavement of Malkovich: Craig doesn’t just visit the portal; he learns to "puppeteer" John Malkovich’s actual body. He robs Malkovich of his autonomy, effectively "killing" the actor’s persona to replace it with his own for years.
- Abuse of Lotte: When his wife, Lotte, expresses that the portal helped her realize her gender identity, Craig is dismissive. He eventually reaches a peak of cruelty by locking Lotte in a cage with their chimpanzee (Elijah) so he can use the portal to meet Maxine himself.
- The Final Horror: In the ending, Craig’s obsession with Maxine leads him to inhabit the body of her young daughter, Emily. He is trapped there forever, forced to look through the eyes of a child at the woman he loves but can never have. This "justice" is usually viewed as earned by the audience because of his predatory nature.

2. The Character the Audience Roots For: Lotte Schwartz (The Sympathetic Seeker)

Lotte (Cameron Diaz) is the character the audience most consistently sympathizes with, primarily because her journey is one of genuine self-discovery rather than a quest for power.

Initial Perception: She is introduced as a neglected, animal-obsessed housewife. The audience pities her because Craig ignores her and she seems lost in her own life.
The Actions That Build Sympathy:
- Self-Discovery: Lotte’s experience in the portal is portrayed as a profound awakening regarding her gender identity and sexuality. Unlike Craig, who wants to use the body for gain, Lotte wants to understand herself.
- The Victim of Craig: The audience roots for her to escape Craig’s literal and emotional cages.
Complexity: Even when Lotte attempts to kill Maxine in a jealous rage, it is often viewed by audiences as a manifestation of the "madness" the portal induces in everyone, rather than a cold-blooded trait. Her "happy ending" with Maxine and their daughter is the only positive resolution in the film.

3. The Complex Antagonist: Maxine Lund (The Ice Queen)

Maxine (Catherine Keener) is a character audiences often root against for her coldness, yet find themselves "rooting for" in her rejection of Craig.

Actions against her: She is mercenary and cruel, famously telling Craig, "If you ever get me, you wouldn't have a clue what to do with me." She treats the portal as a business venture and manipulates everyone’s emotions.
The Turning Point: In the finale, Maxine chooses Lotte over the power-hungry "Malkovich/Craig." This decision to value a real human connection over the "perfect" puppeteer version of Malkovich allows the audience to find satisfaction in her ending.

4. The Victim: John Malkovich (Himself)

While the audience doesn't necessarily "root for" him to succeed in a quest, they root for his humanity and autonomy.

Specific Actions: The audience’s horror peaks when Malkovich enters his own portal and sees a world where everyone has his face and says only his name ("Malkovich, Malkovich..."). This scene highlights his dehumanization.
Why we root for him: He is an innocent man whose life is literally stolen. The audience views the "Malkovich" the public loves at the end of the film as a hollow shell, knowing the real man has been suppressed by the elderly "vessel" jumpers (Dr. Lester and his friends).

Summary Table

Character	Initial Feeling	Final Feeling	Defining Action
Craig	Sympathy (Underdog)	Repulsion (Villain)	Locking his wife in a cage to "steal" her life.
Lotte	Pity (Neglected)	Support (Empowered)	Finding her true identity and escaping Craig.
Maxine	Dislike (Manipulative)	Acceptance (Survivor)	Choosing a life with Lotte over the power of the portal.
Malkovich	Humor (Self-Parody)	Horror (Victim)	Realizing his body has been turned into a "bus" for others.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] The full name of the puppet show is 'Dance of Despair and Disillusionment'.

[2] Craig controls Malkovich for eight months, not years. The '7 years later' title card appears in the epilogue after Craig has already left Malkovich's body.

[3] Lotte explicitly states she wants to be a man after her experience in the portal, and later realizes she is a trans man or lesbian (interpretations vary, but the gender identity realization is explicit).

[4] Craig locks Lotte in the cage used for their chimpanzee, Elijah, to prevent her from interfering with his time in Malkovich.

[5] Craig attempts to re-enter the portal but is too late, diverting him into the next vessel, Emily (Maxine's daughter), where he is trapped as a passive observer.

[6] Lotte chases Maxine with a gun into the portal, intending to kill her, before they are both ejected into the New Jersey Turnpike.

[7] This is a direct and accurate quote from Maxine to Craig.

[8] When Malkovich enters his own portal, he experiences a recursive nightmare where everyone is him and speaks only his name.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

No oversights detected.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 What is the significance of the 7 1/2 floor in Being John Malkovich?

#02 Does Craig Schwartz ever escape Emily's body?

#03 What happens to Dr. Lester at the end of Being John Malkovich?

#S SOURCES

scielo.br wordpress.com birthmoviesdeath.com blogspot.com the-tech-vortex.com standbyformindcontrol.com reddit.com asharperfocus.com

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

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In the surrealist classic *Being John Malkovich* (1999), audience sympathies are intentionally destabilized. The film is designed as a "metaphysical hall of mirrors" where characters who begin as relatable underdogs gradually reveal monstrous traits. Generally, the audience's "rooting" shifts from **Craig** to **Lotte** as the story progresses, while **Maxine** and **Malkovich** occupy roles as the object of desire and the ultimate victim, respectively. ### 1. The Character the Audience Roots Against: Craig Schwartz (The Protagonist) While Craig (John Cusack) starts as the film's "sad-sack" protagonist, the audience eventually roots against him as he descends from a struggling artist into a manipulative villain. * **Initial Perception:** At first, the audience roots *for* Craig. He is an unemployed puppeteer whose "Dance of Despair" demonstrates his talent and internal pain. He is an underdog in a "7 ½ floor" world that literally and figuratively keeps him down. * **The Shift (Why they root against him):** * **Enslavement of Malkovich:** Craig doesn’t just visit the portal; he learns to "puppeteer" John Malkovich’s actual body. He robs Malkovich of his autonomy, effectively "killing" the actor’s persona to replace it with his own for years. * **Abuse of Lotte:** When his wife, Lotte, expresses that the portal helped her realize her gender identity, Craig is dismissive. He eventually reaches a peak of cruelty by **locking Lotte in a cage with their chimpanzee** (Elijah) so he can use the portal to meet Maxine himself. * **The Final Horror:** In the ending, Craig’s obsession with Maxine leads him to inhabit the body of her young daughter, Emily. He is trapped there forever, forced to look through the eyes of a child at the woman he loves but can never have. This "justice" is usually viewed as earned by the audience because of his predatory nature. ### 2. The Character the Audience Roots For: Lotte Schwartz (The Sympathetic Seeker) Lotte (Cameron Diaz) is the character the audience most consistently sympathizes with, primarily because her journey is one of genuine self-discovery rather than a quest for power. * **Initial Perception:** She is introduced as a neglected, animal-obsessed housewife. The audience pities her because Craig ignores her and she seems lost in her own life. * **The Actions That Build Sympathy:** * **Self-Discovery:** Lotte’s experience in the portal is portrayed as a profound awakening regarding her gender identity and sexuality. Unlike Craig, who wants to *use* the body for gain, Lotte wants to *understand* herself. * **The Victim of Craig:** The audience roots for her to escape Craig’s literal and emotional cages. * **Complexity:** Even when Lotte attempts to kill Maxine in a jealous rage, it is often viewed by audiences as a manifestation of the "madness" the portal induces in everyone, rather than a cold-blooded trait. Her "happy ending" with Maxine and their daughter is the only positive resolution in the film. ### 3. The Complex Antagonist: Maxine Lund (The Ice Queen) Maxine (Catherine Keener) is a character audiences often root *against* for her coldness, yet find themselves "rooting for" in her rejection of Craig. * **Actions against her:** She is mercenary and cruel, famously telling Craig, "If you ever get me, you wouldn't have a clue what to do with me." She treats the portal as a business venture and manipulates everyone’s emotions. * **The Turning Point:** In the finale, Maxine chooses Lotte over the power-hungry "Malkovich/Craig." This decision to value a real human connection over the "perfect" puppeteer version of Malkovich allows the audience to find satisfaction in her ending. ### 4. The Victim: John Malkovich (Himself) While the audience doesn't necessarily "root for" him to succeed in a quest, they root for his **humanity and autonomy**. * **Specific Actions:** The audience’s horror peaks when Malkovich enters his own portal and sees a world where everyone has his face and says only his name ("Malkovich, Malkovich..."). This scene highlights his dehumanization. * **Why we root for him:** He is an innocent man whose life is literally stolen. The audience views the "Malkovich" the public loves at the end of the film as a hollow shell, knowing the *real* man has been suppressed by the elderly "vessel" jumpers (Dr. Lester and his friends). ### Summary Table | Character | Initial Feeling | Final Feeling | Defining Action | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Craig** | Sympathy (Underdog) | Repulsion (Villain) | Locking his wife in a cage to "steal" her life. | | **Lotte** | Pity (Neglected) | Support (Empowered) | Finding her true identity and escaping Craig. | | **Maxine** | Dislike (Manipulative) | Acceptance (Survivor) | Choosing a life with Lotte over the power of the portal. | | **Malkovich** | Humor (Self-Parody) | Horror (Victim) | Realizing his body has been turned into a "bus" for others. |

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

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In Being John Malkovich, the audience generally roots against Craig Schwartz by the end, as he transitions from a sympathetic underdog to a villain who enslaves Malkovich and locks his wife Lotte in a chimpanzee cage. The audience roots for Lotte, who undergoes a journey of self-discovery regarding her gender identity and eventually finds happiness with Maxine. Maxine is a complex antagonist who is initially disliked for her manipulation but gains approval for choosing Lotte over Craig. John Malkovich is viewed as the ultimate victim, losing his autonomy to the vessel-jumpers. Craig's specific punishment—being trapped in the mind of Maxine's daughter, Emily, with no control—is seen as poetic justice.

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