Khan and the compassion for the villain

About two years ago I went to see the movie “Star Trek - Into Darkness” at the theatre (this article contains spoilers). I must say that it really is a beautiful film. I liked it more than the previous one.

Zachary Quinto is still my favourite, very good in the role of a Spock struggling against his humanity.
I must admit, though, that I thoroughly enjoyed the performance of Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of Khan and I had a real thrill in the very few scenes where he allied with Kirk.
I go crazy for these situations where the good and the villain find a common point. Even Khan, who is a supervillain, at times reveals something good: the fact that he considers his crew a family, for example. He would do anything to save them. This makes him more real and complex, this brings forth a kind of compassion for him in the viewer, despite everything. And after all in the end I was happy because even if our heroes are saved, the villain is not necessarily destroyed. Actually, I would’ve minded, if it had happened. Beside the fact that this can open new scenarios for other films, I did not want him to die.
You must have understood that I like ambiguous characters. I want to see a bit of evil in the hero and in a bit of goodness in the villain. I love when you mix the cards in this way because it gives depth to the character and creates a sort of attachment in those who enjoy the story, as well as increases the unpredictability of the latter.

I played this game extensively in the first three books of “Red Desert” and did so especially in the final one to be released in English at the end of this month.
In “Red Desert - Back Home” good and evil are mixed continuously even within the same characters and, as far as the various conflicts should come to a resolution, not necessarily this goes in favour of the good ones or against the bad ones, also because it is difficult to put a character in one of the two categories.
I hope this will inspire the reader to cheer, from time to time, for a certain character, regardless of their being good or bad, when this one is threatened by someone or something, and risks to be overwhelmed.

I hope to arouse in you that kind of compassion, because “Red Desert” is not a story on the eternal struggle between good and evil. There are no winners or losers. It is a story of confrontation between human beings, with their weaknesses and their strengths, and something much bigger than themselves, which, in turn, is not without flaws. A fight which is not on equal terms and whose purpose is not to determine the winner, but to expose the participants, pulling out the worst and the best of them, on both sides.

In so doing, I hope to be able once again to entertain you. In this regard we just have to wait until 31 July 2015 for the publication of “Red Desert - Back Home”, the final book in the series.
Meanwhile, follow Anna on Twitter. 


Don’t you know the Red Desert series? Start from “Red Desert - Point of No Return”, available on: Amazon (also in paperback), Barnes & Noble (also in paperback), Nook UK, Kobo, iTunes, Google Play, Smashwords, Oyster, Scribd, and Tolino.