Alan Rickman Top 10 Films

Alan Rickman –  from Snape to the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood, not forgetting the Christmassy Love Actually, Rickman was a different man in every film he starred in. Here’s our list of his best and most noteworthy films. *SOME CLIPS MAY BE EXPLICIT*

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: The first film on our list, and by far the most important role in Rickman’s career. Snape was the bad guy everyone expected, but was the hero that nobody noticed until the end. This spawned a massive fan base for him in the Potter fandom – one can barely scroll down one’s Tumblr without seeing something from the head of Slytherin.

Love Actually: While his character was never forgiven for cheating on Emma Thompson, he played a grumpy two-timing middle aged man spectacularly. The scene in the jeweller’s with Rowan Atkinson is beyond perfect. You can feel his irritation, much as anyone would when buying jewellery for their mistress.

Dogma: A relatively lesser known part, but hilarious nonetheless. He plays the Metatron, sent to Earth by the Almighty to tell the main character, Bethany, that she is the last descendent of Jesus Christ. Albeit rather sarcastically, he explains that she must stop the two banished angels (played by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) from getting back into Heaven.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: We see snippets of Snape’s past here in what is a more intense mental battle with Harry. As the boy who lived is being trained to strengthen his mind, a spell backfires, and we see Snape as a boy, being tormented by Harry’s father. This added a depth to the character, and made us sympathise with the brooding, sneering Slytherin.

Sense and Sensibility: Rickman showed a softer side of his acting here, as women everywhere swooned for his soft lines and the adaptation of Jane Austin’s classic. Playing the noble Colonel Brandon, he managed to woo and win Kate Winslet’s Marianne. I hope my editor appreciates the use of the word swoon. [Ed. – Swoonderful!]

Galaxy Quest: Parody film Galaxy Quest – featuring many of the tropes and clichés of the sci-fi genre – showed that Rickman was suited for any role, even in something as ridiculous as this. His dry tone and general contempt for the other characters make for some of the funniest moments he’s ever done.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: Snape kills Dumbledore. Right, now that’s out of the way, Half Blood Prince gave the rest of the series a truly dark tone – after the death of Harry’s mentor and friend, people (or rather the plebs who hadn’t read the books) were left to wonder why Snape had killed the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The confrontation between Harry and Snape after the fact was one of Alan’s most powerful performances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ihKj4Fi0I

Robin Hood: One of Rickman’s best performances, his rendition of the Sheriff of Nottingham was joyously evil, and simply showcased the kind of actor he was. One who could blend all kinds of styles, and even inspire some too. From the clip below we see a few traits picked up by other villains or anti-heroes. Look at the way he walks at the beginning of the scene. Captain Jack anyone? Whether he started it or not, there’s a certain knack to getting those villainous traits spot-on, and making them enjoyable to watch without being cringe-worthy.

Die Hard: One of the first action movies to ever really grab my attention personally, a sweaty Bruce Willis vs. a devious and evil terrorist. He was truly the villain we all loved to hate, simply because of his charisma, and his… tone? The way he played that character was phenomenal. Many other screenwriters and actors should take note on how to play a good villain – take a page from Rickman’s book.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2: Yes, obviously this would be our last one. The story was brought to its dramatic climax here, but not before Snape was revealed to be the better hero than Dumbledore. Rickman’s performance was astounding in Snape’s few words. The love he showed for Lily Potter, the way Snape literally gave his life to protect Harry – all portrayed so perfectly by Alan. The stories in the Pensieve jerked many a tear from the eyes of 2011’s audiences, and those of today. More so now that he’s parted from us all.

So, speaking for all of his fans and his colleagues, for those who knew him personally or were simply admirers of a damn good actor: we’re sorry to see you go.

Your films and works will be remembered for decades to come.

We mean that.