Catherine Trammel & Tony Montana: Hedonists

(Basic Instinct & Scarface)

No one could ever accuse Catherine Trammel of Basic Instinct or Tony Montana of Scarface of holding back. Montana shoots bullets with about the same discretion as he inhales Trammel enjoys inflicting what could be described as the Trotsky climax on her lovers in bedcocaine, while Trammel enjoys inflicting what could be described as the Trotsky climax on her lovers in bed. The solid, bulky leather upholstered chairs that Montana and Trammel both favor are an inky backdrop to their hedonism. The choice to contrast these chairs with vibrant white articles (Montana’s pile-o-coke, Trammel’s killer white dress) helps to highlight the characters’ extremism.

Darth Vader & John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester: Nihilists

(Star Wars & The Libertine)

Darth Vader, intergalactic mouth-breathing tyrant, and John Wilmot, real-life earth-bound 17th century playwright, may not seem to have much in common. Vader killed untold millions, while Wilmot slept with roughly the same number. What these two have in common is boredom and despair, a fundamental hatred of existence that leads them to destroy instead of create (in Wilmot’s case, his advanced syphilis and alcohol-drenched liver eventually lead to his own early death, as well as a disappointing commissioned play for the King of England). For them, the elaborate ornamentation of their chairs acts as a kind of defense against existential anomie. Within, joy is absent; anything lifelike must be externalized.

Bill & SS Colonel Hans Landa: Lady Killers

(Kill Bill & Inglourious Basterds)

Rapier intelligence and sadistic tendencies define two of Quentin Tarantino’s most memorable villains, SS Colonel Hans Landa and Bill. These are men who choose to spare the life of a woman only to initiate a game of relentless, murderous pursuit with her. The open-backed nature of their wooden chairs reflects the misleadingly open, almost friendly-seeming countenance of these two. The unswerving nature of their goal—each moves about with the self-assurance of official appointment, whether via a fascist government or Wild West-style self-ordination—is echoed by the solid wood materiality of the chairs. There are no flourishes here: the purpose is in plain sight.

Don Logan & Anton Chigurh: Psychopaths

(Sexy Beast & No Country for Old Men)

Both Don Logan and Anton Chigurh are proud of being antisocial. Logan is trying to pressure an old bank-robbing colleague into getting back into the game via a series of not-so-veiled threats, while Chigurh brings unsettling bang fashion to a new level (helped, in part, by his murder-with-a-smile attitude). What’s truly frightening about these men, Chigurh brings unsettling bang fashion to a new level however, is their blend of personal comfort and psychopathy—they’re clearly unafraid of violence and inflicting harm, to the point of outwardly relishing it. This blend is reflected in their preferred chairs; airy, cream upholstery is surrounded by a solid, knotty frame.

Daniel Plainview & Hannibal Lecter: Boundary Pushers

(There Will Be Blood & Silence of the Lambs)

Hannibal Lecter, a deranged psychoanalyst who cooked and ate his victims, and Plainview, a prospector in perennial search of MORE, aren’t hampered by society’s traditional boundaries. It’s fitting therefore that they should each sit on chairs, or chair-like objects, that have no back. These are not men who are interested in conforming to anybody’s rules but their own. They also have zero respect for other people’s boundaries. Before dinner, Lecter pries into the personal lives of his visitors; Plainview delights in dominating anyone who enters his sphere (“I drink your milkshake!”) before crushing them to death in his own personal bowling alley. Backless chairs it is, fellas.