10 Most Iconic Villains In Movie History
4. The Wicked Witch Of The West - The Wizard of Oz
In 1939’s classic The Wizard Of Oz, Margaret Hamilton may have given not just the definitive performance as the antagonistic sorcerer, but the definitive on screen witch of any kind. Everything we imagine when we think of a witch is there in Hamilton’s performance, from the pointy hat and nose to the speech patterns and evil cackle.
There are so many iconic moments in Victor Flemming’s immeasurably innovative film, but the Wicked Witch takes the prize. With relatively little screen time, she nonetheless dominates the picture, dispatching her henchmonkies and menacing the population of the magical kingdom.
The 1939 film’s Witch is charismatic but one dimensional, ceaselessly evil. There was far more to get into, though, and later projects, like the hugely successful Wicked, retell the tale from the Witch’s perspective.
It’s the sign of a classic character - there are so many ways to reinterpret and reimagine the Witch while retaining the core qualities dating back to L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel. She’s part of the western canon by this point.