As we look forward to Season 4 of Prime Video’s Reacher starring Alan Ritchson, it’s easy to forget that the hero of the Lee Child book series also had movies. 2012’s Jack Reacher made some headlines at the time, as the star, Tom Cruise, was physically different from how the character is described in the books. Eyebrows were raised again when fans learned who would play the villain: German director Werner Herzog. Known for his quiet, raspy voice and philosophical outlook on the world, the documentarian might be the last person you would think of for a Tom Cruise action movie. However, it’s exactly those qualities that make him so compelling as Zec Chelovek, better known as The Zec.
Werner Herzog’s ‘Jack Reacher’ Villain Is a Ruthless, Unstoppable Boogeyman
Jack Reacher is a former military operative who has turned away from his old life, coming out of hiding when his friend is framed for a seemingly random sniper attack. Working with Defense Attorney Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), his investigations lead him to a conspiracy surrounding a Russian mob-owned construction company, led by a mysterious man known as The Zec.
The moniker is short for the pseudonym Zek Chelovek (“Prisoner Person”), the architect of the original killings who operates from the shadows. He is the survivor of a Russian gulag who did what he had to do to escape, including biting off his own fingers to avoid frostbite. Suddenly, it appears the formidable Reacher may have met his match.
Werner Herzog Played His ‘Jack Reacher’ Villain Role Perfectly
What makes Zec so unsettling as a villain is that he is so far from what we expect an action movie villain to be. There’s no maniacal laughter or lashing out. Instead, he is focused on his goals, which he outlines with chilling simplicity. When Helen asks how much money is enough for the crimes he has committed, he replies without hesitation: “Enough? There is no such thing. We take what can be taken. That is what we do.”
Before ‘Jack Reacher,’ Tom Cruise Starred in Christopher McQuarrie’s Forgotten WWII Thriller Now Streaming for Free
The historical thriller came out in 2008.
Equally, in the final face-off with Cruise’s Reacher, when he has been caught in a corner with nowhere to run, he remains unphased. When threatened with prison, he smiles ghoulishly and mockingly replies: “Prison? In America? A retirement home!” before reminding Reacher that he had killed everyone that could put Zec in prison. For all the hero’s strength, Zec remains one step ahead.
Here is where Herzog becomes the natural choice for such a character. His cerebral approach to storytelling celebrates the struggle of human beings against nature, and the psychological examination of his subjects. That might seem a world away from an action movie, but it makes sense that he should have some insight into a man who will do anything to survive, and for whom villainy is simply a different structure of thought.
The Zec Provided the Template for Herzog’s Villain in ‘The Mandalorian’
Herzog’s calm but menacing demeanor was present seven years later, this time in a galaxy far, far away. Herzog would appear in The Mandalorian‘s first season, playing The Client, a shadowy figure with an almost mythical aura around him. He seeks Grogu, whom he calls “The Asset,” in order to extract his force-sensitive blood. While he likely didn’t directly get the role as a result of his appearance in Jack Reacher, elements of The Zec can be found in The Client.
Both characters are ruthless and are driven by ideologies that have kept them alive. The Client has his loyalty to the fallen Empire, and The Zec his belief that, to survive, one must be able to do what your enemies won’t. The Client was willing to risk the life of a baby to get what he wanted, while The Zec’s initiation for new mercenaries was to make them chew off their own fingers, as he did in prison. The cold detachment of his performance in Jack Reacher was no accident, nor was it a case of his general persona fitting the bill. These are small but significant parts that make an impact precisely because they are approached in a different way.
While Lee Child’s character has since been rebooted on the small screen, the appreciation for Tom Cruise’s interpretation of the relentless, justice-seeking hero has grown over the years. Part of that is the world he inhabits (after all, what’s a hero without a villain?) and Werner Herzog’s inexorable villainy.
- Release Date
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December 21, 2012
- Runtime
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2h 10m
